Over the last few days I completed a commissioned item.  It was a dog feeding stand for our daughter (got paid with a crave case of White Castles). Now this was ordered with the following specs: "it's needs to hold the pans just a smidge higher than that step stool you made for me a few years ago". (???????)  Since I don't remember the step stool at all, and my rulers didn't have "smidge" engraved on them I looked around and settled on a 16 1/2" height......wouldn't you know it, after delivering it it came back with the words: needs to be 2" shorter. Without a better suggestion (and knowing my chances of success at having the legs all hit the floor evenly after i trim them) I'm thinking of building a crude sled to feed it sideways across the TS with the top against the fence...thinking that should insure the legs being the same length when I'm done. It will be a tricky cut, just it's just the ends of the legs but should work if I can get the sled figured out. Is there a better way?

Does it have a flat top, or are there holes in which the dish/bowl sits in?  How about a 2" platform for the dog to stand on while eating

 

I kid, Fred.  Guessing the top and legs are all glued together.  How fancy is it?  Your sled idea ought to ensure the legs are equal length.

Yeah, there's holes for the pans and the thing is glueded together...when I'm out in the shop later I'll try to get a pic. Normally I would fasten the top with z clips or figure 8 washers, but with the holes that wasn't a good plan, so the top is glued on with dowels running into each leg.

Edited March 19, 20242 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

The sled sounds like a good idea to me.

Here's my method, used many times and got featured in Wood Magazine shop tips:

• Get some strips of wood 2" wide (or whatever height you want to cut off)
• Nail them together in a box-like arrangement that just fits the legs
• Put a leg in the box and piece on a flat surface.  Using a hand saw resting on the top of the box, cut thru each leg 90% of the way.
• When all the legs have the 90% cut, lay the piece down and cut the rest of the way freehand
• Sand  the edges to round off the sharp corners
• Touch up the raw wood
• Done

Tell her to get a taller dog. 

5 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Since I don't remember the step stool at all, and my rulers didn't have "smidge" engraved on them

Look closer...it's that little line between a tad and a bit. Is your client willing to pay extra for this design change post build? May I suggest an additional fee of 1 dozen donuts? They should offset the slider effect.

Long ago, the Russians only had one size space suit. You had to fit if you wanted to be a cosmonaut. 

4 minutes ago, DAB said:

Long ago, the Russians only had one size space suit. You had to fit if you wanted to be a cosmonaut. 

OK I will bite , What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

1 hour ago, Gerald said:

OK I will bite , What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

he makes one size dog food tray, you need to fit your dog to the tray.   

58 minutes ago, DAB said:

he makes one size dog food tray, you need to fit your dog to the tray.   

Shoot the dog, get a new (taller) one at the pound.

17 minutes ago, PeteM said:

Shoot the dog, get a new (taller) one at the pound.

or, a little less violent, get some platform shoes for the dog, so he'll be taller.

 

there is more than one solution to many problems (as we are demonstrating), it's only when more restrictions/limitations are imposed that the number of solutions decreases.

 

my dad once had his boss tell him that they had too many "highly paid" people on staff.  no sweat, keep me, hire some more help and pay them less, now your ratio is better.

10 hours ago, HandyDan said:

The sled sounds like a good idea to me.

X2.  Assuming the legs are recessed a bit, seems like you would need to shim up the legs to make the trim cut square.  Not that the dog would care as long as the meal is on time.

Without seeing it, I'll throw in another vote for sled.  Otherwise I was going to suggest marking up 2" from the bottom of the legs, then one by one sand them down to the line using a disk sander with some 40 or 60 grit paper on it.    As an alternative if you have a CNC like I do you can jig it up to hang the table upside down under the spindle, then pocket down 2" off each leg bottom. https://4dfurniture.blogspot.com/2016/04/supporting-assembled-projects-beneath.html.

4D

I vote for an axe. 

I'll add another vote for an axe.  Not that I think it is a great idea, but because it would be something I'll love to see someone use for that job. 

4D

Edited March 20, 20242 yr by 4DThinker

Measure with a micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with an axe. What could go wrong. 

It's done, and went well. I used a cobbled together sled for the table saw and things came out much better than I expected. There was a slght rocking action that a block plane solved with a few swipes on one leg. I did consider Keith's idea carefully, but my hand saw skills are so poor I took the power tool route...too much Norm in me, I guess. What really helped is a 90° sled I keep around for holding panels on edge, I do that when i use a table saw to cut bevels on them. I hadn't used in a long time and forgot all about it. But once I clamped the table top to it all i had t do was support the legs with another shimmed piece and run the whole mess across the TS.

Gosh dad, I should have told you to only take 1" off - now it's too short...

Sorry honey, they don't make phone books anymore!

 

Glad you got it fixed without too much trouble Fred

oh sure, make it easy on the dog's owner.....