Chair leg question

[Pete Gatchell]

I'm making some bar stools for the first time & was wondering about gluing up 3/4 cherry to make 1 1/2" legs. My stash of cherry doesn't include 8/4 pieces unfortunately. If the grain matches up ok, should this work structurally? Legs will be about 28".

[Todd Burch]

Hi Pete! Welcome to Saw Mill Creek!

Glueing up 2 pieces of cherry to make a 1½" piece is perfectly fine. You'll probably want to orientate the glue line so that you can't see it from the front.

From a structural standpoint, the glue lines themselves won't make a bit of difference.

I have a 30" stool out in the shop. It's just a tad too tall. 28" would be about right. Don't forget to post a picture when you're done!

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I don't do that because I don't want to see (or feel) the joint...and I think it's almost guaranteed with cherry. I also use full size stock for legs...same reason.

An argument might be made that a lamination would be stronger than solid material...or that you could use the lamination as a design element.

KC

[Mark Singer]

I think it could be fine. You will see the glue line....but , it will become part of the design. It will be a little more stable also. The runners on a Maloof rocker a thin laminated strips of wood...it allows for the bending and strength. Three layers is even more stable, I use that for stile and rail on full size doors.

[Carl Eyman]

I saw some glued up legs where the maker prepared the pieces with a triangular cross section. This put the joints at the corners where they were nearly invisible.

[Jim Becker]

They will be just fine from a strength standpoint, but I agree with KC...cherry is rough to be able to laminate without a majorly visible joint. If you are lucky enough to have some very straight-grained material, go for it. But personally, I'd opt for some nice 8/4 that you can take blanks from the edges where the grain will be diagonal across the corners of the cross-section. All four sides will "match" that way.

[David Klug]

Jim, I'm going to make a piano bench (one of these days) and it will have 8 1/4 walnut for the legs. I'm trying to visualize what you are saying in this statement, I'd opt for some nice 8/4 that you can take blanks from the edges where the grain will be diagonal across the corners of the cross-section. All four sides will "match" that way. Could you explain it in greater detail to this old plowboy.TIA

DK

[Mike Mastin]

Of course this might be an opportunity to really get creative too. Maybe some thin strips of Maple glued in between the Cherry for an obvious accent line.
I also really like the triangle arrangement to hide what would otherwise be an obvious glue line, especially with Cherry. But this would mean that you would need thicker stock to begin with.
I would prefer to use full thickness stock too, but many times not available. It is times like this that we can begin to "look outside the box" for design choices. Make a statement :-)
Post photos what ever you decided to do!

[John Miliunas]

Of course this might be an opportunity to really get creative too. Maybe some thin strips of Maple glued in between the Cherry for an obvious accent line.

Mike, you read my mind! As I was reading down through the replies, that's exactly what I thought. I too think it would be a real neat design element and easily done. A buddy at work wanted me to make him a pretty plain, rudimentary frame for a cork board he wanted to make (out of wine bottle corks). He wanted Oak and the frame rails/stiles were about 1-1/2" wide. I don't care for frames that wide without "breaking" them up a bit, so I asked if I could interject a bit of "interest". He said OK, so I put in an 1/8" kerf about 1/3 of the way from the outside and layed in some Black Walnut. Simple, but it really accented the piece. (Sorry, no pics...Didn't think it was THAT unusual.) He loved it, as did his wife! So, Pete, why not just try a short mock-up of something like that and see what you think?

[Jim Becker]

I'm trying to visualize what you are saying in this statement, I'd opt for some nice 8/4 that you can take blanks from the edges where the grain will be diagonal across the corners of the cross-section.

Dave, if you take most flat-sawn 8/4 boards, the material along one or both edges is typically usable for legs whereas the grain will end up diagonal across the corners of the leg. The very crude graphic below shows what you want to end up with. This gives you a very stable leg with none of the "unusual" face issues that you sometimes get with other methods or other "cuts". Obviously, it's best to have straight-grained material.

Another method you can use is the one that is quite common for mission furniture where quarter sawn grain is desired, but the "work" to assemble a mitered build up is not desired...veneer the flat sawn faces with quarter sawn strips. You can cover the sides that have the glue-up with veneer to hide them with strips that match the other two faces. This works for any species.

[Ted Shrader]

I'm making some bar stools for the first time & was wondering about gluing up 3/4 cherry to make 1 1/2" legs. My stash of cherry doesn't include 8/4 pieces unfortunately. If the grain matches up ok, should this work structurally? Legs will be about 28".

Hi Pete -

First welcome to the Creek. Great place to hang out.

What shape will the legs ultimately be? Square, round, etc? Mike's idea of mixing woods in the lamination layers to build up thickness would work very well. 'Course you could always cut the cherry into isosceles right triangles and glue them back together to make a square. You would have four glue lines, one on each corner.

Lots of possibilities here . . . . .

Good luck and let us know,
Td

[Pete Gatchell]

Thanks for everybodies input. With my math classes so far in my past I kind of forgot about 2 right triangles = square... duhoh!! I like that idea and also the maple accent strips. Thanks again.

[Tom Gattiker]

It is going to show. If the board is very uniform--all heartwood of about the same shade for example-- it will not be to obvioius, but this usually is not the case with cherry. On the other hand, if you don't mind it showing or you are going to build it into the design as a feature, then go for it. Otherwise get thikcer stock or use one of the veneer or other techniques described. Note there are lots of places to pick up a couple pcs of cherry quickly near where you live.