How to Make Quartersawn Oak Craftsman-Style Table Legs
Craftsman-style furniture is easy to recognize. Its simple lines, practical construction, and traditional joinery reflect a design philosophy that emphasizes quality materials and furniture built to last for generations.
One of the defining features of this style is the use of quartersawn white oak. Its straight grain and distinctive ray-fleck figure give Craftsman furniture much of its character.
But there's a challenge when making thick table legs from quartersawn oak. Depending on how the stock is cut, two faces may display beautiful quartersawn figure while the other two show less desirable flatsawn grain.
For a traditional Craftsman table, I wanted all four faces of the legs to have the same attractive appearance. The solution was a time-tested technique that combines a laminated leg blank with thin quartersawn oak facings.
The result is a substantial table leg with quartersawn figure on all four sides and glue joints that are difficult to detect.
Start with a Laminated Leg Blank
The legs for this table finish at a stout 3" square. Rather than starting with expensive, thick quartersawn stock, I glued up the blanks from thinner material.
This approach makes it easier to select the grain for the visible faces and provides a solid foundation for adding the quartersawn facings.
The construction process is shown in the drawing below.
Start by gluing together two pieces of 1½"-thick quartersawn oak to create an extra-wide blank.
Once the glue has dried, rip the blank and joint the cut edge to bring it to 2¾" wide.
This leaves room for the two ⅛"-thick facings that will bring the finished leg to its full 3" dimension.
The goal is to orient the original quartersawn faces where they'll be visible and cover the two joined sides with matching quartersawn material.
Resaw Thin Quartersawn Oak Facings
The next step is to prepare the thin hardwood facings.
Select quartersawn white oak with straight grain and attractive ray fleck that complements the rest of the leg.
Resaw the stock into thin strips, leaving each piece slightly oversized in width and thickness.
Then plane the facings to a final thickness of ⅛".
Because these pieces are too thin to feed through a thickness planer on their own, I attach them to a carrier board with double-sided tape.
The carrier supports the thin stock during planing and helps produce a consistent thickness.
Make sure the tape holds securely and follow the thickness planer's minimum stock thickness and workholding requirements. A drum sander is another option for bringing thin facings to final thickness.
Glue the Facings to the Leg Blank
With the facings prepared, it's time to glue them to the two joined sides of the blank.
Apply an even coat of wood glue, position a facing on the blank, and clamp it securely.
I use the workbench to help distribute clamping pressure evenly along the length of the facing.
Make sure the facing stays aligned as the clamps are tightened. The thin stock should extend slightly beyond the edges of the blank so it can be trimmed flush after the glue dries.
Repeat the process for the remaining side.
Once both facings are installed, the leg will have quartersawn oak visible on all four faces.
Trim and Round Over the Edges
After the glue has cured, trim the facings flush with the adjacent surfaces of the leg blank.
Take care to keep the edges straight and square so the leg maintains its finished 3" × 3" dimensions.
To complete the legs, rout a ⅛" roundover along all four long edges.
The small roundover softens the sharp corners and helps blend the facings into the surrounding surfaces.
The result is a thick, solid-looking leg with consistent quartersawn figure and no obvious glue joints.
WOODSMITH TIP: Match the Grain Before Glue-Up. Take a little extra time to select and arrange the facings before applying glue. Look for similar grain direction, color, and ray-fleck patterns on adjoining faces. This makes the transitions at the corners less noticeable and gives the completed leg a more unified appearance.
A Traditional Detail Worth the Extra Effort
Craftsman furniture is known for its straightforward design, but that doesn't mean the details are unimportant.
Using quartersawn oak facings to create four-sided figure is a good example. The technique takes a little extra work, but it allows you to make thick table legs from readily available lumber while maintaining the distinctive appearance of traditional Arts and Crafts furniture.
It's a technique you can use for dining tables, library tables, desks, and other furniture projects where the legs are a prominent design feature.
And when the finished piece is viewed from any angle, the extra effort is easy to appreciate.
Build a Craftsman Library Table
Put your woodworking skills to work with this beautiful Craftsman Library Table. Featuring substantial legs, traditional through-tenon joinery, subtly curved corbels, and a thick top, this project captures the timeless appeal of early 20th-century Arts and Crafts furniture.
GET THE CRAFTSMAN LIBRARY TABLE PLANS → A Timeless Table with Traditional Craftsman Details
The step-by-step woodworking plans guide you through building the solid frame, cutting precise joinery, and assembling a table that's as practical as it is attractive.
Whether you use it as a writing desk, console table, or a place to display your favorite books, this is a rewarding project for intermediate woodworkers and a piece of furniture you'll be proud to pass down.
