Shaker spider leg table

ken werner

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Central NY State
Well, this is a project I've wanted to do for a long time, and have finally jumped in. It's a Shaker small spider leg table. CH Becksvoort wrote an article in FWW #110 about it. I'm also going to use a jig described by Mario Rodriguez to cut the dovetails in the pedestal. Not exactly flatwork, but it isn't purely Neander either, so I'll put it in this section of FW.

The first day of work involved making the jig, which was a bit fussy. But I figure the better it is made, the better it will work. Scrap plywood really, and some bits of hardware. I'm hoping to make two tables, and perhaps more later, so the jig should be worthwhile:

Shown without the router or workpiece in it:
jig.jpg


And shown with the router in place, but again no workpiece. The idea is to have a register to place the three female sliding dovetails 120 degrees apart, and have tight control as it is done:
router.jpg


I went up to my attic, where I keep my lumber dry, [it is like a no-cost kiln in the summer] and scrounged around. Behind a pile of wood, I found a piece of log I cut with a chainsaw and split - I don't remember when. But it will supply my two blanks. The large piece is what was left after I bandsawed the blanks out, but captures the sense of where I started.

largepiece-1.jpg


Next is the bandsawn blank before it will go to the lathe:
blank.jpg


Now, I've said this before, and I'll say it again, I am a really poor turner. 60 grit paper is a turning tool for me. Anyway, my understanding is that precise dimensions are not as important as the overall flow of the curves on this pedestal. So after finding some old worm holes, I adjusted the diameters for the best look. The dark line on the tulip [the little bulge to the right] is a worm line I filled with coffee and epoxy. The dovetails will be cut into the slightly narrower cylinder to the left.

pedestal1.jpg


pedestal2.jpg


The pedestal is sanded to 800. I'll finish it on the lathe, before cutting the dovetails. More to come later.....
 
wait a second, youre only making one pedestal, not 4 identical legs?
what fun is there in that? Youre going to miss out on the throwing the rejects around, talking and yelling at your tools and machines in 3 languages, one even you wont understand, youre not going to go through your wood pile and wonder how many bf do you need for a 1 bf leg.(can you post a picture of the project, of the finished product)
 
Larry, you are a good guy. We speak the same language with somewhat different accents. [Larry thinks "somewhat?"]

Allen, one pedestal per table. 2 tables planned. One pedestal done, and I'm having an existential crisis about starting the second. For an image of a Shaker spider leg table, go to CH Becksvoort's website, and look in his window on the right. I am not going to make this easy. So here goes:

Thanks for your support folks.

Today I got a little further. First, some images of the jig parts. The socket is fitted to the 1.5" tenon at the upper end of the pedestal. One screw keeps the pedestal solidly in place. Three lines, 120 degrees apart ensure the correct location of the legs. The 1/2" shaft fits a bronze bushing, and is a machine bolt that I cut the head off of. It is attached by a threaded hole that I tapped with a metal cutting tap.

registrationholder.jpg


cupandtenon.jpg


Here is the pedestal which is finished with a few coats of shellac, polished with 0000 steel wool:

pedestalwithfinish.jpg


And the pedestal mounted in the jig:

pedestalinjig.jpg


Next, I formed a flat surface with a 3/4" bit, then hogged out a 1/2 x 1/2" area, before cutting the rest with a 3/4" dovetail bit. Shown first is the DT just after hogging.

hoggingout.jpg


and the result

pedestal.jpg


femaleDTsclose-up.jpg


Stay tuned for the next chapter, like the ZZ Top tune - LEGS:
legtemplate.jpg


All the best,
Ken
 
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VERY cool indeed Ken! :clap:

I guess back in the old days, before routers, they had some kind of special plane to do this, after you had hogged out most of the waste with a chisel....:dunno:
 
Thats exactly what i was thinking Allen. Ken could this not be done with the type of jig that is built to do fluting on the lathe, then the piece dont need to be removed even. ? Just asking cause i thought exactly as Allen did.

Nice work.:thumb:
 
you guys keep pushing lathe on him stopp it just stop iit:) let him do it flat way..we need the support in flat land:thumb::thumb::D oh and ken make two now trust me the next piece is by far easier than the first..even on the bed i could have made a second one much quicker with having the set ups there in frt of me and the jigs needed as well..the rethinkun of what next takes time
 
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