Square Legs with a core

[Aaron Beaver]

I am making some square legs, 4 pieces with 45 degree cuts. Plans call for a core to fill the hole in the center.

Does the core have to be the same type of wood as the legs themselves? Plans call for it but I would rather not since it will never be seen, but I will if I need to because of wood movement or something. Concerning wood movement, the core is glued to the outer wraps so I am wondering how it moves? I haven't built many things that I had to concern myself with wood movement so it's fairly new to me still.

Oh btw, I need the cores because there will be mortise and tenon joints into the legs.

Thanks

[James Phillips]

The first thing I would ask is if the core is really necessary. How big are the legs, how much weight does it need to support, does anything attach to the core? In most cases the core is not necessary; just a waste of wood.

[Aaron Beaver]

The first thing I would ask is if the core is really necessary. How big are the legs, how much weight does it need to support, does anything attach to the core? In most cases the core is not necessary; just a waste of wood.


See last line 1st post, cores are needed for mortise and tenon joinery.

[Jamie Buxton]

No, the core doesn't need to be the same kind of wood.

[Aaron Beaver]

No, the core doesn't need to be the same kind of wood.

Thanks, I may end up only doing cores at the M & T joints, that way I can cut down on some weight. Just make the core longer than the mortise by a few inches each way.