How to Make Hairpin Legs

If you want to give your furniture a vintage look, add hairpin legs. Hairpin legs are a throwback to the 1950s. Traditionally, hairpin legs are made out of metal, such as wrought iron. If you are making hairpin legs yourself, use metal that you can mold into the appropriate shape. Keep in mind that the furniture you are adding the hairpin legs to will have to be supported by the strength of the legs, so use metal that is strong enough for the task.

40-inch wrought iron rods
Wolf-jaw tongs
Coal
48-ounce hammer
Anvil
Steel L-shaped base plates
Strong adhesive
Drill
No. 10 pan-head screws
Screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Heat the coal. Hold the wrought iron rods with the wolf-jaw tongs over the coal. Allow the wrought iron to become hot. It needs to reach extreme temperatures in order to bend it.
- 2
  Remove the wrought iron from the heat. Place it over the anvil. Let part of the rod hang over the edge of the anvil. Strike the part of the rod that is hanging over the anvil with the hammer. Hammer the rod inward, or down, to create the bend. You want to end up with a U or V shape.
- 3
  Allow the wrought iron rod, which is now bent, to cool before handling it again.
- 4
  Connect the wrought iron rod points to the steel base plate with a strong adhesive. For an L-shaped base plate, each point of the rod should attach to two equal points on the base plate to ensure stability.
- 5
  Line the base plate up against the underside corner of the furniture you want to stand up with the legs. Drill holes into the furniture that correspond to the holes in the base plate. This is where the screws will be inserted to connect the hairpin legs to the furniture.

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