I don't have a lather, need to taper some foot rest parts

[Dumb_Polack]

Hi,

I'm making a foot rest (basically, I'm using this one as my guide).  The other photo is what I did yesterday. (it doesn't look square yet, but it is simply dry fitted now)

I don't have a lathe so I cut the legs (and stretchers) square, turned the blade to 45 degrees, knocked off the corners and then sanded them (using my ROS) to approximately round.

However, I want to taper the stretchers and here's what I'm thinking.

1) Drill a hole in the end and insert a drill bit into it.  Then insert that into my DP
2) Cut a hole in a board the size of the diameter of the other end (maybe a lil' wider so it won't bind)
3) Clamp that to the DP table.
4) Mount the end with the bit in the DP, insert the other end into the block.
5) Turn the DP on slow and using strips of sandpaper sand the stretchers to create the taper


Yes, i know this would be a slow way to do it but given that I don't have a lathe, what do you suggest to get the tapers?

[DaveR1]

With your stretchers so close to the ends, you won't have to take off very much when you taper them. If you're going to do it on the drill press, I would use a hanger bolt in the bottom that can be chucked up and then use a bluntly pointed machine screw through a board clamped to the table for the "tail stock". You might use a ROS with coarse sandpaper to at least hog off most of the stock for the taper.

I don't like to do stuff like this on my drill press because the bushings aren't designed for side loading. I would do this tapering on my Router Boss but I expect you haven't got one. A simple jig could be made to hold the stock at an angle so you could do the tapering on the router table or even the table saw.

[KLaz]

Spoke shave or even a rasp.  Doesn't look like you need to remove much.

[Dumb_Polack]

With your stretchers so close to the ends, you won't have to take off very much when you taper them. If you're going to do it on the drill press, I would use a hanger bog in the bottom that can be chucked up and then use a bluntly pointed machine screw through a board clamped to the table for the "tail stock". You might use a ROS with coarse sandpaper to at least hog off most of the stock for the taper.

I don't like to do stuff like this on my drill press because the bushings aren't designed for side loading. I would do this tapering on my Router Boss but I expect you haven't got one. A simple jig could be made to hold the stock at an angle so you could do the tapering on the router table or even the table saw.

Dave?  What's a hanger bog?   The Googler didn't return anything.  Gotta pic?

[DaveR1]

Dave?  What's a hanger bog?   The Googler didn't return anything.  Gotta pic?

Darn keyboard!
 Sorry. Hanger bolt.

Shaping them by hand wouldn't take that long either.

[BrokenOlMarine]

I.don't have a lathe either and wanted a custom cane.
Spokeshave did the job, was quiet, and filled the floor with shavings without filling the air with dust.
I enjoyed it do much, I made another.

[Large Wooden Badger]

I just saw a pic of a sled set up that used a drill to spin the wood and a tablesaw to cut the taper.

I don't remember where I saw it though, one of those woodworking groups on facebook I think.

[brianwelch]

I just saw a pic of a sled set up that used a drill to spin the wood and a tablesaw to cut the taper.

I don't remember where I saw it though, one of those woodworking groups on facebook I think.

Like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp5n7SpzGLE

[mike4244]

Hi,

I'm making a foot rest (basically, I'm using this one as my guide).  The other photo is what I did yesterday. (it doesn't look square yet, but it is simply dry fitted now)

I don't have a lathe so I cut the legs (and stretchers) square, turned the blade to 45 degrees, knocked off the corners and then sanded them (using my ROS) to approximately round.

However, I want to taper the stretchers and here's what I'm thinking.

1) Drill a hole in the end and insert a drill bit into it.  Then insert that into my DP
2) Cut a hole in a board the size of the diameter of the other end (maybe a lil' wider so it won't bind)
3) Clamp that to the DP table.
4) Mount the end with the bit in the DP, insert the other end into the block.
5) Turn the DP on slow and using strips of sandpaper sand the stretchers to create the taper


Yes, i know this would be a slow way to do it but given that I don't have a lathe, what do you suggest to get the tapers?

Block plane, spokeshave and a bit of sanding. Find centers at bottom of leg, mark the point where the taper starts. Draw circle on the bottom center. If you have a bandsaw then you could taper   the legs to an octagon, then use hand tools to finish.

[Dumb_Polack]

Well, I tapered them last night.  Here's what I did:

I did my trick of a hole in a board and dropped one of the ends in there and spun it on the DP, but I noticed when I applied pressure with the sandpaper, it was burning down the end in the wooden block, making it smaller in diameter. Luckily, the guide hole in the block didn't go the full length of the tenon, so no one will see it.

I then drilled a hole the width of one of those wires you use to hold up insulation in the block, a corresponding hole in the end of the dowel and mounted that in the DP.  Worked like a charm, although I did go thru quite a bit of sandpaper.

I was also able to taper the bottom of the feet.  I couldn't mount the leg in the DP because that would leave a hole in the top, so I marked where the taper should start (a little below where the lowest rung inserts), drew a circle on the bottom and used my block plane to plane down roughly to my circle.  I then used the ROS to sand the ridges smooth.  they came out pretty smooth.


Now I need to figure out how to round over the tops.  I'm thinking of clamping the belt sander to a table and rounding them that way.  I might start out with the block plane to hog off most of the wood.  Would that work?

Necessity is indeed the mother of invention!!