Trifid feet

[Mark Maleski]

Trifid feet, from the Latin trifidus for “three parts” are a hallmark of Philadelphia furniture of the Queen Anne Period (1750 or so). I’m building a spice chest on stand from plans that I got from Olde Mill Cabinet Shop, and it includes trifid feet. Since I’ve never made
these before I have been practicing on basswood. On the left is my first attempt; besides struggling with the ankle (where the grain reverses) I can see that I’ve left the ankle and lower leg too square (Philadelphia legs were rounded, unlike those from farther north). The practice piece on the right is more like it. I still hand the conquered the reversing grain on the ankles though.

[Mark Maleski]

After a couple more practice pieces, am moving on now to the real deal (Honduran mahogany). I’m pleased with these results.

(No idea why some of my photos are being rotated to the left when I upload...best fix I can think of is to tilt your head to compensate).

[Mark Maleski]

BTW, just because these feet were a Philadelphia hallmark doesn’t mean the were exclusively used there. They originated in Britain (some say Ireland) and are found in Delaware, Virginia, and other areas. This particular foot design is from a Philadelphia period original.

[Tony Pisano]

Looking very nice, especially after only a couple of practice pieces. I look forward to seeing the finished cabinet.

[Mark Maleski]

Thanks Tony. I’ve carved other types of feet so it’s a quick learning curve. Turns out that the tricky part of the triffid is getting those lines as straight and even as possible. The smallest wobble really catches the eye.

[Mark Maleski]

These are the templates I used for these feet. I copied them from the plans, pasted to 1/4” ply, and then filed to shape. Took about 10 minutes, and they’ll last for future projects.

Also shown are the scrapers that we’re invaluable in getting the final finish. I avoid sandpaper as much as I can.

[Mark Maleski]

Here’s a dry assembly showing the foot carving in context. I see one or two spots on the feet that I want to address, and I’ll next carve shells on the two front knees.

[Tom Bender]

Very nice Mark