Vermont American 26777 Taper Jig Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)At the risk of having my head chopped off for writing a review before I received the product, I thought this was worth mentioning. I was looking for a tapering jig that would save me the time of having to build one. (Engineering time, etc.) For the cost of this unit, it seems like a no brainer. I looked at the Big Horn, which was number 140 in Amazons sales rank, so their are a lot of them sold. This Vermont American is a new listing. I noticed that the main comment of dissatisfaction with the Big Horn was the lightness of the unit. Their was a mention of being able to bend it in half. I noticed the shipping weight on the Big Horn was a mere 1.7 pounds. The shipping weight on this Vermont American is 2.75 pounds. That is a 60% increase in the weight of the unit. The extra pound plus probably means additional strength. The other thing I liked is the lifetime replacement warranty. Once I get the unit, I will post a more complete review. I gave it 4 stars because I felt it was a neutral outlook, and would be glad to give it a 5 if the unit measures up. Thanks for your time.
Wellllllllll here is the follow up. It arrived. Box weight 5 lbs. This unit you can not bend in half, unless you put it between cinderblocks and stand on it. Easy to set up.
I have come to love cast iron, lead sled, old fashioned, micro adjutable machinery. This is none of that, but it more than adequately does the job. It is made from formed sheet steel-painted. You can fine set it manually. By measuring off the trailing edge of the workpiece-touching the blade, you can get an exact setting. It comes with a measuring indicator, and that indicator leaves a little room for adjustment when tightening it down.
I was curious if the tapering jigs had a stop block on the workpiece side, and sure enough it does. This unit is reversible for both left and right tilt saws. It is designed to work with radial arm saws as well.
The foremost factor in this unit is that it does the job adequately and is so cheap, that if you bought it just for the mounting handle, and sliding adjuster, and built your own out of wood and a hinge, it would be worth it. I will use the unit, just the way it is. If I was tapering legs for a living, I would be looking for cast iron lead sled.
Some things you need a high quality piece of equipment. Some things, it is not as radically neccessary to have the best.
Here are the essentials. The unit adjusts very easily, and the adjustment locks up very true, and will not creep a setting. The unit lays flat on the table, and will not create a rocking piece while cutting, especially if pressed down onto the table while cutting.
In conclusion: I don't know how much need I will have to make tapering legs, but for this kind of money, it is reassuring to know that I have the capability. I don't want to make the Vermont Tapering jig to be more than it is, but it is well made to do the job more than adequately.

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Product Description:
Radial Arm Saw Taper JigThe taper jig provides accurate tapers on table or radial arm saws. A graduated scale measures degrees and inches per foot of taper. The sturdy reversible handle guides the jig through the cut for right or left hand use.Cuts tapers up to 3" per foot or 15-.Graduated scale measures degrees and inches for accurate tapers up to 3" per foot or 15- on table or radial arm saws. Sturdy reversible handle allows left or right handed use.