[farmall]

I am in the planning stages of building a bed and need some advice on the legs. I am planning to have a 5" square leg. It will not be turned. I have 1" thick planed stock. I see 2 options:

1. glue 5 pieces of wood together like a sandwich.
2. use 4 pieces of wood with mitered edges to make a wrap around a core of something else. Of course, I would have to make a cap of some sort for this.

What do you think would be the best way? Is there a better option?

Thanks in advance.

 

[woodnthings]

4 mitered pieces!

For years Art and Crafts Style, Mission Style furniture, and Gustav Stickley's furniture used the mitered type legs to get the beautiful quartersawn oak grain to wrap all the way around the legs.

Look in at 4:40

A multiple laminate approach will look more like a "beam" found in the ceilings of large buildings, churches for instance. It won't be "bad" just, not like fine furniture. :no:

A 5 piece laminate will also be very heavy as opposed to the 4 piece mitered approach.... in case the bed has to be moved.

 

[Al B Thayer]

I like the 4 mitered pieces too. Gota dial in the saw perfect and get a super smooth cutting blade. Once your setup yields a perfect leg, cut them all.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.

 

[MNsawyergp]

The mitered cornered legs will give a better look of grain pattern on all 4 sides. Making those legs is a precision process and a lot of work. You should do a sample leg out of less expensive wood to get an idea of the process and the results before committing to expensive wood and a lot of steps before you get to the final glue-up and find out something is wrong.

The layered legs made from 5 boards glued together does not look bad. I mentored my son with two different 4-H projects where we glued up boards to get thick legs on a coffee table and a lamp base.

If you go to my Shutterfly page and view the albums called "Eli's table" and " Eli's Star Lamp" you will see the process and the finished projects showing the glued up legs.

http://mgsmngallery.shutterfly.com/

When you get to that page, click on the "Pictures and Videos" tab and then go to those albums and click on the first picture, then the forward arrow to see the rest.

 

[ryan50hrl]

I've done the laminated legs and by utilizing flat sawn in the middle layers and rift sawn on the outer layers ended up with almost solid looking rift sawn legs.

The edges if flat sawn look rift sawn often...

Just a matter of how confident you are in the ability to cut 45's accurately.

 

[ryan50hrl]

This was laminated. And I can't find the glue lines.

 

[woodnthings]

there is another way

You can make a barely visible seam by using a rabbet with a thin edge, say 3/16" thick or so. The 4 pieces can all be the same, butt end into the rabbet, and so forth, all the way around. Easy to glue up, won't slip and easy to plane off a small overlap on the thin edge. If your wood has similar grain, this method will be virtually invisible. :yes: Hollow in the center to save weight.... and reduce material useage. Grain will run vertically, unlike this example.

Like this with a deeper rabbet and a thinner exposed edge:

 

[Crusader]

Another approach to this would be to use a locking miter router bit. Mounted in a router table and a little practice, you'll be making legs in no time.
http://www.rockler.com/45-lock-miter-router-bit
Good luck!

 

[JMartel]

You can also do a 45 deg miter with a spline.

 

[Al B Thayer]

Another approach to this would be to use a locking miter router bit. Mounted in a router table and a little practice, you'll be making legs in no time.
http://www.rockler.com/45-lock-miter-router-bit
Good luck!

Do you actually use this bit? It's the most difficult bit to use I have ever seen. For someone with small equipment and limited experience, this would be a most frustrating build.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.

 

[farmall]

As Always, thanks for all the help guys. I am going to try the rabbet route.

 

[Al B Thayer]

As Always, thanks for all the help guys. I am going to try the rabbet route.

If I was as smart as some here I would have suggested that method too.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.

 

[Crusader]

Do you actually use this bit? It's the most difficult bit to use I have ever seen. For someone with small equipment and limited experience, this would be a most frustrating build.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.

Yes I actually use that bit! I don't find it that hard to use, yes there is a learning curve but once you get the hang of it I find it's quite easy. Feather boards are a must.
I don't know what type of equipment he has as he didn't state that.
I also had limited experience with that bit until I chucked it up! :thumbsup:
But I do see your point.

 

[Al B Thayer]

Yes I actually use that bit! I don't find it that hard to use, yes there is a learning curve but once you get the hang of it I find it's quite easy. Feather boards are a must.
I don't know what type of equipment he has as he didn't state that.
I also had limited experience with that bit until I chucked it up! :thumbsup:
But I do see your point.

I've got one. Bought it when it was first on the market. I looked at it the other day and there was a note I had left with it for set up. Can't make high or low of the numbers. That was about 25 years ago. Maybe I should chuck it up and give it another try?

Al

Nails only hold themselves.

 

[Masterjer]

I used the lock miter bit with decent success. I agree that feather boards are a must. I didn't get perfect results, but I had planned to round over the mitered edges so it didn't matter. Setup wasn't that bad, although it is critical to get it setup right.

 

[kendonbelldon]

i need a bed based to be made can u help me?

 

[woodnthings]

You Tube will show you how

I've got one. Bought it when it was first on the market. I looked at it the other day and there was a note I had left with it for set up. Can't make high or low of the numbers. That was about 25 years ago. Maybe I should chuck it up and give it another try?

Al

Nails only hold themselves.

 

[Al B Thayer]

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbJszKqyfBA

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwpRUASpZ30

Oh yeah, it's just that simple.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.

 

[cabinetman]

The lock miter bit provides a good joint. Many complain about how difficult it is to set up. It isn't. All it takes is a little patience, and a few set up trials. Most profile bits take some initial setup.

.