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Curved-Leg Table

A project plan

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a stylish table

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Build an Oak Bookcase

From Getting Started in Woodworking, Season 2

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Y ou can thank Mike Pekovich,

Fine Woodworking’s art direc-

tor, for designing this simple but

stylish bookcase. He took a straightfor-

ward form--an oak bookcase with dado

and rabbet joints--and added nice pro-

portions and elegant curves.

We agreed that screws would reinforce

the joints nicely, and that gave us a de-

sign option on the sides. Choose oak

plugs, and align the grain carefully, and

the plugs disappear. Make them from a

contrasting wood, like walnut, and the

rows of plugs add a nice design feature

to the broad sides, hinting at the con-

struction in a subtle way.

By design the bookcase contains a

number of fundamental lessons for

would-be furniture-makers, and like the

other projects in this video series, the

whole thing can be built with just a few

portable power tools: a circular saw, a

drill, and a router

The shelves attach to the sides with

simple dadoes, and the back and back-

splash drop into rabbets. Screws rein-

force the dado joints and also attach the

lower stretcher, and wood plugs cover

the screw holes. Smaller wood screws

are used to attach the plywood back.

Curves add life to rectangular pieces

of furniture, and Pekovich worked in

three types, each irregular and organic

(as opposed to radius curves that can

seem mechanical). At the top are gen-

tle curves that speed up as they move

forward, each taken from a section of

a French curve. At the bottom are two

long curves formed with a flexible wood

batten, one extending end to end on the

lower stretcher, and the other a short

graceful arch at the bottom of the sides,

ending at a straight step at each end to

suggest legs.

--Asa Christiana, editor, Fine Woodworking

Lumber and hardware List

Part

QtY

size

materiaL

sides

sheLVes

back sPLash

arched

stretcher

back

screws FOr

sheLVes

screws FOr

back

TAUNTON’S

Cur ved-Leg Table

BY DON KONDRA

to get the job done quickly, I aim to

build furniture that looks organic

and invites people to touch it. That’s why

I’ve turned to using lots of curves in my

work. It’s true that building swoopy furni-

ture requires more labor than making

stick-straight pieces, but I think curves are

appealing. And they’re also more interest-

ing from a design or construction point of

view. Furniture that’s square to the world

bores me.

Once you get hooked on curves, a whole

new world of design opens up. I always

make full-sized drawings on newsprint

(end rolls) that can be purchased cheaply

from the local newspaper. Working from

an accurate drawing is the key to finessing

the joinery and accurately milling curved

parts. To get consistent results and to mini-

mize the amount of handwork required, I

also make a router or shaper jig.

I’ve made several versions of this hall

table, and no two were alike. The current

version (shown here), with a walnut top

and curly maple base, suits me for now.

But who knows? The next one might have

a different curve or two.

Making a

floating top is easy.

Designing just the

right leg curve

is the hard part.

Make templates to draw the curves

The two most prominent features of a hall

table are the top and the legs. The top is

rectangular with edges that are beveled un-

der. The legs are curved gently and ta-

pered, and the edges are rounded over. To

ease the transition from the square, dark

top to the curvy, light base, I created a gap

(negative space), which makes the top ap-

pear to float. The top is secured to a pair of

cross braces with four screws.

Whether you wish to copy this plan or

use it as a starting point for your own de-

sign, the first step is the same: Make a sim-

ple jig for drawing smooth curves (see the

story and drawings on the facing page),

and use the jig to make a drawing template

out of 1 ⁄ 4 -in. medium-density fiberboard

(MDF) or hardboard. That template is then

used to lay out the leg-shaping jig (see the

story and drawings on p. 68). The drawing

template need only have a convex curve

on one side.

Once the curve has been drawn on the

MDF, cut the template on the bandsaw and

fair the curve using a belt sander or sand-

ing block. It’s worth taking your time on

this step, because everything you make lat-

er will be dependent on the template.

Use the template to pencil in the legs on

the working drawing. If you don’t like

what you see, make another template with

a different curve. To draw the tapered half

of the leg, move the template to a different

angle. You can make a table with the legs

splayed out, plumb or tilted inward slight-

ly. I think a table looks best with the out-

side edges of the legs in a plumb line.

Being plumb gives the piece a solid look.

