chair legs curves

Robbie71

My question is about curves on solid wood chairs ,This one has been in the back of my mind for a long time

Basically , are the the legs generally cut to shape or steam bent .
For example
http://www.finelinefurniture.com/pages/Chairs-Pages/Chairs-Pages-Index.html

Are the curves on these chairs most likely to be cut and if so is there a method anyone could recommend?
I would imagine bending would not give the repeatable , reliable results required for making chairs.

recipio

The best way is to cut them out of a wide board, thick enough to give the required dimensions.( You maintain colour and grain consistency doing this ) I use an mdf template to mark out and then template rout the components to a finished size. Laminating timber doesn't look too good and steam bending is unreliable. You will need a Bandsaw and 1/2" router in a table to do this - unless you have a well equipped workshop with a spindle moulder etc.
In general its best to stick with a straight grained, strong timber like beech,maple or oak.