The legs of this writing desk are a traditional cabriole style, adding a special bit of fun to the project. They begin with beautiful 4″x4″ walnut blocks with a pattern transferred on two adjacent faces. The first face is bandsawn along the pattern line and the waste section is saved. The scraps are nailed back into place, allowing the second side to be shaped.

After two cuts, a graceful ‘S’ shape emerges as the basic cabriole contour. This process creates a dramatic change between the original, bulky blocks and the new, more elegant form.

After laying out the carvings, rough shaping begins by bandsawing off the corners. Then the lancelot (a chainsaw on a disc grinder) quickly removes excess material.

Now we get down to the handwork using a spokeshave to tidy up the unadorned part of the leg. This sort of work is reminiscent of the times when wagon wheel spokes were actually shaped with this tool. Even in modern times, using hand tools is still one of the most satisfying parts of woodworking and will always be central to my work.

The legs are beginning to take on a refined character. More on the carving aspect soon.