Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Tapered Legs Question

  1. #1

    Tapered Legs Question

    I'm planning on starting a project for a Shaker style side table with tapered legs. I know this is subjective, but I'm just curious on opinions... do you taper all sides or just the inside faces?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Stone Mountain, GA
    Posts
    751
    I like to put a little taper on the outside faces. Less than on the inside faces- I still want it to look like its tapered from the inside, but I think a subtle taper on the outside adds to the effect. And if you have laminated legs, then you may have to taper from all sides to get a visually appealing taper without crossing through a glueline.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
    Posts
    12,120
    like this?
    bigger view.jpg
    Tapered on the two inside faces, only..

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Newburgh, Indiana
    Posts
    918
    As long as you're not dealing with grain, it really doesn't matter either way. The taper will be same from top to bottom no matter how you turn it. How you orient the leg to the table top will determine which way the taper appears.
    Last edited by Bob Glenn; 07-13-2018 at 1:30 PM.
    Life's too short to use old sandpaper.

  5. #5
    I tend to make all legs taper on the inside only. If there's a taper also on the outside (like with a turned leg) I prefer to splay the leg so that the foot is not (significantly) 'inside' the plane of the corner of the apron.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,739
    I also only taper the inside of table legs. It’s a good solid splayed look if you start messing with the outside you risk the dying bug look.
    A example would be a table with legs that curve inward.Just a terrible look.
    Aj

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    A suburb of Los Angeles California
    Posts
    644
    If you taper only the inside faces (which is what I do) it lightens the legs and still maintains the piece's external rectangularity.

    I once listened to Darrell Peart riff for an hour on leg design, both aesthetic and structural. He should write it down and sell what he's figured out.
    AKA - "The human termite"

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •