Tapered Octagon handle

So Im probably over thinking this, but what do you think is the easiest way to create a slightly tapered, octagon handle about 6 inches long.

My line of thinking was to slightly taper on the table saw, then run through the router table and a chamfer bit, which would give me the 4 extra sides and the octagon shape. Smooth out the lines on a 4 x 36 belt sander.

Heres a sample pic....just pretend its one solid piece of wood. Thanks for your ideas on this....Larry

http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/s...octhandles.jpg

If it really is one piece of wood, I'd do four tapering sides with the table saw, or the bandsaw -- I dislike ripping pieces as short as that on a table saw. Then I'd clean up the saw marks with a handplane, and cut the remaining four facets with the plane too.

I might leave it long while I'm shaping it, so I have something to hold on to, then cut off the excess.

Um, a hand plane.

Looks like a job for a tapering jig on a tablesaw. You will need to save your waste cuts and use them to help you get the opposite sides cut to match. You can finish them with a quick touchup with a hand plane.

Thanks for the input guys.....probably a fairly simple task but havent tried it yet. Just thinking it thru at this point. Larry

Use an octagon marking gauge as shown by Bob Smalser here:
http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/b...age/sGage1.asp

Then plane to the lines.

Thats an interesting take on the whole idea.........thanks for the link. I will definately have to try that. Seems he solved the problem of having the taper and still getting equal sides. Larry

Hand plane and eyeball it. Worked fine for me the one time I tried it for a handle.