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The Legs

Amy Devers prepares and attaches the legs to the Kitchen Cafe Table.

From "Freeform Furniture"
episode DFFF-109

In this third segment host Amy Devers cuts the legs to width and length and a profile is put on the edges using a spokeshave.

Then the legs are sanded, finished and glued to the center block.

Host Amy Devers works on the legs for the Kitchen Cafe Table.

Here's a long shot of the legs.

Materials:

Jig drawing
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF--available at home improvement stores)
Spray adhesive
Respirator
Safety glasses
Dowels
Yellow glue
Screws
Ash
Cork sheeting
Packing tape
Push stick
Backer board
Urea formaldehyde glue
Spoon
Roller
Clamps
Glue scraper
Spokeshave
180-grit sandpaper
220-grit sandpaper
Wipe-on polyurethane
Cloth
Masking tape
Shims
Paintbrush
Cauls
Acrylic resin (tabletop)
Face shield
Carbide tipped blade
Bull nose bit
Hardboard fence
Abrasive for finishing acrylic surfaces
Spray bottle
Polyurethane
Silicone dots

Tools:

Band saw
Drill press
Disc sander
Flush trimmer
Hammer
Screw gun
Jointer
Planer
Table saw
Hand held router

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

Figure I

The Legs

Before joining the legs to the center block, you need to finish them. Scrape the dried glue off the edges and cut them to uniform length and width.
Remove the excess dried glue from the sides of the legs using a glue scraper (figure A). You need to remove the glue so that it doesn't damage the blades on the jointer.
To get a flat clean surface, set the leg on the jointer in-feed table with the flattened face against the fence.
Next, push the bent leg across the cutting blades and hold it against the fence and apply downward pressure following the arc of the bend (figure B).
Because the legs are U-shaped, cut the piece in three steps. First, push the front side (figure C), next the flat top side and finally the back side. Do the same thing on the other three legs.
Position the center part of the leg for the café table flat against the cross cut fence and clamp it in place (figure D). The cross cut fence helps support the work piece when making cuts.
Using the table saw, make angled cuts on the tops and bottoms cutting the legs to length (figure E). The angled cuts on the legs allow for the table to sit flush. Repeat the process cutting the remaining legs to length.
Note: A spokeshave is similar to a hand plane in that it has a flat surface plus a sharp cutting blade, but a spokeshave has two handles so you can pick it up and draw it along the edge in the direction of the grain, putting a tiny round-over on the edge.
Shave the sides of the work piece creating a nice beveled edge. When using the spokeshave it is important to clamp the piece down and work it in a smooth, controlled pulling motion (figure F).
Using a 180-grit sandpaper, level the surface of the work piece and remove any machining marks.
Switch to 220-grit paper and sand the surface until it is smooth and free of any scratches.
Make a center block by cutting down a big hunk of ash to length and width on the table saw.
Put the same profile on the corners of the center block as you put on the legs.
Put the finish on before you glue it all up. Mask off the glue joints--tape off the center block on all four sides. Tape the area of the leg that will be glued to the center block (figure G). The tape acts as a barrier between the wood and the finish. It is important to keep the joints clear and free of finish because the bare face grain will act as a structural joint once the glue is applied.
Use yellow glue to glue it all up. Yellow glue dries to a translucent finish and can be sanded if necessary.
With the joints taped up, wipe off the pieces with a soft towel to remove any dust.
Using oil based wipe-on polyurethane, apply the finish in smooth, even swipes to the core piece, and then to the cafe legs.
Once everything has dried, remove the tape from the legs and the core piece.
To secure the legs to the core, set the legs against a flat surface.
Next, place shims under the legs to lift them 1/4" up on the core (figure H).
Brush yellow wood glue onto the core and to the back of the legs. Use cauls to protect the wood and clamp the two legs securely in place making sure the base structure is snug and flat.
Spread the glue for the third leg, slide it into place, stand the base upright, and clamp it down (figure I).
Finally, attach the fourth leg and allow the glue to set up for 24 hours before removing the clamps.