First REAL Jig & lessons learned

[greenacres2]

I'm working on a long, narrow table to fit under our bedroom window and replace the "sofa" table that is there now. Got the top and skirt milled from rough cut ash last week and pondered on the legs a bit. LOML wanted to stay with ash, and i had some 9/4 so that's the direction i took.

Then...she wanted the legs tapered, so i found a taper jig plan and got it built it--it really worked!! First use was to straight line the timber, then to do the tapers. Clamps were 2 layers of 1/2 ply, with another 2 layers for the clamping feet.

The lessons learned...wing nuts are bad!! After 4 rotations on 4 legs, the wingnuts on the clamps wore out my thumb and finger. So today i ordered a dozen 1/4" wing knobs!!

More important--i understood the value of a zero clearance throat plate, but never put one on. The shims that came off the legs were just right to drop between the plate and blade. Fortunately, the taper jig was easier to handle from the side of the saw, so no live animals were harmed--but the problem will be rectified. I got lucky.

A few pics of the jig, legs and table pieces--thank y'all for the education and support, i'm finally getting somewhere!!

[greenacres2]

Jig Pic

The jig picture didn't load, so had to resize it. Also, the ripples on the end of the picture of the top are not done justice in pictures. Looks like miniature sand dunes--beautiful.

earl

[chopnhack]

Nice earl, I think its time for you to buy yourself some toggle clamps

[greenacres2]

Ya' know--i realized this morning that i have a pair of toggles that i've never installed from the drill press table build. But i gotta tell you, it sure felt good to fab up some functional tools out of useless pieces of plywood. Not smooth, not pretty, but functional. For me, i got the feeling i paid some dues in my learning curve just by making jig and clamps instead of buying. Felt good.

earl

[chopnhack]

There's no doubt in that Earl, but with a jig that functional you have earned those toggle clamps :-)
I have a few pairs waiting on me to earn their use

[pelligrini]

Nice jig! A stable, repeatable way to make some cuts is nice. One thing you might incorporate is an adjustable stop block. It will help to keep the piece in place and also make repeatable cuts uniform.

[cabinetman]

Jig making is, or can be a great learning experience. It's amazing how much money you can save for not yielding to the aftermarket stuff being sold.

Nice jig! A stable, repeatable way to make some cuts is nice. One thing you might incorporate is an adjustable stop block. It will help to keep the piece in place and also make repeatable cuts uniform.

Yes, a jig with guides/stops eliminates individual set ups.

.

[greenacres2]

The pivot board is 34" so for this run i was able to use the 4th clamp as a stop, pulled back against the pivot. Thinking about it now, it'd be pretty easy to rout a slot in the pivot for a stop that would stay at 90 deg to the line. The clamp seemed like it could have moved, so i kept a constant eye on that.

The other thing i'm going to add is a second hole in the base for the center pivot screw to create a back location for the fence. That way there is a way to create additional support for straight lining a rough cut. My rough stock was about 5 1/2" wide and i had less than a 2" lip of support. Thought about a slot there to do the same, but having a fixed pivot seems more predictable.

earl

[Pappy]

Where did you get the plans?

[greenacres2]

The plan is a Woodsmith Tip, but i linked it through:
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/r...topic=tapering jigs

I had done a search--and after a few that looked okay, but then i stumbled on that site. There's some other stuff on there that has caught my eye--and opened my eyes a little to the value of some simple jigs. I'm getting it, that the jig building is an investment in both skill and time.
earl

[Pappy]

Most taper jigs have a stop of some sort for the piece to rest against. Any problems with the stock trying to move in the jig against the pressure of the cut?

[greenacres2]

I set that 4th clamp as a stop, marked it with a pencil and it didn't move. I am going to add a slot to the end though, and fashion an L-shaped stop that will stay square to the fence. Ran out of energy and got way too cold yesterday.

In retrospect, the plan called for carriage bolts, which i used and i'll keep them for the clamps and pivot, but t-bolts for the adjustment slots will make it much smoother to get to the right angle.

earl