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I’m making some counter high stools using red oak, because that’s what I have. Question; we have cherry hardwood floors where they will reside. My concern is scratching the floor. How do I prepare the leg ends: flat, rounded, use metal pads, or something better. Charles
Flat with the thickest highest quality felt pads you can find. The felt pads work great, but buy a bunch since they are wear items
In my house experience, the felt pads fall off. I use a wooden flat tip. All tips will scratch the floor if you catch grit between the tip and the floor. So try to keep your floors clean.
I've never made legs but I have taken a forstner bit to make a slight recess in the bottom of the legs on a stool so the felt pad could "walk" it's way off the bottom of the leg.
How big of a foot print is the stool going to have and how much swing do you have on your lathe? I recently made a 20" sanding disc to work with my lathe. It's probably large enough to sand all four legs at once after the stool is built so it would never rock. It was probably about $100 or so (I built 3 so I didn't have to change pads when I wanted to change grit size).
My lathe has a 11 1/4” swing so I could turn a 20” disk ok. I think I have one made just didn’t have a face place to dedicate for it. Good idea. I think I will go the felt tip route. I haven’t finished turning the legs so I can see what size felt is available. I had thought to make the bottom (floor contact) end 1”. I like the indent idea, will give that some thought. Thanks Richard, Jamie, and Alex. Good advice and help!
I always used the nail on type as in this search. They last a long time and when worn pry them off and nail on new ones.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=anti+slid...ref=nb_sb_noss
Thank you Michael, I like this, they would stay in place better than the tape on ones!
I built queen anne cherry dining room chairs and have oak floor.. I bought the nylon nail in (similar to the above nail in felt ones) they work great and do not scratch the floor at all.. bought them at the local Do-It-Best hardware store...
basically these...
https://www.amazon.com/Thickened-Fur...33&s=hi&sr=1-3
Rubber feet work great, they don't slide so they don't scratch or mark floors. They have a little give so they wobble less on imperfect floors. Counterbore to hide most of the rubber and to stabilize it. Get them from McMaster Carr. Buy a variety of sizes, you will use them on everything.