Short grain issue with Maloof rocker

[Joe Cowan]

I am building my 2nd Maloof style rocker. This time out of quarter sawn sycamore. After shaping the back legs to the seat, I realize I have grain runout on the lower part of the back legs where it curves. This area is less than 9" in length. I was wondering if I could do something to reinforce this area, such as drilling a dowel in from the bottom and glueing it in. Any experience in this out there?

[Prashun Patel]

I've had a short grain leg snap on me. It was on a maloof joint coffee table base. I dropped it from about 5 feet off the ground, and the leg snapped. Fortunately, I had not yet glued the leg into the bridle. Have you already glued up? If yes, then I say just hope for the best. If you have not, I say bite the bullet and make a new leg.

[Chris Padilla]

The dowel works great or anything you can "shove" in there to provide strength. I saw Norm glue in a small rectangle of plywood to reinforce short grain on a rocker arm in one of his shows.

[Joe Cowan]

I've had a short grain leg snap on me. It was on a maloof joint coffee table base. I dropped it from about 5 feet off the ground, and the leg snapped. Fortunately, I had not yet glued the leg into the bridle. Have you already glued up? If yes, then I say just hope for the best. If you have not, I say bite the bullet and make a new leg.

All the wood I have is QS Sycamore and, having already made the seat and front and back legs, I will have to stick with QS. All the wood will have the same issue, as the bend below the seat will expose the grain that is running from top to bottom. If I had thought of this, I would have bought some flatsawn 8/4 wood for these two back legs. Once I glue it all up, and put the rockers on, I think I will be fine, just thinking how to enhance what I have.