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Step 4Assemble the Feet
Once you have firmly attached the legs to the board, you can mark the feet. Since the thickness of the board materials can vary widely, I have taken a "cut-and-try" approach with measuring and attaching the feet to the legs. First, select one of the 2-foot lengths of 2x4, and measure and mark it at the exact middle. This should be about a foot from the end. Mark this on both sides as well as the bottom of the foot parts.
Now square one of the feet up against the bottom of the legs as shown by the drawings. Use the marking you made to center the foot against the legs. Now you can trace along each of the legs to mark where they fall on the foot. Repeat this for each of the two feet. Now mark an "X" going from one corner of the markings to the other- this way you can easily find the center line of each foot. Mark this with a line across each box. (See the picture below to see how to do this- it is easier done than said.)
These lines serve as guidelines for the next steps. Mark a spot on each center line that is 1.5in in from each edge. If you are using threaded inserts like I am, you will need to drill a 1/4" hole at each marked point. If you are going to use a lag bolt instead, just drill the appropriate sized pilot hole. Be careful that it is the correct size- you do not want your wood to split.
Once you have drilled the four holes on your foot, match it up and clamp it to the legs using your marked lines, and then drill the matching holes in the legs using the holes in the feet as guides. Repeat this for the other foot. Now take one of the feet, and countersink the holes with a bit large enough to accommodate both bolt head and the ratchet driver you are going to use to drive it in. I avoided that particular problem by using bolts that have heads that use an Allen wrench. I used the a spade-bit drill of the appropriate size to drill the holes. Make sure that you drill it deep enough that the bolt heads are off the ground, but not so deep that you weaken the feet.
I redrilled out the holes in the legs about 1/2" with a 3/8" bit to allow the threaded insert to fit, which I then screwed in with a large Allen key. This is not necessary if you are using lag bolts.
Once all the drilling is complete on the legs and the feet, assemble the feet onto the legs and make sure that they fit well, and that the board stands up straight. You may need to take it apart and carefully trim/sand the legs if everything does not square up right. Once you are satisfied that everything is right, you are ready for the final finish and assembly.
Now square one of the feet up against the bottom of the legs as shown by the drawings. Use the marking you made to center the foot against the legs. Now you can trace along each of the legs to mark where they fall on the foot. Repeat this for each of the two feet. Now mark an "X" going from one corner of the markings to the other- this way you can easily find the center line of each foot. Mark this with a line across each box. (See the picture below to see how to do this- it is easier done than said.)
These lines serve as guidelines for the next steps. Mark a spot on each center line that is 1.5in in from each edge. If you are using threaded inserts like I am, you will need to drill a 1/4" hole at each marked point. If you are going to use a lag bolt instead, just drill the appropriate sized pilot hole. Be careful that it is the correct size- you do not want your wood to split.
Once you have drilled the four holes on your foot, match it up and clamp it to the legs using your marked lines, and then drill the matching holes in the legs using the holes in the feet as guides. Repeat this for the other foot. Now take one of the feet, and countersink the holes with a bit large enough to accommodate both bolt head and the ratchet driver you are going to use to drive it in. I avoided that particular problem by using bolts that have heads that use an Allen wrench. I used the a spade-bit drill of the appropriate size to drill the holes. Make sure that you drill it deep enough that the bolt heads are off the ground, but not so deep that you weaken the feet.
I redrilled out the holes in the legs about 1/2" with a 3/8" bit to allow the threaded insert to fit, which I then screwed in with a large Allen key. This is not necessary if you are using lag bolts.
Once all the drilling is complete on the legs and the feet, assemble the feet onto the legs and make sure that they fit well, and that the board stands up straight. You may need to take it apart and carefully trim/sand the legs if everything does not square up right. Once you are satisfied that everything is right, you are ready for the final finish and assembly.
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