Add Timeless Style with Metal Hairpin Legs
Metal hairpin legs infuse furniture with mid-century elegance. Their iconic U-shape blends aesthetics and functionality. Use hairpin legs for coffee tables, desks, dining tables, and more.
Crafted from durable steel, these legs provide stability and support various weights. Pre-drilled holes allow for simple DIY installation. Choose different heights like counter-level or bar-level.
With slender yet sturdy build, hairpin legs enhance smaller spaces. Their minimalist design works with any style, from industrial to bohemian. Pair with wood, glass, or recycled tabletops for custom furniture.
Although delicate in appearance, hairpin legs distribute weight evenly. This ensures reliable stability and balance. With timeless silhouette and versatile compatibility, metal hairpin legs are the perfect foundation for stylish, long-lasting furniture.
Add a touch of retro charm to your space with these iconic legs. Aback Design offers high-quality hairpin legs in various colors and finishes.
What table leg styles do you offer?
When we first started, we specialized in manufacturing hairpin legs. Over time, we've expanded our offerings to include a variety of designs to suit different styles and applications. While we still offer a wide range of sizes and colors for our hairpin legs, we now also provide numerous other designs perfect for making tables or benches.
What are hairpin table legs?
A hairpin leg is a slim steel rod bent into a V shape. Hairpin legs can be attached to almost any flat surface to create a table. Originally designed during the wartime era with material shortages, this mid-century classic is both efficient and sleek, capable of supporting heavy-duty tabletops. These industrial table legs are favored for their versatility and practicality. They are designed to hold a lot of weight and last a long time, making them a popular choice among DIY enthusiasts due to their ease of installation.
What are Industrial Box Section table legs?
Another popular leg style is industrial box section legs. Typically used in pairs, these legs are a heavier-duty option, ideal for very large tables and benches. While they can also be used for smaller tables, we recommend not going smaller than 150 x 75 cm.
How do I fit table legs to my tabletop?
Our table legs are very easy to attach and remove. Each set comes with build guides and screws, ensuring you have everything you need for your project.
To assemble hairpin legs, start by laying your tabletop upside down. Then, position the legs and screw them on. Our supplied screws will usually be suitable for any DIY project. However, if you are making a very large table with a thick top, it’s a good idea to use longer screws for extra stability. In this case, size #8 - #12 wood screws are ideal. Since the base plates on all our legs are 4-5mm thick, the optimum screw length would be the same as your tabletop thickness, minus 4-5mm.
If you plan to add and remove the legs frequently (more than 20 times over the table’s lifespan), metal threaded inserts can be a great addition to your build.
Where should legs be placed on a table?
When using sets of 4 legs (like hairpin legs or single pins), they should generally be placed at the corners of the table. We suggest positioning the legs so that their tips are about 5 cm from the edge of the table.
For sets of 2 legs (such as box section legs), consider chair placement. If you plan to place chairs at the ends of the table, the legs should be inset by approximately 40 cm. If you are not placing chairs, you can fit the legs anywhere up to the edge.
For a home office desk against a wall, you might prefer to position two of the legs further in, providing more room to move your chair and fit your legs under the desk. Some table designs, like a round coffee or side table, might only require three hairpin legs.
Ultimately, the placement of the legs depends on the look you want for the final piece and its intended use. The best approach is to experiment with different positions by attaching the legs with two screws initially, which can be easily removed. Once you are satisfied, use more screws to secure the legs.
How much weight can table legs hold?
With any DIY project, there is more to consider than just the strength of one component. While our legs are extremely strong, their overall strength also depends on the fittings used and the structural integrity and construction of the tabletop. Always exercise caution when building a table. If you plan to build a very heavy table, seek professional advice and conduct proper testing before final use.
Our steel hairpin legs come in both standard and heavy-duty versions, made from solid steel. Smaller legs are inherently stronger, and using 3-rod legs adds significant strength. Longer legs are more susceptible to flex and wobble, so we recommend using 3-rod hairpin legs for better stability.
How far-in should coffee table legs be?
If you are using hairpin legs to make a coffee table, you might be wondering, "How much should a coffee table overhang?" Generally, the rim of a coffee table should extend over the legs by at least 5 cm, though many people prefer up to 10 cm.
How tall should dining table legs be?
Dining table legs need to be tall enough for people to sit comfortably while eating or working. Generally, the best length for a dining table leg is about 28 inches (71 cm), which is our standard length. This allows for tabletop thicknesses of 20-50 mm, achieving a top surface height of 29-30 inches (73-76 cm). However, if you are building a countertop to use as a breakfast bar or kitchen island, the legs could be 34-40 inches (86-101 cm) long.
What wood can you use metal table legs with?
The beauty of hairpin legs is that they can be attached to almost any type of wooden top that is thick enough to span the required table size with just a few screws. Popular choices for wooden tabletops to pair with hairpin legs include:
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Solid Oak: A classic pale golden hardwood with excellent strength and a medium-coarse grain.
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Reclaimed Scaffolding Boards: Full of rustic industrial character and often great value.
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Walnut: A dark hardwood, very strong and synonymous with luxury.
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Ash: A popular hardwood for furniture makers, featuring a light color and a smooth coarse grain.
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Birch Ply: A layered composite board with great strength and distinctive layered edge detail, perfect for structural use.
What kind of table can I make with hairpin legs?
Hairpin table legs are incredibly versatile, making them popular among DIY enthusiasts and home designers. Our hairpin products come in various lengths and styles, allowing them to be used for building many types of tables, including:
