Woodworking on the desk project is at a point where some staining needs to happen. Unfortunately, the weather is not warming up enough for the stain to be applied. The woodworking is being set aside. The legs on the other hand are metal. Cutting the metal is easy. Cutting it precisely is more difficult.
Templates are a good way to figure out sizes and angles needed to assemble a combination of pieces. In this case, even with a drawing, we know the length of the individual pieces and even the angles. There are some details that are hard to translate from a drawing to the material. Unless you have fine metalworking tools, angles can be difficult to make precise. Sure, we know I need an 82.3 degree angle. We don’t have a way to make the angle cut. I have a grinder and a porta-band. They are both handheld tools that are only as accurate as I can hold them. Here with a template, I can take little nibbles from the metal until they match. Once all the metal is cut, the metal can be held down to the template and tack welded to check fitment. Once one table leg is complete, the second will be easier.