This is a personal decision. If the legs are

splayed outward, the piece looks pot-bel-

lied, which feels relaxed. If the legs are

FINE WOODWORKING

A lthough I rely heavily on machines

Drawing

smooth curves

Here’s an easy way to draw smooth curves using

sticks and nails. I used this method to make a

drawing template for the curved legs of my hall

table. The method isn’t new (see FWW #28,

pp. 14-16), but it’s worth repeating. The curve I

used for the legs of the hall table was based on a

rise of 3 ⁄ 8 in. over a run of 30 in. —D.K.

2. Make another mark 3 ⁄ 8 in.

off the center mark.

splayed inward, the table looks as if it’s

perching or poised to jump, which creates

a feeling of tension.

Acclimate leg stock in your shop

before shaping

The legs are the most time-consuming

parts of this project, but they also define

the piece. You’re going to be removing a

fair amount of material from the rough

stock, so it’s important that you have dry

wood. Most of the wood I use has been

kiln-dried, and I like to have it in the shop

for about a month to stabilize before I start

roughing it out.

Cut the leg blanks from the same 8/4

plank to ensure grain match, and leave

them for a day or two to stabilize. Joint the

leg blanks to 1 7 ⁄ 8 in. square. (If you end up

with stock slightly undersized after making

your leg-shaping jig, you can salvage the

project by gluing cardboard or veneer

shims to both faces of the jig’s fence.)

The legs are cut in two stages—first

they’re bandsawn, then they’re machined

on a shaper or router with the help of a jig.

I prefer using a shaper equipped with two

1 1 ⁄ 2 -in. straight bits stacked atop a custom-

made bearing. A shaper is more stable and

powerful than a router table, which allows

me to remove more material in one pass

and thus get the work done faster. But the

method is essentially the same when using

a router table, which I’ll describe here.

Because I didn’t own a 2-in.-long pattern-

cutting bit, I figured out a way to shape the

leg using a standard 1 1 ⁄ 8 -in.-long pattern-

cutting bit and a flush-trimming bit (see the

top photos on p. 69). This procedure re-

quires three router cuts for each face of a

1. Draw a 30-in. line

on a piece of 1 ⁄ 4 -in.

MDF (or hardboard),

then mark the center

of that line.

3. Drive nails into

both ends of the

30-in. mark and at

the 3 ⁄ 8 -in. mark.

4. Place a straight stick

against the 3 ⁄ 8 -in. mark and

parallel to the straight line.

5. Place another stick against the 3 ⁄ 8 -in.

mark (intersecting the first stick) and at

the 30-in. mark. Tack the sticks at that

angle. (Or make an adjustable set of

sticks by cutting half-lap joints where

they meet and hinging them with a bolt

and thumbscrew.)

6. To draw the arc, place the sticks

against one end nail and the middle

nail. Hold a pencil against the

intersection of the two sticks and slide

the sticks across the nails, letting the

pencil drag along. Repeat on the other

half of the curve.

Photos this spread: Grant Kernan

MARCH/APRIL 1999

A jig for shaping curves

leg. To cut down on steps, use an extralong

pattern-cutting bit (see Sources on p. 71)

that will allow you to cut each face in one

pass (see the bottom photo on the facing

page). You still may need to cut each face

in two passes because some routers won’t

let you raise the collet close enough to the

throat of the table.

Place a leg in the nontapered side of the

jig and secure it with the toggle clamps.

Flip the jig on its side and clamp it in a vise.

Using the base of the jig as a template,

trace a curve onto the leg. I use a dull pen-

cil, which leaves a fat line that’s easy to see

when bandsawing. Rotate the leg 90° and

repeat. Remove the leg blank and bandsaw

off the waste, staying outside of the lines.

Put the leg back in the jig and tighten the

clamps. Shape one side. Then flip the leg

90° and shape the other bandsawn face.

Complete two faces of all of the legs (see

the drawings on the facing page).

Now move to the other side of the jig.

Reposition the toggle clamps 180°. Place

the concave side of a leg against the curved

side of the fence and tighten the toggle

clamps. Flip the jig on its side and again

use the base of the jig to trace the curves of

the last two faces onto the legs. Bandsaw

the waste, then finish on the router table or

shaper. Use wooden wedges or bandsawn

waste to help register the toggle clamps on

the legs after the tapers have been cut.

