Project Information
I needed a new stool for my shop. The one I mostly use is 18" high, which is too low for my new titanium knees (they'll get better), so I decided to make a new, taller stool.
I took a piece of 3 inch wide 4/4 maple that was just under six feet long, ripped it in half, then crosscut it in half, giving me four 1½ x 1 legs, about three feet long, but one had a knot in it, so I decided to make a three legged stool. Using a jig and my jackplane, I changed them from rectangles to octagons.
Meanwhile, I cut two 18" pieces off a 4/4×8 inch (one edge rough) elm board, planed up the edges using the jackplane, and glued them together. My aim was a 15×18 roundish seat for the stool. After some cutting with various saws, I finished rounding the seat with a spokeshave, and was amazed at how pretty the grain was. Chamfered the top edge ¼" in and down (so 45°︎) and the bottom edge ¼" down and 1" in using a spokeshave. Use the jackplane to smooth the top of the seat (I had a few toolmarks left, but for my first stool, it's not bad).
Drill three holes in the seat, eyeballing the angle on the first, but then using a bevel gauge to make them all the same. Taper the ends of the legs, and bore tapered holes. Apply some glue and bang them together, adding (walnut, for contrast) wedges to lock the legs in place. Saw off the bits of leg sticking through the seat and plane everything smooth. Say bad words when I had a little chatter with the plane which left marks behind just when I thought I was done.
Three coats of BLO and a coat of paste wax. Then finally cut the legs so the seat is level, and done! It sits pretty well, but I should have put the legs a little closer to the edge of the seat.
I took a piece of 3 inch wide 4/4 maple that was just under six feet long, ripped it in half, then crosscut it in half, giving me four 1½ x 1 legs, about three feet long, but one had a knot in it, so I decided to make a three legged stool. Using a jig and my jackplane, I changed them from rectangles to octagons.
Meanwhile, I cut two 18" pieces off a 4/4×8 inch (one edge rough) elm board, planed up the edges using the jackplane, and glued them together. My aim was a 15×18 roundish seat for the stool. After some cutting with various saws, I finished rounding the seat with a spokeshave, and was amazed at how pretty the grain was. Chamfered the top edge ¼" in and down (so 45°︎) and the bottom edge ¼" down and 1" in using a spokeshave. Use the jackplane to smooth the top of the seat (I had a few toolmarks left, but for my first stool, it's not bad).
Drill three holes in the seat, eyeballing the angle on the first, but then using a bevel gauge to make them all the same. Taper the ends of the legs, and bore tapered holes. Apply some glue and bang them together, adding (walnut, for contrast) wedges to lock the legs in place. Saw off the bits of leg sticking through the seat and plane everything smooth. Say bad words when I had a little chatter with the plane which left marks behind just when I thought I was done.
Three coats of BLO and a coat of paste wax. Then finally cut the legs so the seat is level, and done! It sits pretty well, but I should have put the legs a little closer to the edge of the seat.