What are you building with your milled wood? merged

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How could I make legs for a slab table like this?View attachment 270848

I am not sure do I need a tenon cutter to make the job nice if so which size is proper? How do you get that butterfly shaped end on the leg ?


I have a computer controlled router I use to cut the joints.

Before that I used to use templates and a router to make joints more time consuming but doable.

A real easy attractive joint is drill though the top into the leg and insert a dowel and put a wedge in the top of the dowel to hold tight, looks good and you have no alignment issues.
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I have a computer controlled router I use to cut the joints.

Before that I used to use templates and a router to make joints more time consuming but doable.

A real easy attractive joint is drill though the top into the leg and insert a dowel and put a wedge in the top of the dowel to hold tight, looks good and you have no alignment issues.
IMG_0901.jpg

IMG_0895.jpg

AHHH,

so that is how you get those inlays so nice!


Thanks for the tip on the wedged dowels. I will put that to use.
 
Tell me about the cutting of the wedge in the dowel , what do you cut it with, what do you use for wedges how thick should they be?

I use a bandsaw and cut freehand I cut the taper an inch or more the wedges are cut the same way since they are a wedge joint the angle is not super critical to still have a tight fit.

A handsaw will work in place of the bandsaw.
 
Only put glue on one side of the wedge. if you glue both sides you have a greater risk of the dowel coming loose due to seasonal changes. it is better to have a slight cup shaped gap on one side of the wedge with the edges of the dowel still glued than the wedge glued tightly and the dowel coming loose. it is only a sligh thing but it can cause a leg to come loose.
 
Only put glue on one side of the wedge. if you glue both sides you have a greater risk of the dowel coming loose due to seasonal changes. it is better to have a slight cup shaped gap on one side of the wedge with the edges of the dowel still glued than the wedge glued tightly and the dowel coming loose. it is only a sligh thing but it can cause a leg to come loose.

I have to say in all the years I have been doing it that has never happened to any joint of mine, Is this from actual experience?
 
I have to say in all the years I have been doing it that has never happened to any joint of mine, Is this from actual experience?

I've never had it happen either......and i've been using that joint on and off since the 70's...

SR
 
Got the beech that i had milled mid summer back from the kiln today. Had the sawmill plan it down to 7/8" from 5/4" so i dont have so much planning to do. It cracked up alot, but hopefully theres enough good wood to build a dressor or a bed frame with drawers.

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Gonna make a clock out of this piece of tulip tree.

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Got the beech that i had milled mid summer back from the kiln today. Had the sawmill plan it down to 7/8" from 5/4" so i dont have so much planning to do. It cracked up alot, but hopefully theres enough good wood to build a dressor or a bed frame with drawers.

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Gonna make a clock out of this piece of tulip tree.

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I am putting a big load of spalted beech in my kiln tomorrow.
 
Remember this?
JoBlake.jpg

Well I was back down at the farm for 9 days helping my friends set up the new woodshop and building a new workbench from logs I milled for them back in 2009.
New Panel Saw, Bandsaw, planers, sanders plus a heap of Festool power tools
aShed1s.jpg
Here is a shot of the shop the timber being used for the workbench
aShed2s.jpg

Apart from the top which is biscuit and glued there is no glue or metal fasteners used to join the pieces in the base.
The base is held together using 3/4" hand made Jarrah (Hardwood) dowels
Dowelmaking1.jpg

Here is a close up of one of the joints
Joint1.jpg

Here is a pic of Sandi making the dowels
Dowelmaking2.jpg
Sandi is a fast learner and did about half of the work on the bench, plus she looks after their small herd of cattle and keeps cooking up a country storm every night in the kitchen

Finished product - it's getting a Lee Valley twin screw vice on it as well
FInishedBenchs.jpg

It sure was fun setting up a brand new workshop (I also went shopping with them for the woodworking machines) from scratch.

Plus I can go and use this shop anytime I like - pity it's 5 hours away
 
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I wouldn't worry about adding a clock - it would just detract from the great shape and feel of that piece. I have similar pieces just hanging on the wall like that so that I can appreciate them for the wood.
 
Bob,

That bench looks like it will last at least a hundred years. Nice craftsmanship.

Phil
 
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