New Trick

Here's a look at the leg joint I used on a table I made over the last little while.  Normally, and in the past, I would have done some big mortise and tenons, but I wanted to have something that would be a little easier to move.   So I  used hanger bolts...

 Which are basically a lag screw on one end and a threaded bolt (5/16 on these ones) on the other.  I band sawed a flat, carefully marked the hole location, and used the drill press to drill the holes.  A little wax, and I drove them in by double nutting them and using an impact driver with a 1/2" socket.  Beats a wrench any day!  You can see here how I plowed a couple dadoes to let in the piece that the leg bolts to.  The angled piece is both screwed and glued in place.  And then the bolts go thru and tighten up.

 And here's the finished product.  What impressed and surprised me was how tight this joint is.  I had my doubts, but this is rock solid, and the legs can easily be taken off and stored inside the apron and top, should you ever have to move the table.  The problem with tables is that you are moving a lot of air.  But by securing the legs to the table, you're just moving a large flat bundle, no thicker than than the top would be anyway.  So I learned a new trick.  And if you didn't have the skill set or tools to make full blown mortise and tenons, you could use this method and end up with a leg to apron joint that is rock solid and easily moved.

 Here are some ladles I've been making out of scraps.  I draw the rough outline by eye, saw out on the band saw, and spin the handle on the lathe.  The I shape the paddle with a band saw and finish with spokeshave.  They don't take long to make, and are a good way to use scraps.  I don't measure anything so they will all be a little different.

After they are scraped or sanded, I finish them with Walnut oil, and then off to the kitchen.  I carve facets on the end with a small knife, sort of a signature.