JK's 'Upside Down' Legs

[Woodbloke]

Rather than continue with the discussion on the 'Owl Cabinet' thread, I've been messing around with making a test 'upside down' JK leg, using a template and bearing cutter on the router table. It was much easier to achieve than I envisaged; doable of course with a spokeshave etc but this only took 30 mins or so:



I guess JK must have done these using some small planes but I've never been able to find a reference in any of his books as to exactly how he did them. This trial one in pine is 28mm square at the top, 32mm square at the bottom and 25mm square at the narrowest point.
I discovered that during machining, when doing the second pass, the job was supported on just the ends and I was beginning to run out of router table! Done for an actual project, the legs would need to be machined on an extension sled - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

So am I right in thinking that there isn’t one side that stays untouched?
Either the man was a masochist or maybe he did what I’d do and cut the piece in half along its length shape them using the flat as a reference plane and then glue back together. As they were cut apart to start with the joint would be pretty invisible.
Edit, actually it would be easier to shape two opposite faces before cutting, the ones so that the shaped faces don’t need anymore work after gluing back. (It’s very difficult to phrase this so that the meaning is obvious.)

 

[Woodbloke]

So am I right in thinking that there isn’t one side that stays untouched?
Either the man was a masochist or maybe he did what I’d do and cut the piece in half along its length shape them using the flat as a reference plane and then glue back together. As they were cut apart to start with the joint would be pretty invisible.

I initially thought years ago that the curve was applied to all four faces of the leg, but that's not the case. Only the surfaces that face 'out' are curved, the two other sides (say face side and edge) remain square and straight, so it's a normal procedure to joint the legs to the rails as the leg will be flat.

I don't think JK would do as you suggest Ian, but again there's no reference in his books as to how he made them. Template routing them though is dead easy - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

Oh well yes, if it’s only two faces cut back then what I’ve suggested really isn’t needed at all. And in fact if all four faces were dished it would look pretty weird.