i was told.. years ago.. very simply ... that raw wood needs two things to decompose.. water.. and nitrogen ... and the key is.. it will rob such.. until the wood is decayed ... and i always presumed that was why it is hard to grow grass over a ground out stump.. if most of the grindings are not removed afterwards ... i was told this.. when i had tree guys dumping 8 foot piles of wood chips in my yard.. that if i wanted to speed its way to compost.. i should add 49-0-0 on top of the pile.. and water it so it remained damp ... and in doing so.. could take years off the process of making such a large pile ... into usable compost ... so.. in your media mix.. it will have the potential to 'take' water ... and it will rob nitrogen.. and most importantly.. it will probably interfere with the drainage capabilities of your mix ... until it is in a stable form ... not to mention all the mushrooms that might pop up in the decay process ... they call compost BLACK GOLD.. and until it is black.. it is not gold.. the key to fast decomposition is surface area.. and fine grindings are all surface ....if you have the space in the yard.. collect a 5 foot pile.. add some fert.. keep it damp ... and turn it once a month ... and when it is down to one foot or so in fall.. and all black and smells like soil ... you can add it to next winters media ... and of course.. i would sterilize it before i brought it in the house .... ken ps: any lawn fert is also good.. where the first number.. the nitro is higher than the rest ... though not the ones with weed killer in it .. eh?? ... lol ..

Legs like that are supposed to project into the room.....usually tenons would fit into the squared sections Your end-grain screws are Ham-fisted.....the screws will not hold...... Let me suggest an easier "kitchen-table/legs" approach......take a look......wooden tables generally have removable legs held in place with a bolt/nut thru a brace in each corner Start with a 36x36 inch piece of 3x4" plywood .....(or one sized to fit UNDER the cage) attach aprons on each side.....the aprons could be simply square stock ripped to the leg's top dimension......screwed thru the tabletop with 1 1/2" screws .......the cage will cover any screwheads........... The aprons would NOT touch each other but form a square "hole" sized to fit the purchased leg......The hanger bolt gets screwed diagonally into the inside corner of the leg a diagonal board with a Hole is fastened inside the corner......Or purchase a metal corner.......use hanger-bolt, washer and nut to mount the leg....... YMMV.......good luck Here is a link that might be useful: Rockler.......metal corner

Regarding the "built-in" foot rests on stools...my stools have them but they are not comfortable in the long-term. I find they not only don't put your legs & knees at the correct angle, but they also hurt your feet after awhile. With bare feet, it's worse. We are also considering a "bar rail" type of foot rest. Remember, they're at the bottom of the back of your island and will be hidden by the stools and/or people sitting there most of the time. We're looking for one to match our hardware or pendants (antique iron & pewter, respectively).

I don't have much hair on my legs anymore either...must be an age thing... But no one ever see's my legs since I wear compression stockings. (from the first thing after my shower till I go to bed at night...) I don't shave them until the hair makes it feel itchy.. And since I've had all those rashes I've been afraid to. So it is itch time..lol patti