Author: sirwin

Modern design originated at the turn of the twentieth century as a style that blended existing design with the emerging technology changes in a simplistic form. Modern wood coffee tables are an easy way to bring modern furniture into the home. You might be thinking, ‘what is better than modern wood coffee tables?’ DIY modern wood coffee tables!

Purchasing a piece of designer furniture can be pricey. High prices reflect the costs of design, assembly, and finish work. But you can easily do these steps yourself to bring the price way down and end up with a piece of furniture designed just for you. The metal of our mid-century modern table legs pair perfectly with wood to create the simple lines of modern furniture. Modern wood coffee tables usually start at a few hundred dollars and sell for as much as into the thousand dollar range. You can make your own piece worth just as much and pay less than one hundred dollars for the whole thing.

Once you know what you want the overall look to be, find a tabletop to use. It can be reclaimed lumber, rough cut wood, or a repurposed door or tabletop. Then decide what style of hairpin legs you want – we offer standard metal hairpin legs, tapered angle iron legs, bench supports and more. There are different heights to choose from so you get the exact table height you want. If you’ll be refinishing your tabletop or adding a finish, you can do that while your table legs are in the mail. By the time they arrive the table top will be dry and ready for the legs. Just attach the metalwork to your tabletop with wood screws ¼ to ½ inch less than the wood depth and you’re done!

Wood is a beautiful substance. There’s something about bringing a piece of nature into our homes and appreciating it. The amazing characteristics of wood include its durability, versatility, and even density – it’s hard enough to use as a tabletop but soft enough to easily attach table legs such as our hairpin legs. Its beauty is expressed in its variety of colors, rings, grain type – and depending on the cut of the wood, its edge.

Live edge wood is wood that retains the natural edge of the tree – the edge is the same as it was when it was part of the live growing tree. It may or may not have the bark still attached, but it retains the outermost shaping of the tree. Live edge furniture pieces strengthen the connection that wood comes from trees, and isn’t a man-made building material.

So we know it’s beautiful and each piece unique, but where can we get live edge wood to make our own coffee table? Check with your local lumber yard to see if they have live edge pieces available or if they can get some. If there is a sawmill in your area that’s an even better option. They often deal with the whole tree and may be able to cut you a piece to your own specifications – and at a fraction of the cost of buying a completed piece of live edge furniture. Another more personal options is getting wood from a tree you or a family member or friend owns. Is there a tree in your yard that has to come down? Is a family member having tree work done? Live edge furniture is a way to keep a piece of wood from a tree to which you are connected. Now all you need is a set of metal hairpin legs and some screws and you’ve got your own custom live edge coffee table. All of our legs are made to order right here in the USA. And we’d love to see what you come up with when you’re finished!

Butcher blocks are amazing. Traditionally, they are large pieces of wood specially put together to withstand a lifetime of being chopped with a knife. A true butcher block is crafted either from a single tree trunk, with the end grain up, or more recently a block created using dovetail joints–still with the end grain facing the knife. The purpose of this is that the knife will enter the wood, but not break bits of wood off as you use it. Modern butcher blocks are frequently glued rather than dovetailed, and while laterally laminated tabletops and cutting boards are similar to ‘true’ butcher blocks, strictly speaking they are not butcher blocks. In any case, butcher blocks are often very rugged long-lasting equipment that can be matched up with our classic hairpin legs to create a remarkable piece of furniture.

If you don’t have a butcher block waiting to be paired with some hairpin legs…start your search at antique houseware and furnishing stores. They are good places to start looking for a unique and perhaps vintage butcher block. As they are made of wood, butcher blocks are easy to attach the metal legs. Depending on the block’s appearance and your preferences, you can leave it as is or refinish it. They can be sanded and treated to protect them. Make sure to use a food-grade finish such as mineral oil or beeswax if you intend to use it for food. The block can be paired with hairpin legs to make a usable block or to create a piece of furniture such as a table. Blocks come in many sizes including different lengths, widths, and heights. If you have a particularly heave block check out our 3 rod hairpin legs and Just the Tip hairpin legs for added stability. We can’t wait to see pictures of your creation!

You’ve decided you want to use metal bench legs for your next project. You’ve made a wonderful piece of furniture – or maybe it’s still in the works, and you want to know what to do to make these beautiful steel bench legs last forever. First, know that these metal legs are made to last. If you like the look of the raw metal, great! It is one of their best features. If you’re confident that they’ll be well taken care of in their environment, such as in your house, then you can rest easy. These things will still be around to pass on to your grandkids.

