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Table Leg Taper Jig

I found I had need to make a small shaker style table. Knowing I would need a way to make 4 tapered legs with the same dimensions/taper, and the fact that I like this style of table and will probably make several more of differing sizes, I decided to make a jig for the table saw. I read about a few designs on the internet but nothing caught my eye. I thought about it for a while and decided on some design criteria. I wanted a sled type that would run in the slot on the table, to help keep it steady, requiring only downward pressure to keep things safe. I wanted to keep my hands a safe distance from the blade. The jig would have to accommodate different length legs, and differeing tapers. It must be able to make four legs the same size/taper with no additional setup, and, it must be quick change without tools. I thought on it for a while and came up with the jig you see below, which meets all of the design criteria. It was fun and inexpensive to build, and it works great! Click on the photos for a larger view, use your browsers back button to return. Got any comments? You can let me know here

Starting with a scrap piece of 3/4" birch plywood I had laying around, it looked to be about the right size, 8" wide and 40" long. I cut a runner 3/4 by 3/8 to fit the table saw slot and glued this to the plywood. I glued this with the runner in the slot and the plywood on the table to keep everything straight.
A little work with the file and the sled moved smoothly in the slot
I wanted the jig to accommodate multple sizes and tapers so adjustable clamps were nessecary. I bought some Incra T slot channel, which uses standard 1/4" bolts. Here I am cutting the the 3/4 by 1/2 dado for the channel. The saw is new (my first), barely setup and I don't have a dado blade (yet), so I'm doing it the poor mans way.
The dado is cut and ready for the T slot channel.
Once the channel is cut to size, it is attached to plywood with the included screws. Because the Incra T slot is a little thicker than (so it can use standard round head screws, instead of countersunk screws) a small portion of the screw came through the back of the plywood and had to be ground off.
Beacuse I felt the work piece needed clamping at both ends, I cut another dado, and installed another T slot channel at the other end. I had positioned the sled runner so that the plywood over hung the saw blade by about 1/8 of and inch, so I could saw the end of the jig to have zero blade clearance and maximum support of the work piece for minimum tearout.
A small workpiece stop is screwed to the end.
I got these cool hold down clamps from woodcraft (they had the incra T slot channel too), they were inexpensive and work great. I also made two adjustable workpiece stops that use the same track as the T slot so once the first leg is laid out, the stops are tightened down so the next three legs will turn out exactly the same.
The jig is easy to push through the saw and your hands are at a safe distance while sawing, I may add some fancy handles later, but for now, the stops work great as handles.
Here the workpiece has been rotated 90 degrees to make the second taper cut.
The finished leg looks great, tomorrow I'll get some poplar and try it for real!

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