Replies

1. 
   rwdare | Jan 14, 2007 09:06pm | #1

   Draw a line down the insides of the leg thru the midpoints of the skirt block and the middle of the ankle. Extend the line to the ends of the blank. Square these lines onto the ends giving you the offset points. Turn the leg and top of the pad first, then turn the pad on normal centers. Turning the pad first will remove the area of the offset center. DAMHIKT!

   Dick

   
   

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   Edited 1/14/2007 1:08 pm ET by rwdare

1. 
   jigsawjohn | Jan 14, 2007 09:38pm | #2

   Thank you sir:

   I did this long ago but for some reason it didn't stick with me, maybe because I like the carved legs much better and never found a place that I would use the turned version.

   However it is most important to give others all the options I can provide.

   Again thanksJigSawJohn

2. 
   PeteBradley | Jan 15, 2007 06:36am | #3

   Jeffrey Greene's book "American Furniture of the 18th Century" has a good section on both methods.

   Pete

3. 
   RMillard | Jan 15, 2007 02:08pm | #4

   John,

   Draw the leg out full size. The foot and a very small portion of the leg below the pommel will be turned on the true center. The section turned on the true center below the pommel measures somewhere around 1/8" long.  Draw a line down the leg shaft, with the line centered on the smallest part of the "ankle" and at the transition point just below the pommel; extend this line through to the bottom of the foot and the top of the leg post. Where the line falls at the bottom of the foot and the top of the leg post, represents the turning centers for the leg shaft. At the foot end there is a considerable amount of offset, and very little at the top of the leg post. This drawing has to be quite accurate, and so must the layout on the actual leg blank.

   I've made several sets of legs like this, and it still looks like it wouldn't work, but it does.

   There is another type of cabriole leg, called parallel axis, but I've not made any of those.

   Rob Millard 

   
1. 
   joinerswork | Jan 15, 2007 10:43pm | #5

   All,

   Though it is standard practice to start with square stock the size needed at the top (pommel) end of the leg, I've seen at least one antique table whose foot was 2 3/4" dia, and tapered up from a 1" or so ankle to a 2" square at the top of the leg.  It made for a very much more attractive leg than the usual, which either look stub-toed if of smaller stock, or arthritic at the knee, if of larger stock, throughout.  These legs can be rough bandsawn out of 3" stock, with the leg pattern "spooned" or nestled to save some stock, then turned, and the top pommels cleaned up. 

   Regards,

   Ray Pine

1. 
   jigsawjohn | Jan 16, 2007 09:43pm | #6

   Great info thanks to allJigSawJohn