| Project by Todd A. Clippinger | posted 478 days ago | 863 views | 6 times favorited | 22 comments |  |
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This folding stepstool is an old project I did in ‘02. Our kitchen cupboards go clear to the ceiling, and we have 8’6” ceilings, making it difficult for my wife to reach the upper storage. This is something she needs to do more than most, she is an artist with food and does personal meals and catering.
But the stool has been a great experiment in finish endurance for me. I usually spray pre-cat lacquers as a professional, you can’t beat the dry time. I can shoot 4 coats in an hour on a project, 3 coats even in the winter.
On this I did not want a film finish because it folds, and pre-cat lacquers will not hold up to foot traffic, food spills, and water areas. (It is excellent for all the furniture I have done.) I have read many times that Danish oil is not very durable or protective, but I was curious to try it myself. I warmed the can in a shallow bucket of hot water, and generously fed oil to the wood. I had to continually wipe all the oil bleeding out of the pores until it stopped. The stool gets a new coat of oil once a year since, and it has held up very well.
It gets used everyday, gets food all over it, gets wiped off, stepped on, chipped, and the finish has worked out wonderfully. A little oil and 600 grit wet-dry sandpaper will take off the grime, and a few shop towels to apply a fresh coat of oil and wipe off the excess. Just like new!
The stool plans came from a Taunton book, “Classic Kitchen Projects”, by Niall Barrett.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, the black walnut was a salvaged handrail, and I did not have enough of it so I used scrap ash to make up the difference.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
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22 comments so far
Karson
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11923 posts in 802 days
posted 478 days ago
Todd. This is a great design. What is the wood. Nice heartwood and sap wood contrasts.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
DrSawdust
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211 posts in 500 days
posted 478 days ago
This is pure talent.
-- Making sawdust is what I do best
Roger Strautman
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483 posts in 535 days
posted 477 days ago
Todd, this stool is a very nice example of how a small project can have the same challenges as a big project can. Well done!
-- " All Things At First Appear Difficult"
MsDebbieP
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11014 posts in 562 days
posted 477 days ago
what kind of lacquer??
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Todd A. Clippinger
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2460 posts in 501 days
posted 477 days ago
MsDeb,
I use a pre-catalyzed lacquer. It is a lacquer that has a catalyst drying agent added right before it leaves the store. It has a pot life of about 6 months. It offers more protection than the nitrocelulose lacqers off the shelf at the box stores. It has a greater level of application performance too.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
MsDebbieP
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11014 posts in 562 days
posted 477 days ago
ah!! Thanks for the info
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Todd A. Clippinger
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2460 posts in 501 days
posted 477 days ago
Posting the stool was actually to share the experience with the oil finish. I hope I did this in time for Chellar to help with his decision.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
Outnmbrd
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4 posts in 478 days
posted 477 days ago
Nice work! It’s not often that I see a stool like this that the wife would want to have on display. I think she would use this one everywhere.
-- Ohio???
Dick Cain
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4392 posts in 701 days
posted 477 days ago
Walnut & Ash look great together. The Ash has some beautiful figure in the grain.
-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
Chip
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1058 posts in 494 days
posted 477 days ago
I wholeheartedly agree with Rog and Dan about turning an otherwise mundane piece into something very special. Beautiful job Todd.
-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.
cheller
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225 posts in 511 days
posted 477 days ago
Very nice work. What does heating the oil do?
Chelle
-- Chelle http://artsgranddaughter.blogspot.com
Todd A. Clippinger
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2460 posts in 501 days
posted 477 days ago
Warming the oil helps it penetrate the wood. I have done it cold too. On reapplying I just do it cold, it does not require much to redo it anyway. Initially, I think it makes a difference. A small bucket of water is safe too, no flames or burners.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
cheller
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225 posts in 511 days
posted 476 days ago
I’ll have to give that a try. But first I have a little more sawdust to make and then I have to clean up…
-- Chelle http://artsgranddaughter.blogspot.com
Don
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2585 posts in 579 days
posted 377 days ago
Todd, I missed this one when it first came up. I like all of the projects that you’ve shown us. This one is more to the scale of the project that I build, so I’ve added to my favorites list as a possible future project.
Nice work.
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/
scottb
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2772 posts in 729 days
posted 377 days ago
good information on the finish, I like the ease of re-application versus stripping and starting over. there’s plenty of spots in the house the cats have ruined the finish on… (windowsills, etc…) this info will sure come in handy down the road.
-- The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation. -- Wood T's: http://www.printfection.com/snbcreative
PanamaJack
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4453 posts in 479 days
posted 377 days ago
Great piece of work Todd, well made.
-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,
oscorner
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4576 posts in 713 days
posted 377 days ago
The wood is beautiful.
-- Jesus is Lord!
DAN
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2627 posts in 385 days
posted 250 days ago
Very nice step stool. Great christmas idea !!
-- I made a cool back scratcher !!
woodgrain411
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119 posts in 254 days
posted 241 days ago
very nice i preffer oil finishes myself
-- I love this site !
Jiri Parkman
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533 posts in 214 days
posted 212 days ago
Very nice.
-- Jiri
rikkor
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6617 posts in 276 days
posted 212 days ago
Todd, everything I’ve seen from you has been wonderful, this is no exception.
-- Maplewood, MN
Blake
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1834 posts in 276 days
posted 191 days ago
Now that is really attractive. This is going on my favorites list!
-- Dust collectors suck.