If you want to keep them outside or change up the color, the easiest thing you can do is wax them. This will provide a clear coating so you can still enjoy their classic look but you’ve added a layer of protection to seal out moisture and spills. They can also be clear coated which still maintains their appearance, but it’s more durable than wax and will remain on the legs longer. Clear coating, as with other painting options does take longer to dry and will need to be applied in a well ventilated area to disperse volatiles. Gun blue is still another route some customers go. This process can provide protection and a deep color as well. Gun bluing can be done alone or with a wax added over. Painting is an option that provides both protection and color selection. Choose a paint that is appropriate for use on metal and have fun selecting what will go best with your project. A few pointers to keep in mind – be sure to remove any dust, moisture, or other particulate matter from the legs before beginning and follow all instructions for the products you choose to use. Getting your own set of bench legs, hairpin legs, or custom metal legs from us is just the beginning of the fun. These protection methods can be used on all of our metal legs – and we’d love to see pictures of what you’ve created!

Have you seen pallets hanging around your local store or shopping center and wondered what you could do with them? Pallets offer a great raw material and are easy to turn into your own piece of furniture. If you’re not sure where to get pallets just start asking around at stores near you. Pallets arrive at stores carrying their merchandise but if businesses don’t reuse them, they have to find a way to get rid of them. That’s where you come in!

Pallet furniture can be made in a number of ways. They can be used in their original form by adding something to it (like metal hairpin legs) or dismantling the pallet and using it for raw material. Keeping the pallet in its original form is the quickest and easiest way to use it. You can make something simple like a table by locating a secure location in each corner to attach the metal legs. And this could be your final version depending on your intended use – it would be perfect for setting large plant pots on outside, for example. But it could also be a good foundation for something more finished like adding a glass tabletop.

Another way to use a pallet entails taking it apart and using the wood to build something else. Pallets can be taken apart by prying the pieces from each other with something like a pry bar. It could also be dismantled by sawing the pieces away – either by cutting the un-nailed wood away from the rest or by cutting right through the nails if you have appropriate power tools. If you’re using parts of the wood with nail remnants remaining, be sure to avoid them when using any other tool like a planer, or when screwing the table legs into the wood. Of course only do what you’re comfortable with and use appropriate safety gear like eye safety.

Now you are left with wooden pieces ready to put into any shape you’d like them. You can make a table, bench, or even a cabinet or shelving. Our metal table legs go well with the rugged look of rough-cut pallet wood and the more refined look of sanded and finished pallet wood. Have fun building your creation and remember to send us a picture!

Last month, Modern in Denver magazine announced it would be giving away a set of our 16″ hairpin table legs…perfect for a coffee table project. Well the contest gathered plenty of entries and after the entries were all tallied, they selected a winner!

Brian in Denver will be getting four of our 16″ round bar hairpin legs.

Thanks to Modern in Denver for its coverage of the modern furniture and design movements in Colorado, and congratulations to Brian for winning the legs. Don’t forget to send us a picture of the final product!

There’s something about being not-quite-indoors that warms the heart. Patio furniture fills a unique need and it should be able to adequately do the job, but sometimes you look around and no one is selling exactly what you’re looking for. Then again, maybe the perfect person to make your furniture is…you.

Making your own patio furniture is a fulfilling experience. Perhaps you know just what you want or perhaps you have in mind some of the parts you’ll be including in the end product. Or perhaps you know you want something, but it has not yet materialized in your mind. Not to worry…the metal legs we make go with everything! You can use your old basement door, the beautiful wooden chair that didn’t quite work out at the kitchen table, or anything else you’ve got in mind – or come across – for a piece of patio furniture.

So, what should you keep in mind as you’re getting your future masterpiece in order? Good question, and here are some things to keep in mind: this will be a different piece of furniture than ordinary indoor furniture. It may spend time indoors and outdoors, under cover and uncovered…so look for durable materials. Do iron table legs sound durable? They certainly are! Last but not least: think about style. We offer classic hairpin legs which go great on a chair or side table. Our tapered angle iron legs make great patio tables. And our legs are strong enough for any size or style bench.

One more thing to keep in mind: if your furniture will be out in the elements – sun as well as precipitation, be sure to use an appropriate finish to protect your investment. See our FAQ for more info on finishing your metal legs, if you’re thinking of taking that final step to protect your project.

So! Go ahead and make your own perfect patio set, and keep us in mind when you’re ready to start thinking about iron table legs, hairpin legs for chairs or metal bench legs.

In addition to all of the wonderful hairpin table legs we offer here at Modern Legs, we also offer angled metal furniture legs. What are angled legs? These legs are made of tapered angle iron and just like our hairpin legs they are made of environmentally friendly 100% recyclable steel. They come in standard sizes from 4” – 30” tall. So they are another great option for a beautiful do-it-yourself piece of furniture.

When planning a project using angle iron legs you may be wondering how much weight they can support. The overall make of the furniture, and components such as the screws used to hold them, will really be the determining factor regarding weight load. But generally speaking the legs will hold hundreds of pounds. If you’re debating between angled metal furniture legs and hairpin table legs, some of the great hairpin table leg options for heavier loads include our bench legs, 3 rod hairpin legs, and Just the Tip legs. If you have specific concerns regarding the weight load of your future furniture piece feel free to contact us with specifics. Whether you decide on the angled or the hairpin table legs, you can be sure they’re a great option for functional and attractive furniture. Plus they are all made by hand right here in the USA!