After machining, use a scraper to smooth

ridges and tearout. Although you might be

tempted to finish shaping the legs, don’t

round over the corners yet. It’s better to

mark and cut the mortises for the aprons

while the edges of the legs are still crisp.

When making curved parts, I prefer using a jig. It speeds up the job and gives me con-

sistent results. The jig is nothing more than a hold-down device connected to a tem-

plate, which is used in conjunction with a pattern-cutting bit. Use the base of the jig to

lay out the curves onto the faces of the leg stock, then bandsaw off the waste. Next,

clamp the stock in the jig and make the final cuts. The most efficient way to work is to

lay out and cut one face of each leg at a time, then go on to a second side.— D.K.

1 13 ⁄ 16 in.

1 3 ⁄ 4 in.

Toggle

clamp

Use the leg template to lay out

the jig. Draw a concave curve on a

piece of 1 ⁄ 2 -in.-thick MDF. Bandsaw

the waste and sand the edge fair.

29 in.

Fence,

1 7 ⁄ 8 in. thick

by 3 in. wide

by 29 in. long,

solid stock or

laminated

MDF

Straight edge

28 in.

Arcs, 3 ⁄ 8 -in.

rise over

30-in. run

Draw a convex curve on the

fence of the jig using the same

template. Bandsaw the waste, but

don’t bother fairing the surface.

The curved surface ensures the

partially shaped leg will register

properly and securely to the jig.

Base,

1 ⁄ 2 -in.-thick

MDF

Cut joints for legs after shaping

Refer to the drawing on p. 70 for the rail

measurements and cut your stock to size.

You can also use the drawing and a sliding

bevel gauge to transfer the angle of the

apron pieces where they meet the legs. It’s

not much of an angle, about 2°.

The leg-to-apron joints can be either

mortises and tenons or dowels. Because a

hall table generally doesn’t take the kind of

abuse a dining table is subjected to, the

joinery doesn’t have to be bombproof, just

secure and accurate.

After cutting the joints, use a 3 ⁄ 8 -in.

roundover bit to soften all four corners of

the legs. The top and bottom edges of the

rails are chamfered with a 45° router bit,

leaving a reveal of about 1 ⁄ 4 in.

Stop block

1 13 ⁄ 16 in.

1 in.

Stop block

Toggle

clamp

Lay out the convex curve on the

base of the jig. Angle the tem-

plate to create the amount of taper

you wish to incorporate into the leg

design. Cut and fair the curve.

FINE WOODWORKING

Photos: Anatole Burkin, except where noted

Use a pattern-cutting bit and flush-trimming bit ...

TWO-SIDED JIG

HANDLES CURVES WELL

Cut two adjoining

concave faces (A)

of leg.

Remount clamps

and cut remaining

faces (B).

Use standard bits to machine the leg. With a 1 1 ⁄ 8 -in.-long pattern-cutting bit, you can machine

the leg on a router table. First, make one pass with the leg clamped in the jig. Next, remove the

leg from the jig and make a second pass, using the machined surface to register the bearing. Fin-

ish by using a flush-trimming bit, registering the bearing against an already machined surface.

Pattern-cutting bit or

shaper cutter with

2-in.-long cutter

... or get a bit to do the job in one pass

An easy way to machine the leg. You can remove all of the waste in one pass with an extralong

pattern-cutting bit in an inverted router.

A pair of cross braces, attached to the

rails, holds the top 1 ⁄ 4 in. above the rails. Re-

fer to the drawing on p. 70 for dimensions.

Dry-fit the pieces. Once you’re sure the

parts fit, glue up the side-to-side assem-

blies. Once they’re dry, glue the front and

back aprons and cross braces together.

the top too long and wide, and you may

not even see the apron, which gives you a

spindly looking piece of furniture. A top

that’s too small can have a negative affect

as well.

Usually it’s best to rough-cut the top,

then lay it on the base, varying the over-

hang on two edges. Stand back and see

what it looks like, then take some mea-

surements when you’re happy with the

look. I settled on an overhang of 7 ⁄ 8 in.,

Keep an eye on the overhang

The amount of overhang in a tabletop

greatly influences the overall look. Make

Drawings: Vince Babak

MARCH/APRIL 1999

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