How to set up jig for cutting chamfer with a thickness planer on splayed legs on the Morley small dining table
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I was wondering if anyone has tried cutting the chamfer on the legs? I have made a sled for the legs to ride through the planer but was wondering how much should the leg drop down over the 29 1/2 inch length in orderget the chamfer that goes from 3/8 wide at the top of the leg to 1/8 wide at the bottom of the leg?
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The legs are to be left slightly long at the top and then trimmed flush with the aprons after the joinery is cut and while the parts are dry fitted. I would cut the mortises and tenons before shaping the legs. The feet are trimmed so the table sits level. My process for that would involve cutting a piece of thin ply or hardboard to use as a gauge with the table inverted on a flat surface.
Thanks Dave. That helps me.
Glad to hear that. And you're quite welcome. Now. In return for that information, please upload photos of your table when you have it completed. ;)
Will do. Tried your method on my prototype today ( without the tapers) and all legs are flat on the floor. So glad!
Excellent!
Good comments. I am trying the same but if you cut mortises before you taper I think you aprons are going to be angled rather that vertical.
I want to emphasize the rake and splay do I am cutting the aprons and legs mortises after legs are tapered ( I use slip tenons) yo EMPHASIZE the rack and splay by having vertical aprons. This requires careful mortise setup but at least tenon complexity doesn’t exist.
The mortised section of the leg is above the start of the taper. Cutting the mortise before the tapering of the leg gave me a flat surface for the plunge router to ride on while cutting the deep mortise. The angled leg comes from the cheek of the apron which is cut at 4 degrees. I had no problem fitting the tenons into the mortises when done this way.
If you taper below the mortise, how do you exhibit rake and splay?
The ends of the aprons are cut at an angle which forces the legs to have the rake and splay.
It's a good idea to not cut away the outside faces of the leg if those faces are being used as the references for cutting the mortises. ;)
Rake and splay is created by the apron Cheek which is cut at a 4 degree angle on each end.
Hi Forrest,
So if you are designing your table with the aprons vertical instead of sloped as in Mr. Morely's design, cut the legs a bit oversized so you can taper them later. For a 4° rake and splay, you'd cut the aprons as shown.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/finewoodworking.s3.tauntoncloud.com/app/uploads/2020/01/17101413/1RS1.png
The angle of the mortise in the leg will match the rake/splay angle.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/finewoodworking.s3.tauntoncloud.com/app/uploads/2020/01/17101448/Screenshot-1_17_2020-9_07_38-AM.png
Taper the inside faces if you want.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/finewoodworking.s3.tauntoncloud.com/app/uploads/2020/01/17101534/1RS2.png
Or, if you want more rake and splay, you could taper the outside faces so the leg gets skinnier at the top.
I follow all the comments, but based on mortising the legs before tapering and using apron angle to achieve rake and splay you will have mortises in the legs that are not vertical when assembled. To match that angle and have a vertical apron you will have a complicated tenon to cut if you want a vertical apron: either a compound cut on the faces and cheeks should you choose to tenon the apron first or similar compound angles should you angle the apron before cutting the tenon.
My idea is to taper the legs, use the taper off cut to align the leg mortise so that it is vertical on assembly, and mortise the apron before angle-cutting it. As I said I only use slip tenons and use the mortising box by Tim Rousseau. That simplifies using the off cut to get a vertical mortise in the leg when assembled. This technique allows you to have a unique angle of rake and a separate angle for splay: just id and keep the taper cut offs.
The mortises can be over-cut in depth to provide adequate glue-surface.
My SketchUp is not up to you, David, but here is an angled leg with vertical apron:
Remove the vertical apron to see the mortise done before tapering. It, too, must be angled if not an approximated angle ( has to be approximate since you have no taper off cut).
So to keep a vertical apron, the tenon is also approximately angled.
This tenon is why I taper first to get the real angle and use an off cut to mortise into the leg at an angle that results vertical. The apron tenon (or slip mortise) is then very straight forward.
I would angle the mortise on the leg to avoid having to angle the mortise on the apron and avoid a potential blowout. The angle doesn't have to be approximated. Use the same angle as the rake or splay. In my sketches I used 4° for both the rake and splay so the mortise would be set at 4° off parallel to the long side of the leg. That would be easily set up with a 4° wedge as part of the fence guiding your mortising tool.
Have you actually tried cutting this in the shop?
Yes, I have used the taper off cut to mortise the leg; the apron mortise was straightforward. The apron angle will be cut using the same off cut. I am finally a big believer in Tim Rousseau's "reality." I am cutting slip tenons now (well, after a woodworking job for the wife) and will post pictures when a leg/apron are assembled.
Well, I was half-right.
When I splayed the legs the mortise in the leg did not line up with the mortise in the apron.
Here is a 'normal' leg and apron with only 10 deg splay. Apron not vertical.
Then with only the leg raked to 10 deg. Obviously I have to take into account both the affect of rake on both leg and apron should I want vertical aprons, but also on the affect of splay in either case. Even with non-vertical aprons the cutting tenon becomes more complicated.
Sorry if I have mixed up rake and splay directions.
Before you add the tenon or the mortise in the apron you should trim the end of the apron. I drew the leg at the raked and splayed angle before I added the mortise. See: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/07/18/sketchup-modeling-table-stool-legs-rake-splay
Thank you, Dave! I knew someone had done this on FWW but didn’t find it. This will be instructive in making my new legs & aprons.
I plan on staying with slip tenons, but Tim Rousseau shows cutting angled tenons on his Modern Danish Desk video - members only tho.
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