How do I Design Curved Legs for an End Table?

Select a leg to emulate. You can find one on a piece of existing furniture, choose a picture from a catalog or website or work off of an existing plan. If you have never made a leg before it is best to choose an example that has dimensions to aid you in layout.

Sketch the shape of your leg on paper, using a ruler to draw it roughly to scale. An inch of drawing space to 1 foot of the finished product is a simple scale to use. Drawing the leg to scale will shape the leg to your specifications before you create your actual template.

Draw a full-size illustration of leg on a large sheet paper. Start with a rectangle the size of the wood block, or blank, that will be cut to make the leg. For the Queen Anne design, you will need both a front and side view.

Fold the paper in half, so that it is creased down the middle of the longest part of the paper, to create the front view of your template. Starting from the top of the leg, draw a square block at the top of the leg the same height as the table skirt. This block should leave at least three-quarters of an inch on either side of the blank to allow for the top curve of the leg.

Draw the curve of your leg design. Queen Anne legs have a top curve that travels out to the edge of the blank and back in to the narrowest part of the leg. It typically makes up about one-third of the overall height of the leg. The next section of the leg, called the main body, is below the top curve and usually stays fairly consistent in thickness. The main body will take up one-half of the leg's height.

Create a foot for your leg at the bottom of the template. For a Queen Anne style, this is typically wider than the thin part of the leg, but not as wide as the top curve. The pad of the foot generally tapers in so that the bottom of the foot is the narrowest point on the leg.

Cut along the line and fold the paper out to reveal the full front view of your leg. Trim away any excessive curviness. The transitions between the large top curve, thin leg portion and the foot should be noticeable, but not exaggerated.

Draw the side view with paper spread out to make the entire template visible. The curves in this view should correspond to the curves in your front view: thick where they are thick and thin where they are thin, in similar proportions. A Queen Ann leg has serpentine curves, which means that the front curve and rear curve work with each other to create a cohesive line, growing thicker or thinner in the same sections.

Cut out the template. Tape the templates to your leg blank and mark the outline onto the wood. Use a band-saw to cut away the sections on the outside of the line, starting with the front view. To keep the blank balanced, tack the cut pieces back into place along the line with a pin nail. This allows you to make the side cuts without difficulty. Sand and shape the cut leg with rasps, files or grater planes to smooth the surface and round out the curves.