Queen Anne Table Legs

[todd1814]

Does anyone have advice on how I'd go about making the legs pictured here:

haven't figured out how to make the crown at the top of the leg.

[Andy Dingley]

Then when you've got rid of that ugly piece of crap, find almost any book on 18th century furniture and see how to make cabriole legs. Fine Woodworking have a useful book, Jeffrey Greene's is about the best reading material.

General technique is to bandsaw roughly to shape, then use low-angle spokeshaves and rasps to shape the rest by hand. A failure is when you've left the bandsaw ridge running down the outside. A good apron design is also important, something that allows the "crown" of the leg (as you term it) to look like it belongs with the rest of the design.

I've seen goats with better "cabriole" legs than on that table.

[Will]

Andy:

I thought you were awfully rude -- then I looked at the picture. Now I understand, and see why the markdown. Those legs look squat - due to the large "knob" at the top of the leg. Sense of proportion seems wrong to me.

However, taste isn't disputable. :-)

Would prefer carving tools and spokeshave myself. Never did like rasps... see above comment. :-)

Andy D> On 16 Feb 2005 08:24:25 -0800, [e-mail] wrote: > >

[Joe C.]

The table? The TABLE? Did you look at the CHAIR???!!!! That makes Fugly look like a compliment. I've never seen anything more unbalanced from top to bottom. They should have nailed the seat to some tubafors and been done with it!

Joe C.

[A.M. Wood]

"I haven't figured out how to make the crown at the top of the leg."

Neither did the guy who made the legs on the table & chair in the picture :)

This may be helpful. Not sure if someone else already posted it.

[Lee]

Thanks for the link -- good article.

Lee remove NO SPAMMERS for email

[Rudy Fichtenbaum]

Make a full size pattern of the leg on paper. Trace it onto some hardborad or thin plywood and cut out a template. Place the template on one side of the blank and trace the pattern. Turn the blank so the pattern you traced is either facing left or right (depending on whether the leg is upside down or right side up) and trace the pattern again. The patterns should meet at the corner of the blank. In other words, don't trace them on opposite side trace the pattern on the adjacent side of the blank. Cut out one side on a band saw. Tape the pieces you just cut back to the blank and flip it onto the adjacent side and cut the blank again. That will give you a rough cut leg with all of the curves. Then choose your weapon -- spokeshaves, rasps, scrapers, sander, carving chisels and shape the leg.

Rudy