Our metal hairpin legs are designed to last—heck, they are made of ½ inch steel! The legs can weather the typical use of any table leg with flying colors. Leaving them just the way they are when you take them out of the box is just fine. Or you can dress them up a bit with paint or further protect them with a clear coat.
Mike decided to dress his 3 rod hairpin legs up a bit by allowing they to rust a little bit and then preserving the finish. Mike used lemon juice to add a fine patina and then sealed that in, creating a look his clients were looking for. Here’s what Mike had to say:
My client wanted a “classy workbench” and his wife suggested using hairpin legs to give it a modern, lighter appearance. I took those two design desires and turned this out. Your hairpin legs were first oxidized using about 2 gallons of lemon juice and a six-hour bath in plastic trough, then dried and hand waxed to preserve the patina. Thanks again for the great product.
Metal legs will be great for use on a workbench. They are durable and won’t be easily banged up like wooden legs can be in a working environment. Thank you for sharing Mike! The finished piece looks great and thanks for sharing another great way to use hairpin legs.
Whether you’re using our hairpin legs for yourself or for a client, there are many ways to dress up the metal legs to further customize them for a specific project. From painting to oiling to oxidizing, let us know if you come up with a great way to finish your metal hairpin legs!
