A how to question about taper cuts on a table saw

[rudy de haas]

Can someone please direct me to info about using a table saw to make longer tapered cuts? I have been using a taper guide for short cuts (longtitudinal, but less than about 30") on the table saw and clamping a long straight piece of plywood in place for longer cuts that I then make using a skill saw. Now, however, a neighbor wants me to make a bunch of 5 foot pieces intended to fit together in a one up, one down, pattern and the table saw makes a lot nicer cut than the skill saw, but my taper guide won't work due to the length. so how do I do this?

Note I have neither the room nor the materials to make a larger work table surrounding the table saw - I know that would work, but it's not practical for me.

[Andrew Hughes]

What can we say Rudy. If you want to cut longer tapers on your tablesaw you will need a longer jig with longer support.

[robert wiggins]

I discovered an easy way to move my heavy table saw outdoors for a few cuts I wouldn't have room for in my meager shop. OH, I still need to grunt a little when I lift some of the weight but that's just for show if the wife is close by.

[Kevin Jenness]

You can make a taper jig from plywood a bit longer than your workpiece. If you use a base layer with a skewed fence atop it with toggle clamps plus roller stands fore and aft it will be relatively safe. A track saw is another option.

[lowell holmes]

I have made table saw sleds from a 24"x 18" x 1/2" plywood with a runner underneath that will allow you to make most nearly any cut you want to make. They sit to the right side of the blade. You can make guides that tack to create angle cuts.
Plus your fingers stay clear of the blade. Use your imagination. The runner rides in the right hand slot in the saw table.

https://weather.info/search?q=homemade+table+saw+sled&clid=a7v89&lp_l=en&lp_c=us&chid=01038400101003&lp_at=4&lp_ax=11111

Another link:

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2011/07/01/build-a-super-precise-tablesaw-crosscut-sled

[Edwin Santos]

How many pieces is "a bunch of 5 foot pieces"?
Are we talking 5 or 50?
What are the dimensions of the taper (how acute)?

Depending on the answers, I would offer up for consideration a jig called an L fence. Fine Woodworking did an article about it a few years ago. You can find it behind their paywall here: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2013/10/24/the-incredible-l-fence

(https://www.finewoodworking.com/2013/10/24/the-incredible-l-fence)Basically it turns your table saw into a pattern cutting tool. You would lay out your taper on your stock, temporarily tack on a strip of plywood or whatever, and then cut away with your strip riding against the L fence.

Incidentally, the jig works extraordinarily well for making rabbets also.
Edwin

[andrew whicker]

L fence described above without needing a subscription:

http://woodarchivist.com/1350-table-saw-l-fence/

[rudy de haas]

Thank you all!

1 - he's making a fence, so 100+
2 - the long jig idea looks easily doable -it's a subset of the L-Fence approach (I think). I use something like this now to put straight edges on rough lumber so I know how to make and use it. Meanwhile, longer term, a L-fence looks like something I need to make.

[johnny means]

I whip something like this up from scraps when I need to cut tapers. It would work as well against a rip fence as it does on a sliding table. I keep toggle clamps in my tool box just for this purpose.

[Edwin Santos]

Thank you all!

1 - he's making a fence, so 100+
2 - the long jig idea looks easily doable -it's a subset of the L-Fence approach (I think). I use something like this now to put straight edges on rough lumber so I know how to make and use it. Meanwhile, longer term, a L-fence looks like something I need to make.


Hi,
Hearing that you have 100+ tapers to cut, I will change my recommendation to something along the lines of what Johnny Means has illustrated in his response. It seems like it would be time consuming to mark your cut and set up a temporary guide for each cut which is what you would have to do with the L fence.

Edwin

[Rich Engelhardt]

If you had a track saw - - we would not be having this discussion - because you would already have finished the task.

I'm not saying this to gloat or in a nasty or know it all manner. I'm saying it because good track saws (Festool, Makita, DeWalt) are so much more than just mere things to break down sheet goods.

They are like brad or pin nailers. Once you use one, you wonder how you got along without one,

[johnny means]

If you had a track saw - - we would not be having this discussion - because you would already have finished the task.

I'm not saying this to gloat or in a nasty or know it all manner. I'm saying it because good track saws (Festool, Makita, DeWalt) are so much more than just mere things to break down sheet goods.

