Photo 4- If you have a jointer, tapering the legs is real easy. But- keep your fingers away from the cutterhead! Don't pass your fingers over the cutterhead as the cut is made, and always keep your eye on the cut as it is made so you know where you fingers are. See text for proper procedure.

The object is to remove 1\4" of width (and thickness) off all four edges of the bottom of the legs, and have the taper end 12" above the bottom. A third way to do this is on a jointer, as in photos 4 and 5. Set the jointer fence 1-1/8" from the front end of the knives (so minimal knife area is exposed), and clamp a stop block to the jointer infeed table 10 inches behind the throat. Set depth of cut at 1/16". Butt one end of a leg against the stop, and lower the front down onto the revolving cutters and outfeed table as in photo 5. Whenever using a jointer, always keep your fingers either behind the cutterhead or in front, never pass your hand over the cutterhead. Push the leg forward, move your left hand around the cutterhead to the outfeed table, push the leg through with the left hand and remove your right from the leg.

Photo 5- Finishing the taper cut. Having alternately passed your hands over the cutterhead by lifting them above and away from the cutterhead, both hands are on the work again during the final portion of the cut.

The effect of this cut is to take a 1/16" taper off that edge of the leg. Do this twice more for a total of 3/16", then do all other sides similarly. Once all legs are done, remove the stop block and run all sides again, with out lowering them onto the cutter, but starting well ahead of the cutter as usual. Take about 1/32" off on this pass. This cut removes the small divot that is formed at the top of the bevel when the leg is lowered onto the cutterhead.

Photo 6- Use a handplane to make the tapers, or to clean them up after making them on the table saw or jointer. A sharp handplane is a joy to use, a dull one is worthless. Clamp scraps to your bench as shown to hold the work in place as it is planed.

Whether you cut the tapers on the table saw or the jointer, when through a good way to clean off saw or knife marks is with a smoothing plane as in photo 6. Or, sand them with a belt sander, use a scraper, or, as a last resort, hand sand (yech!)

Get out your rails, rip to width and cut to length. If you choose to veneer them with some beautiful wood, such as the bird's eye maple I used here, now is the time. But- why veneer at all, when you could just use figured lumber to make the rails to begin with? Because it will cost you an arm and a leg, that's why. Veneer, though not cheap, costs less by surface area (if not by board foot).

Photo 7- Paint the surfaces to be bonded with contact cement with a throw-away brush. Carefully inspect the areas covered to see if the cement has absorbed completely, or if a thin layer remains behind. If it is completely absorbed, apply more. There must be a thin layer of cement on both bonding surfaces for it to work well.

Use contact cement to glue the veneer to your rail stock. Though not as strong as woodworker's glue, it is easy to use and more than adequately strong to hold veneer to wood. Cut out pieces of veneer that are larger than the rails to which they will be glued. Apply contact cement to both the rails and veneer pieces (photo 7) and then let it dry before you press the two together. Why? Because that's how the stuff works, don't ask me why. It bonds best from about 10 minutes after application to within a few hours thereafter. Read the label instructions carefully, and use only in an area that has cross ventilation, that is, two doors or windows open with a breeze going through, or out on the back porch.

Photo 8- Once the cement has dried, place the veneer pieces on the rails and firmly bang down on all areas with a rubber hammer, or roll over it with a wallpaper roller. Make the veneer pieces larger than the rails, at least 1/4 inch wider all the way around, so it will be easy to locate them on the rails.

It is possible that your wood will absorb too much of the first coat of contact cement, so it is best to apply two coats if there is any question. When dry carefully position and apply the veneer. Locate it correctly the first time because once the cement grabs it is there permanently. They don't call it contact cement for nothing. Bang it down with a rubber mallet (photo 8).

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