Attaching legs to a mid-century modern 3-drawer cabinet
jfsksa
| Posted in General Discussion on
I’m building a mid-century modern 3-drawer cabinet that will sit by a bed. The legs will be similar to the attached picture. Legs will be approximately 6″.
I like the tapered, angled look, but I wonder how to attach the legs securely. I know I can buy mounting brackets but the ones I’ve seen have one screw that goes through the base of the cabinet into the end grain of the leg. Is that sturdy enough?
Any advice on this method or other options would be appreciated.
Replies
If you are true to mid-century, that is how it was made and they have endured quite well for the 65 years my mid-century cabinets have been used. The single screw is half Wood screw and half machine thread, the strength will come from the sturdiness of the bracket.
Hanger bolts and clinch nut plates. The angle is determined by the plate.
I grew up on this stuff. Hanger bolts were the rule of the day on the stuff my parents had.
There is a trick to strengthening the hanger bolt screwed into the leg end grain. That is to put a short piece of dowel sideways into the leg on the inside of the leg where it won't be seen. I have done this for extra strength on claw foot round oak tables, where the dowel comes in from the bottom of the leg. It's best to have the dowel be slightly larger diameter than the hanger bolt, but not essential.
Not sure why others think the typical connection is so strong, as I've seen the legs get pretty wobbly over time.