A workbench with no top!
But that's next on the list now that I've finished the joinery on the legs.
By the time I was working on the fourth leg I had managed to find a good technique for getting all faces square and flat.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NlfUAlknBrc/Tx38HQL6yxI/AAAAAAAAF-Y/VTJb2l0JXs0/s200/CutLines.jpg)
I had been using floats, which worked great, but they left a rather rough surface.
By using a chisel, the surfaces are smooth, which will help them slide into the mortises more easily.
When squaring up the surfaces, I found that if you make your cut lines really deep, saw close to the line, then pare to the line all around the edges with a chisel, it's easier to remove everything in between.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NfVTUkcl3Ek/Tx38Hxnp7QI/AAAAAAAAF-g/H1gB5O9Uke8/s200/Paring.jpg)
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The tenon on the bottom has been squared up. The one on top still needs to be pared. |
I worked on these legs for a long time to get them as square as possible. I believe I averaged about eight hours per leg.
If only I were able to be that focused at my job, I'd be a rich woman.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Topzj6ZRD7Y/Tx38IHqqRdI/AAAAAAAAF-o/lBYOPleA-os/s200/Router.jpg)
I used a router to clean up the outside cheeks. By sliding two legs together end-for-end, the router was supported on both sides.
Using the router was a welcome break from all that chiseling.