Black spade feet on Federal table

[bbrown]

  I'm making spade feet on some Federal tables.  I used veneer (dyed anigre, I think) to make them black for my first table, but am wondering if just using black ink might be easier next time.  Has anyone tried that?  I don't see why this would not work and it would be easier than fiting veneer. 
 
  Thanks,

  --Bill

 

[FREDDY ROMAN]

Bill,

Species plays a factor at times, but I can see this working and I have done it before with Mahogany, Walnut, and Cherry.

I would say go for it.

FR

 

[awleonard]

I used Lockwood dye (via Lee Valley) for these....  I was concerened about bleeding, but it behaved well and didn't go past the bead.

Tony

 

[FREDDY ROMAN]

Blank ink will work perfectly for all woods. Hard maple just makes it more challenging.

FR

 

[bbrown]

  I ended up using black veneer for the spade feet, but that was a fair amount of work. 
      I used India ink on a Wm. & Mary piece and just used that again on some Federal cock beading - that seems to work best/easiest.  I did experiment a bit with a vinegar/steel wool solution, but you don't get jet black with that, although it does preserve the grain somewhat.

 

 

[trader4300]

For those that do use black veneer for the foot, I would love to know your method for accurately excavating away the material all the way around the leg.
Thanks

 

[David Conley]

Trader,

Everybody has their own method that works for them. 

I treat it the same way I do for an inlay in the middle of a board.  I use a "Dremel/Stuart-McDonald router base" type system to excavate all of the material from the top of the foot to the bottom of the foot, except for the bottom 1/8".  That way, my router uses the leg and the last 1/8" as  the reference plane (again, this IS an inlay in the middle of a board).  Once the router work is done, I chisel the 1/8" ridge flush with the rest of the background wood.

Cheers,
David