Can i taper table legs with a handtool?
Question:my portable tablesaw seems dangerous while trying to use a tapering jig & i don't have a router/shaper.and my benchtop bandsaw isn't precise enough.help!
Answers:
The table saw is the tool to use
I assume your concern about doing this on a portable tablesaw is the size of the leg/jig vs. your small saw table top? You can solve this by using some plywood/MDF to expand the size of your table. An extra 2' on the front of the table should handle the length of the leg/jig.
Another problem you might run into is insufficient depth of cut. You can get around this by designing your jig so that you can flip the tapering wedge between the wide end being at the leading end of the cut and the trailing end of the cut. Then you'd make your first pass cutting narrow to wide (foot to top), flip the leg *and the tapering wedge* end for end so you're now cutting wide to narrow, and make a second pass to finish cutting through the thickness of the leg. A couple test cuts on some scrap and you should be able to get it tuned so there's no offset in the two cuts. But even if there is, a quick pass with a plane or belt sander will clean it up.
that'd be a b**ch to do.
Unles your a PRO at this I woud not recomend doing it by hand. You could use a wood lathe!
Use the bench grinder, it will be much faster than hand tools.
before there was a power tool there was a hand tool etc etc...
you don't say if you want a round taper or a square one?? yes it is very easy to do with hand tools,, just labor intensive.. jack knife or draw knife for the round ones!! the square ones can be done with a hand saw and sanding!! after you saw the taper you can use a jointer or belt sander to speed things up! you can also make a jig for a hand held router etc,, jigs are great things,, look into them sometime!
If the table legs are square then you can taper them with a electric hand planer , make your self a jig and go for it , instead of a jig just clamp straight piece of wood as a guide on each side you are going to remove the wood .
Since you have had thoughts of doing this on a table saw, I assume you are talking about square legs instead of turned legs. You really need to use a table saw. If you can't handle it on one you have, perhaps you can find someone to do it for you?
This could be done with a circular saw, or even a handsaw for that matter but it would be extremely difficult to get a straight consistent cut.
yeah, i agree with one of the guys above, if you want to do it yourself you will have to build a jig and just try and try again till you get it right.
or go buy and electric or hand plane.
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