Cherry Chippendale Handkerchief Table Knee Blocks & Glue Blocks - Part 5

I did get some shop time this week and finished the table base.  After the glue-up all that remained was the knee blocks, reinforcement glue blocks and peg the joints.

Making the knee blocks for this table was more work than I thought.

The two rear legs need to sawed and shaped with a curve, I traced the curve on the top of the leg.

Then I sawed away the bulk of the waste.

Then I used a rasp  and files to round over the corner of the leg.

I made a template of the shape out of paper and then transferred it to a wood block. This allows me to check the shaping as I work it with the rasp.

Making the correct shape for the knee block on the 45 degree corner was a challenge.  I make one that just did not work.  I asked Doug Moulder to take a look at it and he made some suggestions, so I made a model out of soft maple.   This worked pretty well, so now I had a template to use for the cherry.

I used the tops of the cherry legs that I had cut off when I started.  This allows me to match the grain and color with the legs.

I rough out the pattern on the band saw and then put a wood screw in the back.  This allows me to clamp the odd size in the vise.  Then using a rasp and file I shape the knee block close to the final size and shape.

The screw in the back allows me to turn the block so I can work the shape from different directions.

The left knee block has been glued on and shaped to match  the curve. It is close but not perfect yet.

Sighting it from the top you can see it is too large.  Needs to come in more.

Getting closer by using the wood template I made earlier. You can see it is still a little large.

 This is how they look when you first glue them on.  I make them a little larger and use the rasp and file to bring them to shape the the leg.

Here they are all completed with the proper shaping.  I cleaned up the file marks with a little sand paper.  I will have to go over them again before finishing.

I added the reinforcing glue blocks on the inside corners.  They were cut from a piece of 2 x 6, the grain run the same direction as the apron.  If the grain ran up and down on the glue block, it would be a cross grain glue up which is something you do not want to do.  In the long run a cross grain glue up might crack the aprons.

I did forget to peg the joints so that will be in the next video along with working on the top.

Here is today's video: