Could use some help with simple legs

[Joe McMahon]

My 6 year old granddaughter wants a table & chairs for her tea parties with her dollies and asked me to make them for her birthday. I am new to turning and my design skills are zero. I can do flat work.

I don't want the legs to be just round sticks. I would like a little design or shape to them without going over the top. Does anyone have a source or idea on designing these?

Also, I have never made a chair. Are there any sources for a simple child's chair design? I follow instructions fairly well but my creative genius is right up there with my ability to hip-hop dance. http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowrolleyes.gif http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowrolleyes.gif http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowsmilewinkgrin.gif


TIA, Joe

[John Keeton]

Joe, your questions are certainly diverse!! IMO building a chair is the ultimate task, and even though I have built furniture for years, including some fairly complex pieces, I have yet to attempt a chair. The angles and layout to achieve a comfortable chair are pretty involved - even for a child's chair. I have seen chairs without stretchers, but I would not suggest that. I wish you luck with it and I look forward to what you come up with.

As far as the "spooling" on the legs, it seems a sketch would be in order first, locating the stretchers between the legs so that you can plan for those in the layout. Then, I would look at some simple Windsor designs for guidance on typical beads/coves. If you Google Windsor chair images - you will get a BUNCH of pics. Some of them are fairly simple.

[Joe McMahon]

Thanks for the reply John. As far as the chairs go, Cracker Barrel has kids rocking chairs that are round sticks with a woven seat. Other than two small back pieces, the sticks are straight. I have seen them there before but don't have access to one now.

I will check out Windsor chair images.

[Lloyd Keniston]

Joe you might give this web site a look. http://www.u-bild.com/projects-childrens/index.htm

[Marty Studer]

Joe

A simple pattern for a leg would be a "bamboo" style leg. It is better than just a rounded leg but not nearly as difficult as a Baluster leg pattern. Make the legs from strong, straight grained stock, hard maple or oak.

Two very good chair makers blogs that would be helpful, I believe they have some measured leg patterns also.
Peter galbert. Www.Chairnotes.blogspot.com. Or www. Petergalbertchairmaker.com.
And Gregg Pennington. .Greg-Aroundtheshop.blogspot.com. Or www.Penningtonwindsorchairs.com.

[James Combs]

Joe how about this table and chairs (http://www.u-bild.com/projects-childrens/103.htm). "Perfect for Tea Parties" it says.

[Michelle Rich]

As a professional chairmaker of many decades, I know chairs are hard to make. Google up some designs. The simplest windsor pattern for legs is bamboo...Check English patterns too. they have some wacky turned leg designs. Good luck. it's a big learning curve.

[Joe McMahon]

I don't intend on building Windsor chairs. It was mentioned that I might get some idea of form for the legs for my table from a Windsor site. I am going to make a simple table, with either a round or oval top from cherry. I will turn some hard maple for the legs. I have a plan for simple ladder back chairs that I want to use. For a seat, since I have zero experience, I plan to use canvass. Nothing for the eons or the Smithsonian, just simple furniture my granddaughter can use. My initial question regarded some form or style for the legs as I didn't just want round tube legs, and my inner sense of style is non-existent.

[Jim Underwood]

Get your pencil and paper out and just sketch some forms. You don't have to make them perfect, or even symmetrical. Just get a general idea of what you want it to look like. Use graph paper if you need scaling. I tend to prefer some detail, but not a lot, so a combination of a vase shape and a couple of beads/coves would do for my purposes. You can look at several commercial outfits that sell table and chair legs to get some ideas of what kind of style you like, then modify them to suit:

Osborne Wood
Adams Wood Products
Matthew Burak
White River
Grand River

[Curt Fuller]

Joe, just a simple taper with a bead or two near the top and maybe a bead near the bottom ending in somewhat of a ball at the bottom should suit the kiddies just fine and not be too difficult to turn. If your grandkids are like mine you'll want to make it plenty sturdy. They'll be climbing, standing and jumping all over it.