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From the pages of Fine Woodworking Magazine
Carving the Foot by Hand
How to make an 18th-century style pad foot without a lathe
by Lonnie Bird
All 18th-century pad feet that I've examined are round, presumably because they were turned on a lathe. But even if you don't have a lathe, you can produce an attractive pad foot; you'll just need to be prepared to spend a little extra time at it.
When you bandsaw the leg blank, go ahead and bandsaw the foot outline as well. This will create a square pad foot that provides a guideline for shaping by hand. Next, locate the center of the foot by marking diagonal lines. Then draw the circumference of the pad with a compass or template.
To shape the foot, remove the four corners with a chisel and rasp. A carving gouge with a curvature to match the foot contour is also helpful in achieving a pleasing appearance. Finally, smooth and blend the surfaces with a file.
Lonnie Bird teaches furniture making at the University of Rio Grande in Ohio. He is the author of The Bandsaw Book, published by The Taunton Press.
Photos: Matthew Teague
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