Step Stool

[Jeff Wittrock]

After finally finishing my big wooden bandsaw (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?272918-Wooden-bandsaw-project), I was glad to get back to some small, hand tool projects.

A couple who are friends of my Wife and myself just had their first daughter not long ago. As a gift, my wife asked me to make them a step stool with their daughters name on the seat.
I didn't want to paint the name on the top, and I'm not much of a carver, so decided to "Stipple" the name in.

Wood is Honduran Mahogany. After making the first one, I had enough wood left over to build a second (without the stippling).

[Jerry Olexa]

Nice results..Like your DTs.

[Jim Koepke]

Very nice, kind of like a small saw bench with style. :D

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Good deed done ,now make it even better by adding your name and the date.

[Andrew Hughes]

Nice work Jeff. Never have too many step-stools.

[David Eisenhauer]

Nice work and a nice gift for Jemma. Thanks for sharing Jeff.

[Stewie Simpson]

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=422501&d=1577657110

Jeff; who is the maker of your dovetail saw.

[Jeff Wittrock]

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=422501&d=1577657110

Jeff; who is the maker of your dovetail saw.

Stewie,

That's a saw I made about six or seven years ago. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?201585-Model-dovetail-saw-handle
It started out as a kind of experiment for my first dovetail saw but it has worked well for me so have just kept using it.

[Stewie Simpson]

Thanks Jeff. Appreciate the feedback.

Stewie;

[Mark Daily]

Beautiful job, excellent craftsmanship!

How did you “stipple” the name? I’m not familiar with that process.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Beautiful job, excellent craftsmanship!

How did you “stipple” the name? I’m not familiar with that process.

Mark,

I become familiar with stippling as it relates to its use on gun stocks.
There are dedicated stippling punches available from places like Brownells. In my case, I just used a 1/8" diameter steel pin and ground the tip down to a slightly rounded point of ~1/64 diameter.

It is easiest to have a defined border cut using a knife or chisel although it can also just be dawn in with pencil, etc, but just not so sharp a transition in this case.
I just hold the pin lightly over the surface of the wood and hit with a light hammer. the pin compresses the wood and then bounces back (you don't want it to bury itself in the wood). The pin is just moved randomly over the area to be stippled while repeatedly hitting with the hammer. As the pin bounces back it makes it easy to get into a rythm of hitting and pin and letting it bounce back at each tap.

Googling "Stippling wood" will yield much better descriptions than I am providing though.

[steven c newman]

Made a Pine one last year...
422640
422641
422642
Walnut wedges,,,,
May try another one in Ash.....
422643
Wedged tenons..or...dovetails?

OP's stool looks very good....

[Mark Daily]

Mark,

I become familiar with stippling as it relates to its use on gun stocks.
There are dedicated stippling punches available from places like Brownells. In my case, I just used a 1/8" diameter steel pin and ground the tip down to a slightly rounded point of ~1/64 diameter.

It is easiest to have a defined border cut using a knife or chisel although it can also just be dawn in with pencil, etc, but just not so sharp a transition in this case.
I just hold the pin lightly over the surface of the wood and hit with a light hammer. the pin compresses the wood and then bounces back (you don't want it to bury itself in the wood). The pin is just moved randomly over the area to be stippled while repeatedly hitting with the hammer. As the pin bounces back it makes it easy to get into a rythm of hitting and pin and letting it bounce back at each tap.

Googling "Stippling wood" will yield much better descriptions than I am providing though.
Jeff, your explanation is perfect- thanks!

[Christopher Charles]

Nicely done, sure to become an heirloom. I also appreciate your explanation of the stippling.

Best

chris

[Steven Mikes]

Beautiful work, really like the stippling. Will have to give it a try sometime. I made a trio of staked stools for my kids, they have been put to good use so far.

[Mike Henderson]

Made a Pine one last year...
422640
422641
422642
Walnut wedges,,,,
May try another one in Ash.....
422643
Wedged tenons..or...dovetails?

OP's stool looks very good....

Just a suggestion for safety. Stools should have legs that splay out in all four directions - the ends of the legs should extend beyond the edge of the top. Otherwise, if someone steps on the edge (any edge) the stool can tip over.

Here's an example of a stool with legs splayed out on all sides.
422991

The tutorial on how to build it is here. (http://www.mikes-woodwork.com/StepStool.htm) The inspiration for this was the step stools used by the conductors on trains. When the train stopped at a station where the platform was not elevated, the conductor would get off first and put down the step stool for the riders to step to as they were leaving the train. The conductor's stool had a hand hold cut into the top.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

I have a shop that has nothing going. I think I will build a stool.

[steven c newman]

423003
Have 8 boards...4/4 x 6" x 52" (average) of Ash. Mostly 1/4 sawn
423004
Not sure IF a stool would use grain like this..
423005
First, need to plane these down to 3/4"?

As for that LITTLE pine stool? Pastor uses it to sit his Bible on, during Church Services....Stool was made from resawn Pine 2 x 4 scraps....saved burning them...