This is
a small, handheld laminate trimmer. (Just your basic router.) We
are using a quarter inch shank, 45-degree bitt.
After measuring the desired length of your chamfer, start routing
from your mark, and keep going off the end of the leg.
This is
what it should look like when you are done.
At this point, it would be helpful to build
a jig to hold the legs for the next steps. You will need a block
of scrap wood at least as long as the top square of the leg.
Pictured
is a common "compound square" (speed square) being used
to mark the block into quarters.
When you
are done marking, the block should look like this.
We cut our block on a band saw, although a table saw could be
used.
After
determining the desired location of the hanger bolt, mark the distance
from the top of the leg to the center of the hole for the hanger
bolt.
Mark the center of the chamfer.
Place
the leg in the jig, and position it so the mark is centered under
the drill bit.
You need
to take care to insure that the leg is steady (held firmly) while
you drill.
This is
a hanger bolt with two nuts on it, so we can use a wrench to screw
it into the leg.
Make
sure that the top nut is tight against the lower one. Turn the wrench,
and be sure that the hanger bolt is going in straight.
The next
several steps will help to lay out the location of the corner bracket
in relation to the leg and skirts. It may be helpful to have a piece
of paper to draw on. Trace the leg as shown.
Position the leg on the top center of the paper (with the chamfer
facing in) before tracing it. This will give you adequate room
for the skirts and corner bracket.
Position
the skirts in relation to the leg. The placement is determined by
personal preference. In some cases, the corner bracket will touch
the leg, if so; you may want to make the chamfer deeper. Double
check as you go through these steps. Trace the skirts onto the paper.
Once you have determined where you want these
parts, take off the leg and skirts and place the corner bracket
over your drawing as shown. At this point, be sure to double check
distance from the end of the skirt to both sides of the edge of
the corner bracket.
Also make
sure that the lip of the corner bracket is over the skirt as shown.
The flat part will rest against the skirts when it is assembled.
Mark where the lip will enter the skirt.
This is
what the drawing should look like when you are done. Click the picture
for a larger view.
Mark your skirt to match the drawing, set the table saw to cut
slightly deeper than the metal lip, and cut the skirts on a table
saw.
Some people
say that the bracket is stronger at the top, others say at the bottom
or the middle. Here we have it centered. You can use what you prefer,
making sure that the hanger bolt will still go through the hole
in the center of the bracket.
While you screw the bracket onto the skirt, keep the lip tight
against the inside of the kerf (groove). This will make the skirts
stay square with the leg.
When you
have both skirts screwed on, it will look like this.
If you attach the leg on top of a tabletop as
shown, the top of the leg will automatically line up with the
top of the skirt.
Put the
washer on the hanger bolt, and then screw on the nut.
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