Legs with cores **PICS added**

Aaron Beaver

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Missouri
I am making some square legs, 4 pieces with 45 degree cuts. Plans call for a core to fill the hole in the center.

Does the core have to be the same type of wood as the legs themselves? Plans call for it but I would rather not since it will never be seen, but I will if I need to because of wood movement or something. Oh btw, I need the cores for mortise and tenon joints into the legs.

Thanks
 
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Seems to me that filling the core defeats the purpose of mitering the 4 sides!:huh: Are you supposed to just fill where the MT's go? You will probably want a wood that would have similar movement as your primary wood, but outside that, I don't think it matters.
 
Seems to me that filling the core defeats the purpose of mitering the 4 sides!:huh: Are you supposed to just fill where the MT's go? You will probably want a wood that would have similar movement as your primary wood, but outside that, I don't think it matters.

The core is the length of the leg, it will be completely solid when done.
 
I'm going to read a little between the lines on Ed's post (If I'm wrong here Ed, I beg forgiveness now :D). Why not make the legs solid to begin with? Unless they are huge in diameter, I'd think a solid piece if available and not too outrageously priced would be the way to do this. To me the continuous grain of 1 solid piece of wood would be more appealing also.
Now with that said, what is the reasoning behind building the legs as you have stated? I'm guessing that there is a good reason I just don't know or understand. Thanks! Jim.
 
I'm going to read a little between the lines on Ed's post (If I'm wrong here Ed, I beg forgiveness now :D). Why not make the legs solid to begin with? Unless they are huge in diameter, I'd think a solid piece if available and not too outrageously priced would be the way to do this. To me the continuous grain of 1 solid piece of wood would be more appealing also.
Now with that said, what is the reasoning behind building the legs as you have stated? I'm guessing that there is a good reason I just don't know or understand. Thanks! Jim.

Legs are made out of 3/4" stock, the dimension of the outside is 2 1/4", with a 45º cut that leaves 3/4" on the inside, which when put together leaves a 3/4" square that needs filled up.

Yes it might be more appealing and I even thought about doing that, but I already had the stock and the pieces are cut. Making the legs with 45º cuts doesn't shown any end grain at the corners.
 
If I were you, I would fill the top where the tenons go, if anything, but not bother with the rest of the leg. We are looking at bending/twisting forces on that part of the leg, and virtually all the strength is based on the outside, not the core (the third power of the distance from the center). IMHO the overall weight of the leg, and the internal tensions, would outweigh the value of the solid core.

I made some solid legs, with a taper, recently. If I were doing it again, I would glue up any wood, then veneer the outside for the show grain. You could see the glue lines in my legs, especially on the taper, and the grain wasn't as pretty as some shop-cut veneer would have been.
 
If I were you, I would fill the top where the tenons go, if anything, but not bother with the rest of the leg. We are looking at bending/twisting forces on that part of the leg, and virtually all the strength is based on the outside, not the core (the third power of the distance from the center). IMHO the overall weight of the leg, and the internal tensions, would outweigh the value of the solid core.

I might give that a shot, I believe it only has two tenons. Yeah, I am little concerned about the way it might look as far as the grain on each side not matching, but that's what makes wood projects unique I guess is the different looks. Since its not a "fancy" piece of furniture I think it will be okay, hopefully it will just give it some character.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Thanks for all the help.

This is the two shorter legs glued and clamped up.

MissionBed001.jpg


This is the longer legs that I will glue tomorrow.

MissionBed002.jpg
 
Looks like you got some nice tight miters! What's the project, or are you keeping that a secret!;) Did you go with Charlie's suggestion to just fill where the tenons go?
 
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