Best Glue Up for Furniture Leg

[Dan Stuewe]

I need to make turned legs for a project (a hope chest for my daughter) that are 6" long with a max diameter of about 2". The chest is "Philippine Mahogany" but my local lumber yard only has up to 8/4 stock. What would be the best way to glue up a blank to make the legs? The legs are simple tapers from 2" to 3/4" so there really isn't going to be any decoration to distract from glue lines. I think my options are to face glue two boards together (two glue joints would show) or to glue up staves (more glue joints but a more consistent grain since all sides would be face grain). The piece will be finished with oil and a wipe on varnish so I'd like to keep the legs and box as consistent as I can (i.e. it would be a challenge to just use a completely different wood).

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[David Walser]

Here's how I would do it. From straight grained stock, joint one face and one edge of 8/4 stock that is about 5" wide and is an appropriate length. Rip the board down the middle and glue the joined faces to each other without flipping one board end for end -- just "fold" one over the top of the other. The grain should match so closely, the glue line will all but disappear.

Good luck! HTH.

[Prashun Patel]

??? isn't 8/4 = 2"? If yr worried 8/4 will mill out to less than 2", I wouldn't sweat it. 1 7/8" or even 1 3/4" tapering down to 3/4" will look fine too, without grain issues.

If you have to glue up a blank, pick through the pieces to find straight grain edges. It shouldn't be hard, especially on such short leg lengths. If your table is rectangular, I would orient the glued lines on the short sides.

[Dan Stuewe]

??? isn't 8/4 = 2"? If yr worried 8/4 will mill out to less than 2", I wouldn't sweat it. 1 7/8" or even 1 3/4" tapering down to 3/4" will look fine too, without grain issues.


Living here in Southern California I forget that it is possible (and not uncommon) to buy rough lumber. Pretty much all I see S3S so when I see 8/4 I automatically think 1-3/4".

I will think about just working with 8/4. I bought metal ferrules for the feet so I want to keep the same taper so I'll run the numbers and see how it works.

[William Bachtel]

www.woodfinder.com Buy 3 inch to start with. No future glue lines or failure.

[Pat Scott]

It's such a small leg, I don't think it's going to matter if you glue up 2 pieces or not. Find pieces with similar grain lines and color and glue it up. Since the legs are so short, and since they're down on the floor, I doubt anyone will notice if it's 2 pieces or one.