Pillowed Legs

Video - June 27, 2017

Whenever I make legs for a table or chair, I find it difficult to leave them square and flat on each face. Ever since I saw David Marks pillow the outside faces of his Bubinga Coffee Table, I always like to consider the possibility of using that technique to spice things up. In fact, I did the same technique on this Outdoor Sitting Bench. This simple detail can have a huge visual impact but it certainly isn’t going to work for every furniture style. With some simple layout lines, we can use a block plane to do all of the shaping. The final smoothing can be done with a card scraper or sanding.

Why Bother?

That’s a good question. I have 5 chairs to make and 10 legs will receive this detail, so this question certainly popped into my mind. But I quickly reminded myself that details are the magic ingredient of our craft. What separates your work from the average manufactured piece? That’s right: details! So if you feel a few extra details will benefit the overall design of the piece, it’s well worth your time to add them. Never aim for average! Aim for spectacular and settle for great if you have to.

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