Upholstered chair feet - how?

[Togalosh]

Hello Gents,

I have an ambition to make a classic chair that is almost fully upholstered but which has exquisite front feet setting the whole thing off.. (I'm sure you know the type but if not I have a few pics).

Anyway..if they are not the turned type but claws, paws or other shapes then how are/were they made - are they carved? I am doubtful I could make 4 spindle legs or high back legs (?) all the same so carving 2 simple shaped feet would be a real ...feat (sorry).

I recently rescued a chair from landfill that I can strip to see how it was constructed.... it has almost golf 'wood'/driver shaped feet that are quite plain but still very appealing to me...it must've been mass made (??) so how were these mass manufactured - any ideas?

Thanks
Togs

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Togs
How about a few pics then?
If you mean what I think you mean, then the answer is that the Victorians were jolly clever people.
The short answer is that the wood is turned first about one pair of centres, but is then rearranged on the lathe to be turned about another pair of centres. The result is the "Queen Anne" knee (although if she really was that shape...)
I'm no turner, and I've only once tried to do it, a long time ago. Fortunately there is no visual evidence of the result...
S

 

[JakeS]

Anyway..if they are not the turned type but claws, paws or other shapes then how are/were they made - are they carved? I am doubtful I could make 4 spindle legs or high back legs (?) all the same so carving 2 simple shaped feet would be a real ...feat (sorry).

Here's one option for the main shape. I expect that details like claw talons really have to be carved, though.

 

[marcros]

there is a very good episode of Rough Cut (PBS sky channel 166). I cant find it online at the moment, but i am sure you can access all of the episodes somewhere. It shows how to carve a ball and claw foot step by step. Looks pretty simple, and should only take about 20 minutes! ha ha.

worth look if you can find it. here is a teaser http://www.thomasjmacdonald.com/rough-c ... =629ade75b his style is a bit manic but the content is pretty good when you get used to it.

 

[xy mosian]

Hi Togs,

I have tried off-center turning, to give the exquisit ankles on Queen Anne legs, a couple of times. The conclusion I came to was the need for a very sturdy lathe and a low speed. There is, I think, a Roy Underhill video which shows a method for a leg of that style with a pad foot. Quite a lot of hand finishing around the ankle was needed I recall.
If you are thinking of an armchair with short legs you may well get away with not using a lathe, as I imagine the leg to be stopped just above the ankle.
Let's see you images.
xy

 

[Togalosh]

Evening Gents.. ahh at last an early night to catch up on things. Thanks for your replies.

So, a Queen Anne leg it is..(or foot as in my case).

With legs that shape Queen Anne couldn'tve stopped a pig running up a gully could she ?!
The name is a classic bit of dark British p*ss taking me thinks.. Poor ol Anne was not a well woman who had 17 failed pregnancies :shock: ..enough said.

I'd love to improve on the style somehow (when I say improve I mean make it more my ..style) .. the ball & claw has been done & the cabriole is just completely OTT so I'll have to get my thinking cap on.

No I know the name I see I can get the bland ones premade on weebay.

I really can't see me making 2 matching legs.

 

[AndyT]

I really can't see me making 2 matching legs.

The conventional advice to anyone wanting to make a matched pair is to make more than they need and pick out the two that randomly end up closest to being a pair.

 

[Togalosh]

I really can't see me making 2 matching legs.

The conventional advice to anyone wanting to make a matched pair is to make more than they need and pick out the two that randomly end up closest to being a pair.

..hell, that could mean a lot of trees !