Dining room table legs

[Maurice Arney]

I'm planning a dining room table project (country style) Square legs, chamfered, aprox 4x4 painted with a stained cherry table top. What would you use for stock on the legs? Poplar? Pine? something else? Should I look for 4x4 stock or just glue up some 5/4 lumber?

Thanks!

[Mike Wilkins]

Glued up legs may move less than solid stock. Besides, finding 4x4 legs that are not treated lumber may prove difficult. Since this is a country style table with painted legs, jointed/planed lumber with a good coat of primer, Pine would be a lot less of an impact on the wallet.
For a real country style table, you may be able to find some reclaimed barn wood in your neck of the woods in thick sizes.

[Dave Richards]

I think yellow poplar would be a good choice. The wood is more even in hardness than pine so getting a really smooth surface would be easier. Get what you can get and glue it as needed. It is probably less expensive to get thinner stuff and glue it up yourself.

[Tom Scott]

I agree witih the poplar route. It has a much finer grain, easier to work and is more stable. If it is to be painted, I wouldn't hesitate glueing up to get the size needed.

[Dan Carroll]

Eitehr will work. Poplar will be less likely to splinter or blow out, depending on how you want to put the camfer on the legs that might be reason enough alone to go that route. If you were not planning on painting, the color differences with poplar might be an arguement against using it. P{oplar take paint really well, it does not stand up to outdoor use so keep that in mind.

[Dave Richards]

Actually, yellow poplar can stand up to outdoor use just fine. I built much of a small sailboat with yellow poplar and never had problems with it. Robb White built a number of boats from yellow poplar.

[Jerry Miner]

Maurice--- you probably don't need another voice in favor of poplar, but I would go that way. Poplar is harder (more dent-resistant) than pine. Glued-up thinner stock would be my approach, too--- more stable and easier to find in a dry state than 4" stock.

But square legs, with no taper?? Isn't this a perfect opportunity to use that jointer with the built-in taper feature??

[Maurice Arney]

Maurice--- you probably don't need another voice in favor of poplar, but I would go that way. Poplar is harder (more dent-resistant) than pine. Glued-up thinner stock would be my approach, too--- more stable and easier to find in a dry state than 4" stock.

But square legs, with no taper?? Isn't this a perfect opportunity to use that jointer with the built-in taper feature??

Thanks Jerry... I'll say maybe on the taper. Don't want it to look like a shaker table . I'll have to look at some photos of country style tables. I always thought they were usually simple square legs but I'll have to do some research.

Update... Just asked the wife and yes she does want a slight taper so I guess that settles that