A 7 sided table

[Rewound]

Some pictutres from a recent table I made - would very much welcome comments on anything that you feel could have been done easier or better. The idea with the leg is to show off the wonderful end grain in this piece of pitch Pine

This was destined for land fill when I spotted in in a skip.

lots of nails and holes through it made it seem a difficult bit to get much out of.

Marked it up into discs so as not to get any nails or holes near the edges

and cut them all out

then glued them all up with a M12 rod through the middle - I want this leg to be thin-ish and the way the wood is cut makes me think it could be a bit snapable

 

[Sachakins]

Why 7 sides?

 

[Cabinetman]

Well you’re correct about the Pitch Pine, it’s marvellous stuff and it doesn’t seem to matter how old it is it still smells wonderful when you cut it.
5 children?

 

[Rewound]

Why 7 sides?

Witchcraft

no, its all to do with days of the week and classical planets - more of all that nonsense when I start the top.

 

[Rewound]

Back to the leg,

it doesn't turn very well at all, neither with the carbide or my favourite very sharp gouge, the bit in between the grain seems to tear, is this because it is essentially a softwood, (a very hard softwood) but structurally a soft wood?

ended up doing it all with sandpaper starting at 40grit (what a mess) - it come out OK in the end (think I finished with 320)

 

[Morag Jones]

The patterns are pretty. Worth persevering with IMHO.
Only trouble is that it tempts me to take more bits out if my woodpile…

 

[Rewound]

The patterns are pretty. Worth persevering with IMHO.
Only trouble is that it tempts me to take more bits out if my woodpile…

this is only thr 2nd or 3rd I have done like this (and they have all been pitch pine) I might try something simillar in an other wood next (may be a mix of woods)
You need such a big chunk of ardwood to trn a tradition leg 100 x 100 x 350, and I have nothing that size
but loads of other offcuts I could use

 

[Rewound]

and now for the bit I always struggle with, I can do it but find it so time consuming and difficult - I would love to know how this is done properly, you know, cabinet makers of yester year would probably do this in a morning, but how, there must be a technique, a method

so first question
what is the aim for how the grain should run for good strength

all cut out on the band saw,

so this bit has to be a nice fit to the round part

but the difficulty is, this angle has to be just right, just 1 degree out and the end of the leg will be 6mm out! thats fine tolerances when working with hand tools.
And then of course there is the problem of the amount of times it has to be assembled and dissembled, a tight joint soon becomes sloppy. I will start off by nipping the tenon in a vice to make it fit, in the hope that when glued it will expand like a biscuit - is this a normal technique? it seems to work

the whole thing is just a time consuming faff - there has to be a better way - (or may be after I have made 50 I will get the hang of it?)

 

[Sachakins]

Instead of cutting leg to fit round of pillar, you could recess into the pillar, giving square shoulder for tenon.

 

[Rewound]

Instead of cutting leg to fit round of pillar, you could recess into the pillar, giving square shoulder for tenon.

not so sure if that would solve the difficulties I encounter - I would still need to get the angles precise so as the table would stand level

 

[Rewound]

anyways, the leg is finished and tested

does this type of leg have a name, and do the individual parts have a name
The solid round bit that is vertical
And the 3 separate legs that touch the ground

 

[Fergie 307]

not so sure if that would solve the difficulties I encounter - I would still need to get the angles precise so as the table would stand level

If you intend to make them on a regular basis the idea has an advantage.
You could easily make a jig that would enable you to cut the slots in the pillar accurately .
Then the angle can be adjusted very easily by trimming the joint end of the leg, without having the additional complication of the curve in the leg itself.

 

[Cabinetman]

Well it’s obviously strong enough, but you did ask as to how the grain should run through the legs. In your pic showing them drawn out ready for cutting, if you turn each one slightly clockwise the legs would be slightly stronger. I agree about putting a flat on the turned part rather than trying to cut back the shoulders.
Ian

 

[Sgian Dubh]

1. does this type of leg have a name, and do the individual parts have a name
2. The solid round bit that is vertical
3. the 3 separate legs that touch the ground

1. Pedestal
2. Column
3. Foot (feet)

See here for how to arrange the grain in the feet for optimum strength.

Traditionally and typically, the feet were attached to the column with a sliding dovetail plus metal screwed in web hidden underneath, rather than a mortice and tenon as you have done. Slainte.