They are like brad or pin nailers. Once you use one, you wonder how you got along without one,

I'd like to see the tapers with a tracksaw thing. Seems like an exercise in frustration

[mreza Salav]

If you had a track saw - - we would not be having this discussion - because you would already have finished the task.

I'm not saying this to gloat or in a nasty or know it all manner. I'm saying it because good track saws (Festool, Makita, DeWalt) are so much more than just mere things to break down sheet goods.

They are like brad or pin nailers. Once you use one, you wonder how you got along without one,

have a good track saw and have used it extensively for various things but it certainly is not one I'd go to if I had 100+ taper cuts to do. A jig (like shown above) on table saw would be what I would try to use.

[roger wiegand]

I love my track saw, but count me with the guys who would make a jig. Probably 10 min to make the jig then buzz through 100 cuts vs futzing with getting the track lined up where you want it 100 times in a row-- no contest! Of course you could make a jig to position the track...

[Rich Engelhardt]

Of course you could make a jig to position the track...Exactly.....take you all of a couple minutes to lay out a couple of pieces of scrap & clamp the track in place. Absolutely no contest between just sticking a board under the track, running the saw down the track and repeating vs clamping and unclamping the stock from a taper jig - especially if you're anal about stuff like that & don't feel right about leaving the table saw running while diddling around with clamping and unclamping stock from a jig.

[roger wiegand]

I guess I wouldn't use clamps on a TS tapering jig, just screw in a cleat for the angle and one for an end stop and hold it by hand. Clamps would be nice if the pieces were skinny.

[glenn bradley]

About 6:30 in this video (https://youtu.be/RtnV8jm1kP8?t=397) can help.

[johnny means]

I guess I wouldn't use clamps on a TS tapering jig, just screw in a cleat for the angle and one for an end stop and hold it by hand. Clamps would be nice if the pieces were skinny.
Not clamping the stick to the jig gets sketchy real quick. It's difficult to hold the jig tight to the fence while simultaneously holding the piece to the jig.

[Edwin Santos]

I guess I wouldn't use clamps on a TS tapering jig, just screw in a cleat for the angle and one for an end stop and hold it by hand. Clamps would be nice if the pieces were skinny.

If you have confirmed for yourself that the toggle clamps are outside the path of the blade, then what is the concern about using them on a TS tapering jig?

I will confess to erring to the side of being safety oriented even if it slows me down. Many times when using a TS jig that involves toggle clamps, I will include a miter slot runner to eliminate the possibility that the jig can do anything other than slide forward and back. However here we're talking about a 5ft length so I would ride it along the fence and consider a featherboard or two to keep the jig from drifting. Of course, good outfeed support would be necessary. With these precautions I think you'd be safe using toggle clamps.

Johnny Means' photo is showing a slider saw setup which is very safe for pulling the jig back and setting up the next piece, but not all of us have such a posh saw.

Edwin

[Johnny Barr]

Is this the sort of thing you're after? Movable fence with hold downs and a runner to allow movement through the miter slot.?
408058408059

[roger wiegand]

Not clamping the stick to the jig gets sketchy real quick. It's difficult to hold the jig tight to the fence while simultaneously holding the piece to the jig.

Then by all means use clamps. I certainly would with skinny boards, I was thinking we were talking wider boards here that would be relatively easy to hold. I've just been doing a lot of template routing for some G&G style tables I'm building. Moving the clamps around gets tedious and some of my templates are starting to get pretty ratty with all the screw holes from moving the clamps. I suppose I shouldn't be so cheap and buy more toggle clamps!

[Mike Wilkins]

Faced with a similar problem a couple of years ago working on a project for a decorative back drop.
I used my Festool track saw with the 2 shorter rails joined together for the long taper cuts in plywood.
The extra-long table saw sled seems like a safer alternative for numerous cuts.

[Nick Decker]

Not clamping the stick to the jig gets sketchy real quick. It's difficult to hold the jig tight to the fence while simultaneously holding the piece to the jig.

Another factor when tapering thin sticks is clamping them as close to the ends of the sticks as possible. If you don't, the ends will vibrate like hell. Just finished some spindly legs for a hall table and learned that the scary way.

[David Buchhauser]

Is this the sort of thing you're after? Movable fence with hold downs and a runner to allow movement through the miter slot.?
408058408059

Johnny - that's a nice looking sled! I think that the OP could probably make a longer version to suite his length requirement and it would work just fine.

David