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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 04:32:03 PM

Title: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 04:32:03 PM
Can anyone give me an idea how to make a quick and dirty taper jig for my drum sander? Tapering my lams by hand is getting old.
Thanks.
Dave.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Longcruise on February 27, 2021, 04:44:08 PM
Nock taper or shaft taper?
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 04:47:47 PM
Sorry, I wasn't clear. It's for tapering core lams.
I usually taper from 1/4" to 3/16" .
Dave.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: mmattockx on February 27, 2021, 05:19:47 PM
Quote from: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 04:47:47 PM
Sorry, I wasn't clear. It's for tapering core lams.
I usually taper from 1/4" to 3/16" .
Dave.

I made one on my table saw using a sled but it was far from perfect. I refined it by measuring every couple of inches with a caliper and using a belt sander to smooth out the high spots. Servicable, but still not great.


Mark
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Roy from Pa on February 27, 2021, 05:24:02 PM
Order a couple tapered lams from Kenny, then use as a pattern and run them on a 3 inch backing board

https://youtu.be/KrndKbkip_0
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: kennym on February 27, 2021, 05:34:22 PM
Being as shipping would be a killer on them to Canada, I would take 2 perfectly straight pcs of 3/4 lumber and do quarter or eighth points on it and use tape to build up the points.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 05:39:55 PM
Mark, I was thinking of doing something like you suggested, but I wasn't sure if it would be accurate. I have a jig for sawing tapers on the table saw, but again, accuracy isn't perfect.
Roy, I thought of that too. I know that would be the best way. I was hoping for a quick solution. 🤔
I tried using two pieces of melamine left over from a cabinet with a thin spacer between them, but they're too flexible.
Dave.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Flem on February 27, 2021, 05:42:09 PM
Pretty sure it was Bue who had this idea. As an example, take a 4" X 40" piece of 3/4" MDF and start layering 4" pieces of blue painters tape across it and step up the number of layers as you work your way down the plank. You will have to measure your tape thickness and add layers as necessary to get your taper rate. Then throw your sled blank on top and grind away.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 05:42:55 PM
Quote from: kennym on February 27, 2021, 05:34:22 PM
Being as shipping would be a killer on them to Canada, I would take 2 perfectly straight pcs of 3/4 lumber and do quarter or eighth points on it and use tape to build up the points.
That would work. Thanks Kenny!!!
Can you give me a ballpark estimate for shipping to Cambridge, Ontario?
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Buemaker on February 27, 2021, 05:43:56 PM
http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=146922.msg2557416#msg2557416
Found this old post
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 05:44:17 PM
Quote from: Flem on February 27, 2021, 05:42:09 PM
Pretty sure it was Bue who had this idea. As an example, take a 4" X 40" piece of 3/4" MDF and start layering 4" pieces of blue painters tape across it and step up the number of layers as you work your way down the plank. You will have to measure your tape thickness and add layers as necessary to get your taper rate. Then throw your sled blank on top and grind away.
Kenny beat you to it by a minute or so. But thanks.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 05:48:03 PM
Thank you also, Bue.
Dave.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Longcruise on February 27, 2021, 06:58:44 PM
Quote from: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 04:47:47 PM
Sorry, I wasn't clear. It's for tapering core lams.
I usually taper from 1/4" to 3/16" .
Dave.

Hey, I'm sorry.  I did a half a$$ed read of your question.   :banghead:
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 07:01:31 PM
No problem. I'm guilty of the same thing quite often. 🙂
Dave.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Buemaker on February 27, 2021, 07:01:55 PM
 I made this full lenght taper board with the cross laying of tape pieces. I first jointed and planed a dry hardwood board to 1/2 inch thickness. Left a 8 inch section in the middle parallel and then started to lay 1 inch wide yellow tape across. Took about an hour. Just by chance it came out very close to a .003 taper. I have a small stop at one end and use it as it is. I do not use it for thin lams to glass bows, but for all wood lam bows, also center and belly lams for bamboo backed trilams. I use it both in a planer and lam grinder. I guess if I wanted a permanent sled without the tape I could have started to lay the tape opposite from each end and the put a parrallel on top of that and run it through the planer. I' ll take some pics later or tomorrow.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Buemaker on February 27, 2021, 07:05:04 PM
Picture
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 07:08:27 PM
That's perfect. I'm building tri-lams and I like a full length core lam. I'll make one tomorrow.
Thank you Bue!
Dave.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 27, 2021, 07:09:45 PM
If you guys could see the way I have been doing tapers, you would hit me with a bat.
Dave.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Bowjunkie on February 28, 2021, 03:11:52 PM
Nah, most of us have been there, done that.
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: Roy from Pa on February 28, 2021, 04:43:43 PM
Heck Dave I used to do them on my edge sander.

Looked like Ray Charles did em:)
Title: Re: Taper jig.
Post by: wood carver 2 on February 28, 2021, 05:27:34 PM
That's what I've been doing. It works but it's slow and a lot of effort.
I'm not a kid anymore and I'm beat up from working. 🤕🙂
Dave.