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 ADJUSTABLE
TAPER/RIPPING
JIG

© 2007 August Home Publishing Co.

 Jigs &
Fixtures

Adjustable Taper/Ripping Jig

One simple jig allows
you to rip a straight edge
on rough lumber or cut a
perfect taper with ease.

S ometimes a jig turns out even

better than expected. That is
exactly what happened with this
adjustable taper/ripping jig.
It started out quite simply — a
platform that slides across the table
saw and carries the workpiece past
the blade. But it ended up as a jig
that can do much more.
ADJUSTABLE. The first improvement
was a built-in system that allows
you to adjust the size of the taper.
It’s really nothing more than a piece
of hardwood and a steel pin (see
inset photo). But it makes it easy to
remove the exact amount of material
you need to form the desired “foot- ANGLED CUTS. But as easy as it is to accurately (see photos below left).
print” on the bottom end of the leg. cut tapers, you’ll probably use this STRAIGHT-LINE RIPPING. These same
Once the jig is adjusted, you can jig just as often for another job. With hold-downs can be used when
cut four identical tapers in a matter two simple hold-downs clamping a ripping a straight edge on a piece
of minutes — without changing the workpiece securely in place, you can of rough-sawn lumber (see photo
basic setup of the jig. make long, angled cuts safely and and inset directly below).

{ Angled Cuts. Two adjustable hold- { Ripping. To rip a straight edge on a

downs clamp work securely in place rough board, just remove the runner
when making angled cuts. and use the rip fence to guide the jig.

1 www.Woodsmith.com © 2007 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.

 And if the workpiece is particu- 1
larly long (or wide), you can remove
the adjustment system and the
runner that rides in the miter gauge
slot and use the rip fence.

PLATFORM
The main part of this jig is a
platform with four T-shaped slots.
These T-slots serve as tracks for the a. a.
adjustable hold-downs.
T-SLOTS. An easy way to form these
T-slots is to make the platform out
of two pieces and cut part of the
slot in each one.
The bottom (A) has four wide
dadoes cut in it to accept the head
of a toilet bolt (Fig. 1). Then, after 2
gluing on a hardboard top (B),
complete the T-slots by cutting
narrow dadoes for the shank of the
bolt (refer to Fig. 4 on page 4).
RAIL. To ensure that the platform
remains flat after it’s built, I added a
hardwood rail (C), see Fig. 2. It’s simply
glued to the edge of the platform.
a.
RUNNER. The platform is guided
by a hardwood runner (D) that
slides in the miter gauge slot of the
saw table, see Fig. 2. To avoid any
“play” in the platform, you want the
runner to fit snug in the slot, yet
not so tight that it binds.
GROOVE. Once you’re satisfied
with the fit, the next step is to cut on the edge of the platform. This marks with the reference edge.
a groove in the bottom of the plat- waste will be trimmed off when THREE STEPS. An easy way to create
form to accept the runner. Since the you make your first pass. this reference edge is to use a
runner determines the position of REFERENCE EDGE. At this point, the simple three-step process, as shown
the jig on the saw table, the location edge of the platform becomes a in the drawings below. But before
of this groove is important. reference edge that indicates the trimming the edge of the platform
What you want is to locate the path of the saw blade. So, to make (Step 3), you’ll need to attach the
groove so when you install the an accurate cut on a workpiece, all runner with machine screws and
runner later, there’s some waste you’ll need to do is align the layout T-nuts, see Figs. 2 and 2a.

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3

2 www.Woodsmith.com © 2007 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.

 Adjustment Bar
The most unique thing about this 3
taper jig is the adjustment bar. It’s
just a slotted wood strip and a block
with a metal pin, see Fig. 3. But it
does two important things.
First, it makes it easy to
adjust the size of the taper. a.
Hardware Second, it provides a way to
cut perfectly identical tapers.
• (5) 1/4" T-Nuts SIZE. The secret is a pin
• (3) 1/4" x 1" Fh Machine that fits in a centered hole in
Screws the end of the leg. This pin
• (2) 1/4" x 3"
Hex Bolts determines the position of
• (6) 1/4" Hex Nuts the leg on the platform. By
• (9) 5/16" Washers adjusting the bar, you can
• (1) #8 x 13/4" Fh
Woodscrew move the pin (and the leg)
• (3) 1/4" Knobs in two directions: side to b.
• (2) 1/4" x 31/2" side and up and down.
Toilet Bolts
• (2) Aluminum/Wooden Say you want to cut a 1⁄4"
taper for instance. Just slide
the bar to the side so the
leg overhangs the refer-
ence edge by 1⁄4". To allow
for pieces of different thick-
Aluminum
Hold-Down nesses, simply adjust the
height of the bar.
IDENTICAL TAPERS. The pin
also makes it easy to cut identical the leg between each pass. to the platform by means of two
tapers without changing the setup CONSTRUCTION. The adjustment bar is bolts that thread into T-nuts, see
of the jig. That’s because it’s cen- simple to make. After cutting slots in Fig. 3b. A pair of nuts “capture” the
tered on the end of the leg. Since the rail (E), the block (F) is glued on. bar on the bolts. And tightening a
the cut is referenced off a center- And a cutoff screw serves as the pin. single nut against the platform
point, all you need to do is rotate The adjustment bar is attached holds the bolts in place.

FULL-SIZE PATTERN (GRID LINES ARE ¼" APART)

Hold-Downs & Stop
All that’s left to complete the taper
jig is to add a pair of wood hold-
downs and a simple stop.
HOLD-DOWNS. Like their name
implies, the hold-downs clamp work
securely in place as you make a cut.
By sliding them along the T-shaped
slots in the platform, you can clamp
different size pieces.
The unusual thing about the
hold-downs is their angled shape,
see pattern and drawing at left.
This shape allows the long, straight
end to rest on the platform and the
short, angled end to apply pressure
on top of a workpiece.
The clamping pressure is pro-
duced by tightening a knob on the

3 www.Woodsmith.com © 2007 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.

 4 5

end of a toilet bolt that slides in the

T-slot , see Fig. 4.
BLANK. Each hold-down (G) starts
off as a 11⁄22"-square blank, see
drawing on page 3. (I glued up two
pieces of 3⁄4"-thick maple.) Then a
pattern of the basic shape is trans-
ferred to the side.
Note: Before cutting the hold-
down to shape, it’s easiest to lay out
and cut a slot for the toilet bolt.
STOP. Next, I added a hardwood reposition the leg at the same place knob when you use the hold-down
stop (H), see Fig. 5. In use, the between each pass. and the stop together, you’ll need
curved end of this stop butts against The stop is locked in place by tight- to glue on a small riser block (I). It
the top (untapered) end of the leg, ening a knob on the end of a toilet acts as a platform for the “foot” of the
see Step 5 below. This lets you bolt. To provide clearance for this hold-down to rest on, see Step 6.

Using the Jig

1the end of the leg, drill a cen- 2 the hex nuts up or down so it 3 taper with the edge of the jig
After laying out the tapers on With the leg in place, adjust Next, align the mark for the

tered hole to fit on the pin. sits flat on the platform. and tighten the adjustment nuts.

4 Now lay out the starting point

of the taper and align the 5 Slide the stop against the
leg and lock it in place. Then 6 After cutting a taper on one
side, rotate the leg and repeat
mark with the edge of the jig. tighten the hold-down on the leg. the process for each side.

4 www.Woodsmith.com © 2007 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.