Having problems with table legs...

[Robert Mayer]

I was attempting to make some cool curved legs for a coffee table. I laminated together some 3/4 walnut for it. As you can see on my first practice leg it cut through the first layer of wood. You can see the lines on the side (the arrows are pointing to it). Is there anyway to blend these together when I stain it or should i seek out some solid walnut?

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-6/1193758/Picture001.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-6/1193758/Picture002.jpg

[Mike Henderson]

That's the problem with laminating for legs. If it will work, put the thickest boards on the outside of the glue-up and make sure you don't cut more than the depth of the outside boards.

Otherwise, get some thicker solid stock.

mike

[Ken Fitzgerald]

That's the problem with laminating boards. It's going to be difficult to hide the joint lines!

[Alan Turner]

Robert,
Typically, legs are not laminated for the reason that you have discovered. This is a principal reason why 12/4 wood is cut and dried.

If you decide to go with solid legs, you will want to use rift sawn wood. In this way, the grain pattern on adjacent faces will be quite similar. Depending upon the thickness needed for your legs, you can someitmes use some angled rips to reduce a board's thickness and sort of "create" rift sawn stock.

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

Personally, I'd get some walnut veneer and cover up my mistake. Maybe that's just me. ;)

[Doug Shepard]

You'll never be able to hide the change in grain from one board to the next, but if you're just trying to hide the joint line you could try inlaying a contrasting wood at the lines. I wouldn't attempt this unless the joint lines are at the exact same height on all 4 legs and would go no wider than 1/8" (1/16" would be my choice). The look may not work with what you had in mind but at least it would appear as an intentional design element rather than an oops.

[Robert Mayer]

You'll never be able to hide the change in grain from one board to the next, but if you're just trying to hide the joint line you could try inlaying a contrasting wood at the lines. I wouldn't attempt this unless the joint lines are at the exact same height on all 4 legs and would go no wider than 1/8" (1/16" would be my choice). The look may not work with what you had in mind but at least it would appear as an intentional design element rather than an oops.

An inlay isnt a bad idea. Maybe i can use just a 1/4 dado blade and make a short cut on all 4 sides. Then sand flush. Not sure how it will look, but its worth a try.

I would definitely mess up the veneer, plus this table is going to go through some abuse with 3 large dogs.

Im glad i did a practice board first, instead of gluing up 4 legs.

All else fails I have to drive an hour or so to my lumber supplier.

[Doug Shepard]

An inlay isnt a bad idea. Maybe i can use just a 1/4 dado blade and make a short cut on all 4 sides. Then sand flush. Not sure how it will look, but its worth a try.
...


If you're going to try it, lay it out on the leg with tape first to see what it's going to look like. 1/4" inlay on coffee table height legs might look too blocky. The Borg usually has router bits down to 1/16" if you want to go thinner. 1/8" could be done by router or just one of the blades from the dado set.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

The inlay idea is a great way to take advantage of what is otherwise a limitation.

[Mark Singer]

If you make the laminations work with the shaping it will be intentional and work!

[Jamie Buxton]

Depending on the thickness of your leg and your planks, you can sometimes laminate so that the seam runs from a corner diagonally to the other corner. Even after you do your shaping, the grain change between the planks happens at the corner, where the eye expects things to change anyhow, and it is virtually invisible.

[Robert Mayer]

If you make the laminations work with the shaping it will be intentional and work!

thats way too cool Mark.

im going to check with a local sawmill and see what they have first. if they have the thicker stock i might just go get it. their prices are excellent. That would save me a lot of gluing up time too...

[Mike Henderson]

If you can't get solid stock that's thick enough for the legs, get stock that's half the thickness. That way, the glue line will be in the middle and you won't cut through it.

Mike