Routing curved legs with a CNC

[John Michaels]

I found this picture and would like to have a local cabinetmaker make these curved legs on his CNC machine for me. I've got the wood for the legs (eastern maple) and I tried cutting a sample leg for a template out of scrap wood, but it didn't turn out so good. Is it easier to program the CNC from scratch to make something like this or is it better to make some sort of template first?




http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1108263/CurvedTableLegs03.jpg

[Jamie Buxton]

Me, I'd rough-cut the curves on a bandsaw, and use a shaper and a template to do the fine machining. It helps that the legs are identical so you need only one pair of templates.

[John Michaels]

Me, I'd rough-cut the curves on a bandsaw, and use a shaper and a template to do the fine machining. It helps that the legs are identical so you need only one pair of templates.

Don't have a bandsaw or a shaper. Sometimes it's easier just to pay someone else to do the job.

[Brian Ross]

Sometimes it's easier just to pay someone else to do the job.

I agree with you completely. Have had CNC work done on weird shapes on sheet goods and it was very reasonable and there are lots of them around but not sure what type you would need for that shape of leg. They would not require a sample, they just need detailed drawings that they enter into a computer program.
Brian

[Steve knight]

this may be a little work to draw up but easy to cut with a cnc router. but it looks easy with a bandsaw too.