How to Taper with a Jointer

by Bill Tindall

I think that short of a hand plane that this is the safest way to taper things and I use it often. It is also the best way to take the crown out of the middle of a board's edge to straighten it...

To make a 1/8" taper, and multiples thereof.... Set infeed table 1/8" below outfeed table. Start end of leg just up on the leading edge of outfeed table (edge toward cutter). Feed leg through by keeping pressure on infeed side.

Now, think what happened. The first part of the leg had nothing removed because it started on the outfeed side of the cutter. The last part of the leg to pass the cutter had 1/8" removed because the infeed table was 1/8" below the cutter . Repeat and you will produce a 1/4"taper. Etc.

Another kind of taper on a jointer

Another kind of tapered leg can be made with the jointer. If the cut is stopped before the end of the leg an "oriental profile" will be produced. That is, the leg will be full sized at the bottom (the part next to the floor), taper to some more narrow dimension toward the top, and then abruptly make a transition back to full sized at the top. With multiple cuts on jointer a 1 3/4 leg can be tapered up its length to say about 1 1/4 square and then back to 1 3/4 at the top to accommodate a mortise for a table apron. One might call this a reverse taper, and it makes an attractive leg.