How to Cut a Long Taper

[Richard Line]

I've got 4 pieces to make that will be 30 in. long, with a 10 deg. taper for approximately 1/2 the length along one side. These are 1-3/8 in. thick, SPF (that is spruce or fir, but not Douglas fir). These are back support pieces for a couple of shaker style benches. The beginning of the taper will be exposed, just above the seat boards.

I'm likely going to end up making these cuts on my table saw, using my taper jig. However, I may try to do them with my tenon saw (14 in. long, rip) using a clamped on guide board. Or I my use one of my 26 in long cross cut saws (8 ppi) and the guide board. I don't have a rip saw that isn't a back saw. Either way the cuts will be smoothed with a plane.

My real question is - would you cut these boards to final width before cutting the taper, or leave them a bit wide, cut the taper and then cut to final width. Or is this sequence just a matter of personal taste and what works easiest in the cutting sequence.

Thanks for any thoughts.

[Steve Branam]

Actually, you might find it easier to do the whole taper with a plane. It works quite nicely and is surprisingly quick, and is also quite fun. You start at the end and establish the taper angle, then just keep working it down and further back along the length until you're done. Set the plane for a heavy cut initially until you're close to your final line, then set for a fine cut.

[Richard Line]

That is an interesting approach. I'm going to give it a try on a piece of scrap. The 10 deg. taper that is about 15 in. long results in removing about 2-5/8 in. at the one end. That seems like a lot of wood to plane away. However, as I said, I'm going to give it a try. Of course the knots and grain changes in this #$&* SPF doesn't really help to get the job done.

Thanks for the idea.

[Russell Sansom]

1. Panel saw, band saw, or bow saw along the line, leaving 1/8"
2. Plane to final dimension with a plane and shooting board.

* This is a good one for your TS if you're so inclined.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

From watching some others work, depending on the wood, it seems like a drawknife may work well for this. I've no experience on this front, so I may be well mistaken, but I've seen others do similar tasks very quickly with this tool.

When the grain is co-operating, I've started operations like this by splitting the wood away in large chunks with a big ol' framing chisel - similar concept to riving, I guess - but the woods got to be cooperating. Other times, I've layed the wood on it's side, and made heavy paring cuts with a wide chisel.
Honestly, anything that removes the wood fast enough for you to get in the ballpark, then follow up with something a little more precise to finish the job. I've seen some folks do the rough portion of similar work with a hatchet.

On some woods, I've used a saw just to cut enough off (following the angle of the taper) to give the plane something to ride on, so I'm only using the plane to remove more wood, not trying to get the angle dialed in. Working on edges, depending on the thickness of the stock, you'd be surprised how much heavily set you can work the plane on well-secured work - removing quite large shavings, then dial it back before you get to the line.

On something like this, where you may be concerned about the two pieces matching more than exact angle, it may be helpful to clamp the two pieces together for the final finessing of the surfaces.

[Tony Shea]

I know this is a handtool forum but honestly your tablesaw and a taper sled may be your best bet. I've made a few shaker side tables with this setup and just works awesome. Some smoothing with a handplane and they end up perfect.

If you do want the handtool method I would also start with heavy cuts on a handplane if you don't have a rip panel saw. A scrub may be a good option to start but a #5 set real heavy will get you there as well. Just be sure to watch your layout lines and decrease the amount of cut as you feel appropriate. The handtool method is def much more fun than a tablesaw too.

[David Keller NC]

One of your cross-cut filed panel saws will work for this task, if you choose. It will be a bit slower than a rip-filed panel saw because of the rake of the teeth and the (generally) more-teeth-to-the-inch on a cross-cut saw.

But, if you choose this route I wouldn't cut really close to the line with a guide board. Instead, just mark your line really well and saw about 1/16" of an inch away from it. That ensures that you won't have to pay really close attention to the line and can use an aggressive stroke on the saw.

When you've got all 4 legs roughed out, you can finish the job with a roughing plane and a jointer (no shooting board or guide board needed). Just chuck the workpiece in the front vise so that the desired line is approximately level, and use "stop strokes" to adjust the taper to exactly hit your line. Essentially, you use a 4 or 5 inch long stroke with the roughing plane to take down the high areas without also lowering the low areas. Within 4 or 5 passes, you will have a straight top surface on the leg taper that you can then compare to your line. If the two are parallel, you can simply plane down to the line with the jointer. If not, then take stop-strokes on one or the other end of the top surface to adjust the "parallelness" of the surface and the marked line.

BTW - I do have a table saw and a taper jig, but I don't think I've used it in the last 5 years. If I'm going to use power tools, I always revert to the bandsaw for the rough-out work, because I don't like how close my hand gets to the TS blade with a taper jig. If you're practiced with a handplane, the rougher surface left behind by the bandsaw is no big deal.

[Richard Line]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. After trying with a panel saw (xc), I opted to use my TS and the sled taper jig I have. I cut the taper a fat 1/16 wide and am planning down to the final line. That goes quick and easy. I think if I had a rip saw I might have been able to do the cuts faster than on the TS - too much set up and safety checking. I also found out (again) that a cross-cut filed saw really doesn't do so good on ripping. I may need to pick up a rip filed panel saw.