Making some "Bun" legs...need some mounting advice..

[Aaron Buys]

I friend of mine asked me to make him some "bun" legs for a couch he is putting together. He gave me blanks pre cut to size (5" diameter 2 3/4" thick) and included a template for what he wanted them to look like. All I really need to do is take the corners off and put a nice curve on both sides. Both the top and the bottom won't be visible as the only area that will actually be seen will be the profile once the leg is attached. What would be the best way to mount these blanks to the lathe? Should I just screw a faceplate to one side or will I need to glue some scrap to each blank and then mount them in my Talon? I also have a worm screw but I've never used one and I'm not sure how to go about attaching it safely. Can anybody offer some advice?

Thanks!

[Andrew Derhammer]

I would just faceplate it. You won't see the holes, you can center it well and it should be the most secure.

[Curt Fuller]

You could screw the face plate to the top side where the screw holes won't show. Or you could drill a 3/8" hole, 1" deep, centered in the top side and use the wormwood screw that fits the talon chuck. But if you're concerned about any holes showing, then a waste block parted off when you're done would probably be best.

[Kurt Bird]

Aaron,
Usually, these bun feet have a threaded screw coming out of them for mounting puposes. This screw is a lag screw on half, and a machine screw on half. The lag portion goes into the foot, and the machine screw threads into a mating pound-in insert in the furniture. If you were to use such a screw, you could screw it into the foot blank, and use a round block with the threaded insert in it mounted in a chuck. Then you could screw one on, turn it, unscrew and go to the next. Just an idea......:)

[Richard Madison]

Aaron,
Kurt makes a good point. You might want to find out exactly how your friend plans to attach the feet (type and size of hardware), to avoid screwing up the spot (maybe with too large a hole) where your friend plans to screw something in.

[Gary Max]

I would use a Vac chuck and a live center ----you would only leave one very small hole.

[John Timberlake]

I would just turn them between centers, like the originals 300 years ago were done.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I've turned a few for some foot stools my wife and I made a few years back. Real simple turnings - just turn between centers.