Turned legs
#7
I have a piece of furniture in the house I would like to replicate to a degree. The trouble is, it requires 10, 29" legs. I am not proficient enough on a lathe to turn 2 legs, let alone 10. From what I have found on line, these legs sell for $30 and up. I would like to find a less expensive alternative. Any ideas?

Thanks  Greg
Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut, and have the world think you a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
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#8
(07-19-2022, 07:55 AM)Gregor1 Wrote: I have a piece of furniture in the house I would like to replicate to a degree. The trouble is, it requires 10, 29" legs. I am not proficient enough on a lathe to turn 2 legs, let alone 10. From what I have found on line, these legs sell for $30 and up. I would like to find a less expensive alternative. Any ideas?

Thanks  Greg

If you can buy the turned legs you need for $30-$40, do it.  Once you consider the time it takes to get proficient enough to turn 10 similar legs plus the expense and time it takes to prep the rough stock, that price is very reasonable.

You can always use straight legs and compromise the intended design.
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#9
Keep an eye on eBay for turned legs...I almost went that route, but ended up going more rustic and went with tapered instead for a bunch of farm tables for my daughters' wedding reception...
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#10
It might surprise you how much the wood alone will cost, especially if it isn't from glued up stock. Keep looking on the internet, I was going to make my own stair spindles once, and found a deal where it was cheaper, shipped than I could do them.
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#11
While still duplicating the function of the piece in the house, I have decided to go with a Shaker style. They have very simplistic lines, but still not modern looking, which my wife would not like at all.
Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut, and have the world think you a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
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#12
(07-19-2022, 07:55 AM)Gregor1 Wrote: I have a piece of furniture in the house I would like to replicate to a degree. The trouble is, it requires 10, 29" legs. I am not proficient enough on a lathe to turn 2 legs, let alone 10. From what I have found on line, these legs sell for $30 and up. I would like to find a less expensive alternative. Any ideas?

Thanks  Greg

You don't have your location shown.

You could go to the AAW website and find location and contact info for a turning club near you.

You might luck out and find a club member willing to make them for you for cost+
If the club does public demos, you might be able to interest the club in dedicating a lathe to making your legs during a public demo. It would be an alternative to some demos that dedicate a lathe to making baseball bats.

Long shots, but sometimes one gets lucky.
"the most important safety feature on any tool is the one between your ears." - Ken Vick

A wish for you all:  May you keep buying green bananas.
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