How-To
How to handplane a taper to perfection
Tom McLaughlin’s tapering jig makes quick work of any taper, but some work with a handplane makes it sing
Tom McLaughlin’s tapering jig makes quick work of any taper, whether it is used on the tablesaw or bandsaw. Tom always leaves himself a little room to clean things up with a handplane, though. This gives him a finish-ready surface, but it’s easy to lose sight of where the handplane is starting on the taper.
To ensure that the plane is taking material from the tapered section only, Tom always starts with more pressure on the toe of his plane. Because it can be hard to see precisely where the blade is hitting, Tom draws some squiggles on the tapered leg, below the mortise. Then, as he planes the taper, he can easily see the squiggles being planed away, making it clear as can be where the taper begins.
More on Fine Woodworking.com:
- Tapering Jig for the Tablesaw – This versatile jig not only makes tapered legs, it also makes angled cuts on sheet goods as wide as the tablesaw will allow
- Tapered Laminations Made Easy – A single jig tapers the plies on the bandsaw and then guides them through the planer
- Shaker Classic, 2 Ways – Change the legs to change the look of this classic piece
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
Comments
Maybe I missed it, but what is the thickness of the small end of the leg and how do you know when to stop planing at that end ?
He said he likes 5/8". Harbor Freight sells an electronic taper sensor with an alarm that plays Fleetwood Mac when you plane to the preset dimension.
There is almost no sound as pleasurable than that of a sharp, well tuned plane taking a fine shaving.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in