Synopsis: Ornamental, contrasting ft can present numerous visible curiosity to legs on tables, chairs, cupboards, chests, and beds. Craig Thibodeau normally applies them to tapered legs, they usually take one among two types. Stable-wood ft are hooked up to the underside of the leg clean with a dowel joint, whereas veneered ft could be enhanced with cuff (proud or flush), inlay, banding, and different particulars.

I usually add ornamental, contrasting ft to furnishings legs. Whereas they aren’t suited to each fashion of furnishings, they will add numerous visible curiosity and refinement to tables, chairs, cupboards, chests, and beds. 

I have a tendency to use ft to legs with four-sided tapers. The tapers start partway down the leg, leaving a sq. part on the high that makes the leg straightforward to connect to the piece. So I’ll concentrate on tapered legs on this article. 

The ft take two primary types. Probably the most fundamental is a stable picket block, hooked up to the underside of the leg clean with a dowel joint. The 2 elements are then formed as a single piece, making it straightforward to create tapers or curves that stream from leg to foot. The opposite type is cuffs, that are utilized veneers that look precisely like a stable foot. 

Whereas stable ft are faster and simpler to connect, the cuff method opens the door to ornamental woods that will be prohibitively costly in stable type. I additionally select veneered cuffs when a stable foot can be too slim to just accept a sturdy dowel joint. 

Whether or not the ft are stable or veneered, I usually add ornamental particulars to reinforce the enchantment. The best is a small V-groove routed right into a stable foot. One other is a band of inlay, glued right into a routed groove, usually positioned on the transition between leg and foot, which has the additional benefit of hiding any hole there. The banding can vary from skinny stringing to extra complicated store-bought designs, however the strategies are comparable for both.

Learn on, and also you’ll discover that there’s nothing stopping you from including stunning ft to your subsequent set of furnishings legs. 

Stable ft are the only

Probably the most simple method for including ornamental ft to your furnishings is becoming a member of a solid-wood foot to the underside of the leg. I join the elements with a sturdy dowel—at  least 3⁄8 in. dia. and three in. lengthy.

To ensure the traces stream easily from leg to foot, I do the entire leg shaping after the foot is hooked up. You possibly can lower the leg and foot tapers (or curves) beforehand, however I’ve discovered that there’s usually a really slight misalignment between the 2 regardless of how exact the format and drilling have been. It’s a lot simpler to drill correct dowel holes whereas the elements are nonetheless sq..

To drill correct dowel holes into the tip grain of the leg and foot blanks, I clamp the elements upright within the drill press, with the assistance of a 90° block that I clamp to my drill-press desk. I prefer to drill not less than 1-1⁄2 in. into every half. 

Minimize the dowel 1⁄4 in. quick to depart area for extra glue to gather, so the joint is certain to come back collectively, and you’ll want to dry-fit not less than one joint earlier than making use of glue and assembling all 4.   

There are a selection of table-saw jigs—each shopmade and store-bought—for making four-sided tapers. The very best are sleds, with a base that carries the leg over the noticed, just like the one Tom McLaughlin offered in FWW #268 (Might/June 2018).

From Wonderful Woodworking #304

Craig Thibodeau is knowledgeable furnishings maker in Virginia.

Images: Asa Christiana

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