Tapered Octagon handle

[larry shaughnessy]

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

[Jamie Buxton]

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.

[Sean Hughto]

Um, a hand plane.

[Pat Barry]

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.

[larry shaughnessy]

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

[Alan Schwabacher]

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.

[larry shaughnessy]

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

[Chris Friesen]

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