Hairpin Leg FAQ

Choosing your hairpin legs

Should I use 2 rod or 3 rod legs?

While 2 rod legs are strong enough to support the majority of projects, 3 rod legs add stiffness and stability for large – or heavily used – furniture. We recommend 3 rod legs for the following:

Bench / 16"

If your bench needs to support more than three people.

Desk or dining table / 28"

We recommend 3 rods for added stability. However, 2 rod legs are suitable for small desks, as long as the top weighs less than 20kg.

Console table or bar / 34" +

The longer the legs, the more they flex. For this reason, we only provide our 34 inch legs in 3 rod.

Whats the difference between classic and heavy duty legs?

Classic legs are made from 10mm thick steel and are perfect for the majority of projects, as long as your surface weighs less than 60kg.

Heavy Duty legs are made from 12mm thick steel and are incredibly robust. They are only necessary for very heavy duty projects. They can be used to create very large and sturdy desks and dining tables.

We also offer bench-height legs (16 inch) in 12mm thickness so you can have a matching set for your table, if required.

How strong are your legs?

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A ROUGH GUIDE ONLY AND GREAT CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN BUILDING HEAVY TABLES. HAIRPIN LEGS ARE VERY STRONG BUT THIS IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE TABLE. OVERALL TABLE CONSTRUCTION AND FIXINGS TO THE LEGS WILL DETERMINE YOUR TABLES OVERALL STRENGTH.

 

The weight which our leg can hold depends on a few things; Leg length, number or rods, classic (10mm) or heavy duty (12mm) construction. Below we have provided a rough guide to get you started but please do email through if you have any further questions.

 

Bar / 40 inches

Tall hairpin legs can transform a simple wooden surface into a unique home bar. Our 40 inch pins support up to 80kg freestanding, but more if you fix the table to a wall or static fixing.

 

Countertop / 34 inches

Availible in 10mm or 12mm. 10mm will hold up to 50kg while 12mm will hold up to 100kg.

 

Dining Table, Desk / 28 inches

28 inch 3 rod - Classic 10mm legs can support a table up to around 60kg while the heavy duty 12mm legs will support a weight up to around 120kg. The legs can actually hold quite a lot more than this but we suggest staying below these limits in order to ensure your table remains sturdy with no wobble.

28 inch 2 rod - Classic 10mm legs are only suitable for side tables that you do not intend to work or eat at. If you prefer the look of 2 rod legs for a desk/dining table then the heavy duty 12mm work well up to around 25kg. Both the classic and heavy duty legs will support much heavier weights however they will flex and this does not produce a high quality feel to your finished table.

 

Bench / 16 inches

As a general rule of thumb, the classic (10mm) 2 rod legs in bench height are good for up to 2 - 3 average sized adults. The 3 rod legs are recommended when you have 3 people or more.

The classic legs are therefore good for almost all situations so we would only really ever recommend choosing the heavy duty legs (12mm) if you have used heavy duty for your table and want the steel types to match.

 

Coffee table / 8 , 10, 12 or 14 inches

On these shorter legs, you will find it hard to get a top which is too heavy for them, even in the classic (10mm) version. We have tested these with 250kg concrete tops and have multiple people stand on top without any issues. They really are that strong!

 

Furniture feet / 4 inches

Much the same as above. These short legs are extremely strong!

What size is the fixing plate?

The fixing plate is 11cm across each edge. View a detailed drawing here.

Finishes

Should I buy raw steel or clear coat finished legs?

Visually, there is not much difference.

 

However, Raw steel is natural and unfinished and therefore will rust over time, even indoors. Our clear coated legs are powder coated and will be protected from rust for the life of the product.

 

Unless you want a rustic, rusty look, or wish to finish/paint the legs yourself then we always suggest clear coat.

 

Please note that while we do our best to keep steel colour consistent, there can be variation in both colour and shine of the material between batches.

Are brass and copper paint or real metal?

All our metallic finished legs (brass, copper, chrome & zinc) are electro plated with a thin layer of real copper/chrome/brass applied to the steel. (A very similar process is used for kitchen taps).

 

This gives us the best of all worlds - strength, durability and aesthetics.

Making an order

Can I buy just 1 or 2 legs?

Sorry – we make and finish our legs in sets of four. Delivering them in different quantities creates a lot of odd legs around the workshop, which is a bit of a nightmare!

Do you ship to my country?

We ship our products world wide and can deliver to all of mainland UK for a next day delivery. Our normal cut off time is for same day dispatch is 2pm.

 

If your looking to deliver to the US or Europe, check out our other websites at:

thehairpinlegcompany.com
thehairpinlegcompany.de
thehairpinlegcompany.fr

I need to return my items

No problem. Just let us know in less than 60 days after you have received your items and we will happily take them back. Send us an email to get a returns number.

Bulk discounts

Do you offer wholesale discounts?

If you're a carpenter, contractor or a serial maker then get in touch with us about opening up a trade & commercial account. Apply for an account here.

Build questions

What fixings should I use?

All our legs come with free wood screws. They’re suitable for good- condition solid wood, thicker than 18mm .

If your wood is a bit rotten (old scaffold boards, for example), try to use the longest screws possible.

If the wood is really rotten, we suggest putting a nut and bolt the whole way through, to ensure safety. Or find another piece of wood!

For thinner tops (down to around 10mm), we suggest using threaded wood inserts.