This project was built and designed by Jeff and Jon from Today’s Craftsmen. It features a simple tapering jig made entirely from scrap plywood—an affordable, effective way to improve your woodworking precision without buying commercial jigs.
Tapered legs give furniture a more refined, professional look. This jig makes it easy to achieve those angles with repeatable accuracy using just your table saw and some basic materials.
Watch the full video and subscribe to Jeff and Jon’s channel:
Why a Tapering Jig Is Worth Building
Tapering jigs are essential for making angled cuts on table or chair legs. They allow woodworkers to cut a consistent taper safely, accurately, and without freehanding at the saw.
Instead of purchasing an expensive pre-made jig, Jeff and Jon show how to make a custom one from shop scraps. This approach keeps costs down and lets you adapt the jig to whatever project you’re working on.
Gathering Scrap Materials
The jig starts with a solid piece of scrap plywood as the base. It should be wide enough to provide a stable platform and long enough to support the workpieces during the cut.
Other pieces of scrap wood are used to create a zero-clearance fence and hold-down guides. While exact dimensions aren’t critical, the jig should fit the width and length of your legs with minimal movement.
Building the Base and Fence
To start, Jeff cuts the plywood base to length. This becomes the flat surface that rides along the table saw fence during each pass.
Next, a zero-clearance fence is attached. This is simply a straight strip of wood positioned along the edge of the jig where the saw blade will cut. It helps reduce tear-out and provides clean, smooth edges on the tapered legs.
Setting Up for the Taper
Before cutting, the legs are prepped by squaring them up and marking the taper line. A simple method is to measure from the top down and mark where the taper starts and ends, then connect those marks with a straight line.
Each leg is placed into the jig and lined up with the marked taper. Toggle clamps or bar clamps are used to secure the leg in place so it doesn’t shift during the cut.
This setup allows you to cut each leg exactly the same way, one after the other, ensuring uniformity.
Making the Cuts
With the legs secured, the table saw blade is raised to the right height. Then, the jig is pushed slowly through the blade, guiding the workpiece at the exact angle needed.
The zero-clearance fence supports the wood, preventing it from flexing or chipping at the cut. It’s normal to see some burn marks on the first leg—adjusting feed rate and pressure often solves this by the second or third cut.
After all four legs are tapered, Jeff sands them to clean up any burn marks or uneven edges. The sanding step also helps prepare the legs for finish and assembly.
Adding Legs to a Table
Once the legs are tapered and smoothed out, they’re attached to a table apron. This step strengthens the frame and sets the leg spacing for the table design.
Joinery options include dowels or biscuits, both of which provide hidden reinforcement. Jeff focuses on keeping the legs square and flush during assembly to maintain stability once the table is upright.
Finishing and Customizing
With the legs joined to the base, the table can be fully assembled and customized. Pencil grooves or edge shaping can be added for a more detailed look, depending on the table’s final purpose.
A finish—such as Danish oil or polyurethane—brings out the wood grain and protects the surface. Applying multiple coats helps the piece stand up to daily wear and gives it a polished look.
Why This Jig Saves Time and Money
Creating a tapering jig from scrap wood is a great way to stretch your materials and save on tool costs. It eliminates the need for expensive store-bought options while offering the same performance.
The jig can be reused for future projects and customized depending on the angle, length, or thickness of the legs you’re tapering. It’s a smart shop upgrade that pays off immediately in results.
Learn More from Today’s Craftsmen
This project is one of many shop upgrades and techniques Jeff and Jon share on their channel. Their projects combine practical tools with useful furniture builds and clever shop solutions.
For any woodworker looking to expand their toolkit without spending extra money, this jig is a perfect weekend project with long-term value.
Please support Jeff and Jon by visiting their website: https://todayscraftsmen.com/.
Matt’s Take
These are my personal thoughts and tips based on my own experience in the shop. This section is not written, reviewed, or endorsed by the original creator of this project.
Building your own tapering jig is one of those shop projects that feels almost too simple until you realize how much precision it adds to your work. The beauty here is that you’re not just saving money — you’re creating a tool that fits your exact needs and workflow. I’ve found that shop-made jigs often perform better than store-bought versions because they’re tailored to your specific table saw and the types of projects you tackle most often.
Safety-wise, that zero-clearance fence is doing more work than it might seem. It’s not just about preventing tear-out — it’s also keeping your workpiece stable throughout the cut, which is crucial when you’re dealing with longer pieces like table legs. The clamping system Jeff and Jon use is smart too. Getting that leg locked down tight eliminates any chance of it shifting mid-cut, which could throw off your taper or create a dangerous situation.
One thing I really appreciate about this approach is the repeatability factor. Once you’ve got your first leg dialed in perfectly, the other three should come out identical. That consistency is what separates furniture that looks homemade from pieces that look professionally crafted. The small investment in time to build this jig pays dividends in every tapered leg project you’ll tackle down the road.