Hello,

I am making a bench, and the plans call for the top of the front leg to be
turned between the bench seat and the bottom of the armrest. I do not have
a lathe, nor do I have much experience turning. My question is: Can anyone
give me some ideas on how I can dress up this part of my front leg. I would
rather not have just a square post there.

Thanks

LC

Run it through the tablesaw and chamfer the legs. You may also route flutes
into it.

Dave


"Larry C" wrote in message
news:92Rbd.7$EL5.2@trndny09...
Hello,

I am making a bench, and the plans call for the top of the front leg to be
turned between the bench seat and the bottom of the armrest. I do not
have
a lathe, nor do I have much experience turning. My question is: Can
anyone
give me some ideas on how I can dress up this part of my front leg. I
would
rather not have just a square post there.

Thanks

LC

Run it through the tablesaw and chamfer the legs. You may also route
flutes into it.

Dave


This is a great suggestion, or you could cut them with a bandsaw and produce
something that is out-of-ordinary. You can do tapers, curves, curve down to
a broader foot, etc. Lots of possibilites that won't come off looking like
another turned leg.

"TeamCasa" wrote in :

Run it through the tablesaw and chamfer the legs. You may also route
flutes into it.

Take the chamfer to an extreme, and make octagonal posts. If no
tablesaw, use a plane.

Use a spokeshave to cut stopped chamfers.

Make a square, tapered post...it can taper to be quite thin at one
end (using table saw or plane, etc).

Use a router to cut a bead on the 4 corners. If no router, use a
scratchstock.

Instead of a "post", use a piece that's wider in the front to back
dimension, and cut some sort of ornamental bracket/gingerbread type
shape into it, using a bandsaw/scrollsaw/fretsaw/coping saw, whichever
is available.

Take your post & taper it both ways from the center, use the plane
to make it octagonal, then 16-sided, then round (you can get very
close to perfectly round with a block plane & a little care)...now
you have a round post with a nice swell in the middle, without
any lathe involved.

Lots of possibilities here...

John

Folks,

Thanks for all the great ideas. You have got my brain working so I should
be ok from here.

Thanks again

Larry C
"John McCoy" wrote in message
0...
"TeamCasa" wrote in :

Run it through the tablesaw and chamfer the legs. You may also route
flutes into it.

Take the chamfer to an extreme, and make octagonal posts. If no
tablesaw, use a plane.

Use a spokeshave to cut stopped chamfers.

Make a square, tapered post...it can taper to be quite thin at one
end (using table saw or plane, etc).

Use a router to cut a bead on the 4 corners. If no router, use a
scratchstock.

Instead of a "post", use a piece that's wider in the front to back
dimension, and cut some sort of ornamental bracket/gingerbread type
shape into it, using a bandsaw/scrollsaw/fretsaw/coping saw, whichever
is available.

Take your post & taper it both ways from the center, use the plane
to make it octagonal, then 16-sided, then round (you can get very
close to perfectly round with a block plane & a little care)...now
you have a round post with a nice swell in the middle, without
any lathe involved.

Lots of possibilities here...

John

substitue for a turned post.

Group: rec.woodworking Date: Fri, Oct 15, 2004, 2:21pm (EDT+4)
(Larry=A0C) needs to know:
snip Can anyone give me some ideas on how I can dress up this part of
my front leg. I would rather not have just a square post there.

Yes, I can see that having a front leg with a square post would not
be good.



JOAT
Flush the Johns.
- seen on a bumper sticker