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In this guide, we will learn more about How to Cut Tapered Legs on Table Saw as well as what a Tapered Leg is and its importance to woodworking.
What Is a Tapered Leg
In woodworking, a taper is a gradual reduction in size along the length of an object. The same is true for table legs.
It’s not uncommon for the legs to be too wide at the top and then too narrow at the bottom, which can cause problems with stability and comfort when using the table.
Tapered legs in woodworking, like in many other applications, are used to reduce the weight and surface area of a large object.
Tapered legs give the table the appearance of floating above the floor or rug, which improves its functionality. Many woodworkers use a tapered leg to build an extra-wide table with a small footprint.
How to Cut Tapered Legs on Table Saw
Equipment Needed:
- Best Table Saw for the Money
- Taper Jig or Tapering Jig (Preferably a Microdial Tapering Jig)
- Hand Plane
- Toggle Clamp
- Optional: Router Table
Materials Needed:
- Plywood
Duration: 30-45 Minutes
Budget: $30-$50 (USD)
Steps:
1. Place plywood on table saw with waste side facing up.
2. Use taper guide to make a mark at each end of the plywood that is 2” from edge and in the center of plywood.
3. Make your first cut using your taper jig or microdial taper jig (only if you have one).
4. Use a clamp to secure the plywood against the fence, switch on router table and move router table against plywood and make cut. You can use T-square as well to align router table to move it with accuracy along the full length of your workpiece before making cut for other side so as to get same size for both sides.
5. Maintain the same distance between router table and plywood on both sides (2”) and make all of the cuts again with the same size of plywood for both sides by keeping same distances on each side.
6. You will need to cut about 10 pieces of wood to make 10 legs for your table saw to work as full scale mock-up.
7. After cutting each piece of wood, use a router table to round edges you are worried about so that you do not have any sharp edges from the blade when you fit these legs into your tablesaw.
8. After cutting all the pieces of wood, sand each piece to remove any splinters and sharp edges from blade.
9. After getting a nice tapered look on the legs, use clamps or just your hands to hold them together and use your table saw to cut out rounded corners to attach them together.
10. Maintain desired dimensions for height of legs by using T-square while making cuts for corners so as to get the right length and angle for each leg so that they all match with each other well.
11. After making all of the cuts for corners, sand each piece to remove any splinters and sharp edges from blade.
12. Use clamp or your hands to hold the legs together and use your table saw to cut out rounded corners for legs of tablesaw.
13. Use T-square along with marks on waste side of each leg as visual reference so that you get equal length and angle for each leg so that they match with each other well.
14. After cutting out all the pieces of table saw, sand them again by hand to remove any splinters or sharp edges from blade before attaching them together.
15. Maintain desired dimensions for height of table saw by using T-square while making cuts for corners so that you get the right length and angle for each leg so that they match with each other well.
16. After making all the cuts, sand each piece to remove any splinters or sharp edges from blade before attaching them together.
17. Maintain desired dimensions for height of table saw by using T-square while making cuts for corners so that you get the right length and angle for each leg so that they match with each other well.
18. Use your favorite wood stain and apply two coats of wood stain on each piece for nice finish.
20. After getting a nice finish on your table saw, assemble it with clamps or screws and use T-square to make sure they are all the same with each other before attaching them together permanently without any gaps between legs.
21. Use a router table to round edges if you want for decorative purposes and to remove sharp edges.
Optional:
- Use your table saw to cut down the plywood that you have made for forming the top portion of your table saw.
2. Place the plywood on your router table with the waste side facing up and make the same sized cuts for corners so that you get the right length and angle for each leg so that they match with each other well.
3. After making all of the cuts, sand each piece to remove any splinters or sharp edges from blade before attaching them together.
How to Cut Tapered Legs on Table Saw
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why are table legs tapered?
They are tapered because it tightens the look and provides compacted strength for the joints. It also stabilizes the base.
Lastly, a tapered leg has a nice option of decoration for aesthetic purposes.
How many sides do you taper for a table leg?
You taper two sides for a table leg.
Can I use a bandsaw for tapering a table leg?
Yes, you can use a band saw for tapering a table leg.
Can I use a circular saw for tapering a table leg?
Yes, you can use a circular saw for tapering a table leg.
how to cut tapered legs on table saw
Final Thoughts
This ends our How To Guide of How to Cut Tapered Legs on Table Saw.
Learning how to cut tapered legs on a table saw is quite an achievement. Other things that are noteworthy to learn are how to cut laminate countertop with a table saw, and how to cut wedges on a table saw. Both will be very practical to learn for your DIY projects.
We hope the knowledge you gained here will help you in the future with your DIY or Professional Woodworking projects. We want you to be sure of that what you get from us are 100% facts, so please don’t hesitate to ask for advice or to advise us in return with accurate facts.
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Henry is a long time Trade Instructor at Dunwoody College of Technology. Henry has been teaching the trade of carpentry for over 15 years and is excited to share his knowledge with the next generation of builders. With his posts you will explore some general terms, tools, and techniques that are helpful for the beginning DIY Enthusiast!. He’ll also provide a list of all the best tips needed to start your building journey right away!
