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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: DoubleLung on October 26, 2016, 12:39:00 AM

Title: Taper sleds
Post by: DoubleLung on October 26, 2016, 12:39:00 AM
Where do I get some taper sleds? Could I build my own by attaching some purchased laminations to the bottom of a board and running it through my drum sander or is there a better way.

Also, how do you keep the lamination from sliding on your sled?
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: DoubleLung on October 26, 2016, 12:40:00 AM
Please ignore. Sorry for duplicate. Can't hit the back button in my phone when I use it to post.
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: mikkekeswick on October 26, 2016, 03:33:00 AM
Just do it like that. If you start out with perfect tapers your sled will be perfect. Run through the saw first. Then through the drum sander.
I simply glue a stop on the end of the sled. Make it about 1/8th high.
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: Roy from Pa on October 26, 2016, 05:41:00 AM
That's how I do it. I have an oak board, 3 x 1/2 x 36 which I ran through the drum sander to get it perfectly flat. Then Kenny M made me an assortment of tapered lams. I lay one of the tapered lams on the oak board then lay a 1/4" board which I want to taper on top of that. I make 2 or 3 passes then raise the belt up one turn of the adjustment handle and keep going till I have the board tapered to what I want. I scribe a squiggly line down the center of the board before I start, that way I can see where the taper ends. As I start the lam into the sander, I hold it tight on the feed end, then when there is enough sticking out the output end, I grab that end and hold it tight.
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: BrushWolf on October 26, 2016, 12:15:00 PM
I made one the way everyone else said. But I believe Big Jim sells them. And Kirk at Bigfoots Bows did last time I looked.
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: nashoba on October 26, 2016, 01:29:00 PM
You can keep your lams from sliding around by gluing 100 grit sand paper to your sled with contact cement. I have some on my sleds that are at least 10years old and they are just getting to the point where they need to be replaced.
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: Buemaker on October 26, 2016, 02:30:00 PM
This is one I made. It has a .003 taper that at a certain point goes into a .004 opposite taper, so I make a integrated tip wedge. This is achieved by butting the thin ends of preground tapers together. The tapers are contact cemented on a accurate planed Jatoba board.
  (http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b506/timian46/image_zpsivikcgbh.jpeg) (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/timian46/media/image_zpsivikcgbh.jpeg.html)
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: Buemaker on October 26, 2016, 02:36:00 PM
Thin end of tapers butted together, a strip of 120 grit sandpaper is glued on top. To apply the contact cement I use a small short haired roller to make an even spread.
  (http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b506/timian46/image_zpso7zsewvt.jpeg) (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/timian46/media/image_zpso7zsewvt.jpeg.html)
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: Zradix on October 27, 2016, 01:03:00 PM
Kirk at bigfoot bows sells some.
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: on October 27, 2016, 03:56:00 PM
Buemaker...  I like how you are thinking...  I am working on getting away from wedges for performance myself...
Title: Re: Taper sleds
Post by: monterey on October 27, 2016, 06:49:00 PM
I have a Howatt static tip with that type of grind.  Not sure my grinder will do the job.  Bue has the king of lam grinders.    :)