Does anyone know a resource for designing, and proportioning cabriole legs. I have a design for a 12 inch leg, but would like to dimension it down to 8 inch and up to 24 inches. I see that just stretching the basic design will produce a leg that is longer, but does not contain the proper proportions. Any help out there? Articles on the web, or ww magazine articles that I have missed? Thank you all very much.
Greg Alexander
Replies
You might try proportional squares. Take the design from the 12 inch leg and draw squares over it ... say 1/2" squares. Take a blank paper a draw rectangles 1/2" wide and 1" top to bottom. Now use the same line crossings as the 12" leg and you will end up with a 24" leg with the same width as the 12 " leg. Adjust the width proportion of the rectangles if you want the new leg drawing to be wider.
HTH
Lyn
there is a design for a 12" cabriole leg in Woodsmith #43. there is also a good discussion on the subject in Fine Wood Working #144. You can find a lot of dicussions about cabriole legs in most wood working journals. You will read a lot about form and size. Generally you will have a sense of the right from your own eye and the leg must stand upright unsupported when you have completed it.
I have made one heck of a lot of cabriole legs over the years and mostly sketch them on paper whenever I need one. But... you could scan in the 12" design you have, then cut and paste it into another application (Word, or whatever), then proportionally down-size it. To do the down-sizing, you simply click on the photo, then when you can see the corner symbols, grab one of them with your mouse and bring it towards the centre and release it once you've got it to the size you need.
Marty
Having made several different sizes of cabriole legs I found that what works best for me is to draw free hand designs around a center line and when you think you have it about right then redefine the lines with drafting tools. Be careful not to commit your good lumber to the design right away. Even legs that look proportioned properly on paper need to be proved out in lower cost material. I think I have changed every leg design that I drew after I sawed them out and had a good look at them. I have changed some of them more than twice. This is a lot to go thru and I quess maybe that's why woodworkers that have worked hard to develop these designs are not willing to readily share them.
Ron
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