Building a Stool

[Dan McCallum]

I am building a stool similar to one that was in FWW a few years ago. I think the article was by Rogowski or Hack, I can't remember which.

The stool's legs are square in cross section, but are angled from the vertical by about 8 degrees or so towards the center of the stool, splaying the legs on a compound angle.

I trimmed the bottom of the legs to the 'same' angle with the tablesaw before joining them together, but found after joining the legs that the stool wobbled. No doubt this was due to the substantial tweaking required of the compound mortise and tenon joints between the horizontal rails and the legs.

I tried a variety of methods to eliminate the wobble. I finally settled on sandpaper mounted on the tablesaw table to get them coplaner so that the stool does not wobble. This was tedious and not very satisfactory, as 100% of each leg's bottom is not in contact with the ground.

Note that the seat is not attached yet, it is just resting on the legs for photographic purposes.

I'm looking for a better technique to make the tops of the legs coplaner AND parallel to the floor before I attach the seat. I think this is fairly critical, as I don't want any gaps between the seat and legs. I plan to use a dowel to fasten the seat to the top of each leg.

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's a router scheme. Put the leg-set on the bench. Build a box around it, without a top or a bottom. The top edges of the box sides are just above the height you want for the top of the leg-set. Fasten a board to the underside of a router. There are usually bolt holes there you can use. The board must be long enough to rest on edges of the box. Bore a hole through the board where a straight router bit comes through. Put the board on the box. Slide it around, and the tip of the straight bit will cut a flat plane through the top of the leg set. Okay, you'll need to find a way to secure the leg-set so that it doesn't move around while you're cutting -- weights, clamps, hot-melt or whatever.

[Walt Caza]

Hi Dan,
Cool project. I am about to build myself a shop 'thinking' stool.
I have levelled smaller projects like this at the tablesaw.

Not cutting, but using it as a flat reference surface with the blade all the way down.
Lay a pencil all the way down too, and trace completely around each foot.
You use the line as a reference, but do not have to remove material all
the way to the line. Just take off enough to get the set to sit happy on the saw.

Then you flip it over, and do the same to the leg tops, to receive the seat
without wobble.

I have done this various ways over the years. Handsaws, power saws,
stationary sanders, and hand belt sander. Watch the end grain, it likes to
burn when hogging with a sander. Use a rough grit!
(and keep it clean with a crepe rubber block)

Once your stool proves level on your reference surface plate...
you may be disappointed to find the rest of the world is not level!
Floors in old houses were built before 'level' was invented.
Don't ask me how I know this!
take it easy,
Walt

[Dan McCallum]

Hey thanks for the suggestions guys!

I did not think of the router method, even though I have used that in the past for flattening wide boards. I like it, just a lot of setup for a oneshot deal. On the other hand, the unfinished stool has been sitting there for months . . .

If I understand the "mark it with a pencil" method correctly, it does not ensure that the tops of the legs (where the seat is fastened to) are parallel to the ground. I do hear you about the ground not being flat anyways, so I am not too hung up on it. As long as I can get it close!

I think I'll mark it and give the belt sander a try. If that doesn't work, then I'll try the router.

Dan

[Walt Caza]

OK Dan,
So, don't flip the stool during the process.
-place bottom on saw
-mark and level bottom
-leave bottom on saw
-mount pencil up high, like on a chair also on the saw (tape?)
-mark tops, but referenced off bottom
-level top (ya don't have to remove wood to lines, just refer)
-attach seat
-level and parallel, no wobble, be happy

Maybe I'm just nuts!
Walt

[Dan McCallum]

Walt,

Took your advice to heart, used a Bessy clamp attached to the tablesaw to hold a pencil rigidly at a fixed height. By moving the stool around I was able to mark the height on each face of each leg. That took about 1/2 an hour to do.

Then I took the belt sander outside, mounted it upside down in the workmate and proceeded to sand the legs down. That took longer, and a lot of belts, it seems the heat was melting the glue and the belts kept coming apart. Anyways, it worked well enough, the seat sits flat now.

I expect to be sitting in comfort shortly!

Thanks!
Dan

[M Toupin]

I'm looking for a better technique to make the tops of the legs coplaner AND parallel to the floor before I attach the seat.

Even the production companies have the same issue, that's why they make this neat machine.

http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/detail.aspx?id=4516 (http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/detail.aspx?id=4516)

Completely build your chair to include attaching the seat and making it solid. Even if you get it level without the seat attached, if the seat pulls it out of alignment even a little bit you'll be right back were you started. Shoot for close then tweak it once your done.

Mike

[Walt Caza]

Anyways, it worked well enough, the seat sits flat now.

I expect to be sitting in comfort shortly!

Thanks!
Dan[/quote]

Good show Dan,
Any solution that requires 5 clamps must surely be considered fun woodworking!
It seemed like a 10 minute job, so if it took nearly an hour, that is precisely
how the woodworking hobby goes...

I did try to warn you to keep your belts clean with those big crepe erasers.
End grain like this kills belts and burns wood.
Awesome that your shop thinking stool will soon be complete.

Reminds me of StarWars, when Luke appears before Darth Vader and the evil Emperor
for the first time. The Emperor grabs Luke's closed light saber,
which he made himself, proving Luke has become a Jedi,
and says in his evil voice, 'ahhh, I see your training is complete'.

Sooner or later, we should all build ourselves a shop thinking stool!
(...to prove our training is complete?!?)
Watch for mine in the month of September.
take it easy,
Walt

ps thanks for the pic of your marking rig...well done