How do you make splayed French feet?

[Travis Hollar]

I really like the look on splayed French feet - especially on chest of drawers. I would like to use them on my next project, but I can't find any information on how they are made/designed. Installing them as bracket feet looks straight forward enough, but I'm interested in the ones that part of the case itself (like the feet on one of Garrett Hacks chests in FWW Sept 2001). On Hacks piece, he joins the legs and rails with miters - which really looks nice. I've heard they were historically made by kerfing the back of the leg and installing wedges. That's the extent of what I know... Any references to DVD's, books, or magazine articles would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Travis

[Jamie Buxton]

A picture would help. I don't know what splayed French feet are.

[Travis Hollar]

Here's a pic:

[joe maday]

traditionally, a notch is cut into the foot, the depth/lenght of the "flair. then a wooden wedge is glued into the slot to "push out the lower part of the foot. In the case of the picture you posted it appears that the foot, being more contemporary and the foot is being mitered...it is made from thicker stock to begin with and then cut or shaped to the desired profile. The picture shows a constant thickness (rear foot) to the primary wood whereas a traditional foot is thicker on the bottom because of the wedge.

[Frank Drew]

Travis,

I came around to preferring to make a base that the case sits in/on. That way you can treat the legs (or feet) discretely, shaped however you wish, joined by rails, and all with shallow rabbets to hold the case. Everything is much easier that way -- feet, case work -- and it looks just as good, IMO, as feet that are integrated in the case.

[Travis Hollar]

Thanks for the responses! Joe, I think I get what you're saying, but I'd still love to read an article or watch a video about this technique. I've searched quite a bit and can't find a thing. I own quite a few woodworking books and have an online subscription to FWW. I've struck out everywhere I've looked.

[John Zahurak]

If you have access to the back issues of FWW, look up the Carlyle Lynch Federal Chest of drawers article. He shows a little bit of the kerfing technique.

I used a modified version of what he described on the table saw to cut a portion of the kerf and then finished with some hand saws. I then soaked the kerfed wood with some hot, wet towels and then drove in some shaped wedges and clamped them in. It worked fine, but was a bit nerve-wracking.

- John

[mike holden]

Here are a couple pics of a piece I saw in Lancaster, PA this last summer. The close-up shows that the "real" foot is vertical and a layer of molding applied over the "real" foot provides the taper. This is the first piece that I have ever seen done this way. Jeff Headley shows the saw kerf and wedge method on the SAPFM website, and that is what I think was more common, but this one seems simpler.

275998275999

The angle in the middle is an optical illusion.

If you want, PM me your email address and I will send you a copy of the original image so you can blow it up for detail.

Mike

[joe maday]

I looked around my pile of books and found somthing that might help. It is in the "Furniture Antiques Found in Virginia" By Ernest Carlyle Lynch Jr. / Hepplewhite Chest,pages 68-70. here are some scans:276087

[joe maday]

here is second scan...I could not upload both at once....too big so I made it smaller
276088

[Travis Hollar]

Joe,

Thanks again! Very helpful. I just ordered a copy of that book. Amazing how easy it is to find old, out of print books on the internet! Also, turns out the author lived about 10 miles away from me. Small world...

Travis