Installation Guide

FOUR AND EIGHT-SIDED TAPERED LEGS
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Making a piece with a four-sided taper is little different than making one
with a two-sided taper. Make the first two cuts on two adjacent sides of
the piece, then reset your MICRODIAL Tapering Jig to cut the final two
sides. For an eight-sided (octagonal) taper, you’ll change the jig setting
a third time and tilt the blade on your table saw. Despite all the different
settings, the precision scales on your MICRODIAL Tapering Jig make this
entire process quite easy, and very repeatable.
1. Set up the jig to make the first two
cuts. In this case, the jig was set
to cut 1⁄4” per foot. Adjust the rip
fence so the taper starts at the right
point. Cut the first side. Then rotate
the piece so the cut side is up and
cut the second side.
2. For the 3rd and 4th sides, reset
the jig for twice the amount of
desired taper (here 1/2” per foot)
to compensate for the cuts you
just made. You may need to reset
the fence slightly to have the taper
start in the right place. The example
required approximately a 1/16”
adjustment. Notice the beginning
of the taper indicated by the marker
line is inline with the beginning of
the saw blade or the reference line
drawn on throat plate.
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3. For eight-sided tapers, taper all
4 sides of the leg then tilt the saw
blade to 45-degrees and reset the jig
to the desired rise and run or degree.
Notice the bigger the angle will result
in a steeper taper cut. Use your best
judgment on the style and design of
your tapers. In the example image,
the piece tapers to an octagon at the
bottom, so the setting was 3 times
the original taper of 3/4” per foot.
Reset the fence to have the taper
start in the desired place.
4. Make the tapers as usual, rotating
the piece clockwise after each cut.
NOTE: if you are using a right-tilt
saw, Pay close attention to where
the blade is as you will be cutting
along the upper corner of the
workpiece.
5. Eight-sided tapers can lend an air
of real elegance to a table leg.
Experiment on some spare pieces
to see what other forms you
can create.