Replies

1. 
   scooter1 | Jul 31, 2003 03:38am | #1

   Take a piece of plywood about 36 inches long and about 8 inches wide. Install two clamping type hold downs on the plywood that are staggered. Adjust the wood to match the taper and saw away. Much safer than the hinge type.

   I don't have a picture of what I have, but maybe others can post a link to the jig I made. It is fairly common.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

2. 
   BG | Jul 31, 2003 04:06am | #2

   Boatman,

   I've seen about 4-5 designs including offset circles but none of them hold the stock very well without add ons.  I recently made the one on this site and used it last week for the first time.  I felt uncomfortable that if the wood wanted to fly ie. kick back ..there was no way I could hold it securely down.  I put a chunk of wood on top of the stock(in a place where the blade would not hit it)  and used a spring clamp between the jig face and the chunk of wood...that seemed much safer and hands were well out of the way.

1. 
   DavidP52 | Jul 31, 2003 04:30am | #3

   I can't see any way you could clamp the stock. If you clamped it against the table, how would you move it? You can't clamp against the fence as it would either hit the blade or pinch the wood against the blade. And that leaves no other direction to clamp. The only thing one could do would be to make your piece longer than needed, screw attach to guide fence, cut the tapir and then cut off the ends with screw holes in them. I 'spose one could make a jig where you place the stock ON the jig and then clamp it. FRankly, I don't trust clamping wood against wood -- too dang slippery.

   I just cut a couple legs with the usual quickie jig. I used two ice picks to push the stock, instead of the jig. That felt a little better and seemed more like normal ripping, whereas previously I was pushing the jig with the work sort of hanging loose. I just have a couple little pick holes that I'll fill.

1. 
   scooter1 | Jul 31, 2003 05:04am | #4

   You clamp the wood against the jig. Mine has a stop block at the end, so the piece doesn't kick back. The hold down clamps merely hold it fast to the jig. Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

1. 
   DavidP52 | Jul 31, 2003 03:41pm | #5

   How could you do that without it getting in the way of the blade?

1. 
   AlanTurner | Jul 31, 2003 05:01pm | #6

   I too have been dissatisfied with the hinged affairs, of which I have made several.  My latest is a bit different. 

   Took some flat 1/2" ply, 6" longer than the stock which needed the taper.  Set a miter bar of wood (hard maple, planed to a snug fit and waxed) on the underside, and then cut the sled on the TS by simply pushing it through the blade with the miter bar in the grove, so that the edge of the sled is precisely where the blade is.  This makes the set-up quite easy.  Then I tood a couple of countersunk carriage bolts, long, up from the bottom, several inches over from the edge.  Wing nuts through a block of wood, are the clamps.  I then installed a back block of wood, just with screws as it gets moved often, and it has a notch, which registers the back side, and I did the same on the front, which also gets moved for each cut.

   I hope this is clear.  You need to block up the outside of the wood "clamp" to the approximate height of the stock.  I figured that if something let go, my fingers would be nowhere near the blade, and there is no fence to pinch the wood, and make it fly.  I stand to the side a bit instead of right behind it, but this is pretty good practice anyway, when possible.  Iused BB ply, at 12mm, so I still have a heavy 2.5" of cutting height on my 10: Unisaw.

   Alan

2. 
   mitch | Jul 31, 2003 06:33pm | #7

   i believe you're making inquiry about a "taper" jig, as a "tapir" is a species of ungulate indigenous to central and south america.  however, if you actually meant tapir, it is my understanding that most butchers use bandsaws designed for the purpose, not tablesaws.

   just trying to help  ;-)

   m

3. 
   Dalewood | Jul 31, 2003 06:52pm | #8

   How about this one?  

   http://www.woodmagazine.com/default.sph/wcontent_user.class?FNC=story__Asub_category1_html___7___47___129___258

1. 
   scooter1 | Jul 31, 2003 09:16pm | #9

   Bingo. That is very similar to the one I made. Two hold downs and a stop.

   Much fancier, but the same idea.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934