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The Legs

Work began on the legs. Below is the board that will be used for the four legs. The grain runs straight down the board, and consequently it is possible to cut all the legs in parallel.

Previously mentioned, the grain at the sides curves perfectly (as if the tree knew what its destiny would be!) matching that of the sides as planned.

The template is used to mark one side, and then flipped over to mark the other side …

Only the waste on the outer curved side is bandsawn away.

This enables the board to register flat on the bench as the curve is planed to the line.

This Makore is quite brittle, and I found it easier to level the top (and later the lower side) using a Shinto rasp. Below you can see the scribbles on the surface that aided in determining what was removed ..

The Shinto is painful to grip at the far end, and this was overcome by sliding the plastic guard from a clamp over the end ..

The curve was smoothed with a HNT Gordon spokeshave (it’s like a small plane) ..

Once the side was completed, the opposite curve was marked with a cutting gauge ..

Again, the side was planed to the lines ..

And smoothed …

The board was ripped on the tablesaw to widths a little over 45mm, and then jointed to size …

Four sawn and jointed legs on top of one another ...

The curve may be seen here …

Legs are matched and marked, and with rails (not cut to length yet) ...

Next the cove mouldings, and the building of the frame.

Regards from Perth

Derek

May 2015