How do I make this cut?

[Bobby O'Neal]

So a buddy asks me to cut two inches off the legs of a chair. "No problem," I say, all the while knowing you guys will have an answer if I get stumped.

Front legs are easy, they have a square reference face to cut on a table saw. Back legs can come off the seat but that is all the breakdown that can (will) happen.

I have some handsaws, table saw, circ saw, jig saw....

it just needs to sit evenly on the floor and they'll be happy. Thanks in advance.


Bobby

[phil harold]

Handsaw
assemble the chair
if it rocks
put a belt sander flush to the top of your bench
with the three legs on the bench top, fourth one goes on the belt sander
find the offending tall legs and sand them to proper height on the mounted belt sander

[Alan Schwabacher]

Assemble the chair and set it up on a flat surface like your tablesaw top. If needed, shim it so it does not rock, and the seat is at the desired angle. Now use a spacer to hold a pencil up from the flat surface the desired amount of the cut, and mark each leg all the way around. Saw to the line by hand.

[Steve Rost]

Easy! Follow Alan's advice!

[Jay Jolliffe]

What Allan said...Done it that way many a times.

[Jim Cunningham]

Another vote for Alan's solution. Done it many times and it works

[Bobby O'Neal]

Assemble the chair and set it up on a flat surface like your tablesaw top. If needed, shim it so it does not rock, and the seat is at the desired angle. Now use a spacer to hold a pencil up from the flat surface the desired amount of the cut, and mark each leg all the way around. Saw to the line by hand.


Sounds good to me.

[Don Morris]

I didn't read what Alan said, but that's what I'd do. Anybody with that many 1+'s has got to be right.

[Sam Murdoch]

I didn't read what Alan said, but that's what I'd do. Anybody with that many 1+'s has got to be right.

Thank you Don, you (and your kind) are the reason I post on the Creek :D!

Oh, by the way, +1 to what Alan wrote.

[Tom Giacomo]

After taking the 2 inches off each leg. The way I was taught is to set the assembeled chair on a flat surface, I use my TS surface. If you rock the chair you will quickly find one leg is longer than the rest. Let the long leg now hang over the edge of the flat surface then use a flush cut saw to cut it using the flat surface as a guide. This will make the chair set solid on a flat surface, however it does not make the chair level, but it will be so close you will probably not be able to tell and you only have to make one cut.

[Jim Matthews]

I was surprised to find this works, the first time I did it.

Not a power tool job - too easy to take off more than needed.
Chamfer the edges of the legs where they meet the floor.

Chairs are frequently dragged, and a square edge can catch - leading to splintering along grain lines.

[Charles Wiggins]

Assemble the chair and set it up on a flat surface like your tablesaw top. If needed, shim it so it does not rock, and the seat is at the desired angle. Now use a spacer to hold a pencil up from the flat surface the desired amount of the cut, and mark each leg all the way around. Saw to the line by hand.

That's how the Schwarz does it: http://blip.tv/popular-woodworking-videos/level-four-feet-4886174

[Prashun Patel]

...and if you are like me and find that this only gets you close without a cigar, then as a final step, doublestick rough sandpaper to the tablesaw under the still offending leg(s) and rub it into submission.

[phil harold]

...and if you are like me and find that this only gets you close without a cigar, then as a final step, doublestick rough sandpaper to the tablesaw under the still offending leg(s) and rub it into submission.
Thats why I came up with the belt sander option
I had to do it to 8 dining room chairs someone else butchered...

[Jim Matthews]

I believe FWW had an article about a chair maker (who uses axe handles for legs - go figure) designing a bench with a belt sander built into the top deck.

That way, he could determine which leg or legs were long, and just set it onto the running sander until the other three legs touched down.
You do need a reference, when using a power tool approach - it's easy to over shoot and end up with a footstool instead of a barstool...