Staked shop stool

[MauleSkinner]

After conversation in another thread, I decided I needed a shop stool. I used the High Stool in the Anarchist’s Design Book, but reversed the rake between the front and back legs to have the front slightly lower than the back.

I ran into a couple of snags with my tapered tenons...I need to figure out how to rough out the tenons better before running them into my tapered tenon cutter. The wood block of the tenon cutter split out, too, since I made it from pine. I’ll have to make a new one from hardwood.

Anyway, here’s the current status, legs in place, front stretcher shaped and waiting to cut tenons. The angle of the photo makes it look more sloped than it is.

[farmerj111]

That's cool, I look forward to seeing the finished product.  I've been wanting to make a shop stool, but I don't think my skill level is up to angled round tenons yet.

[MauleSkinner]

I figure shop furniture is a good place to learn.

[Derek Cohen]

After conversation in another thread, I decided I needed a shop stool. I used the High Stool in the Anarchist’s Design Book, but reversed the rake between the front and back legs to have the front slightly lower than the back.

....

That's okay ... Pete Galbert makes them that way


Here is one I made for my shop ...





The seat shows the evidence of playing with angles. Do not be afraid to do so for a shop stool.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[MauleSkinner]

Very nice, as always, Derek.

I’m back to the ol’ drawing board...or at least I’ll use what’s on the ol’ drawing board instead of going straight to modifications.


I did a test sit, and noticed my stool to be a little unstable. I had used a piece of 2x8 because that’s what I had lying around, but it leaves too much of the seat outside the feet when using the leg geometry that I did. I tried wiggling just a little too much without stretchers on the legs, apparently.

Otherwise the height felt pretty good, and it probably could be tilted nose-down just a bit more. I’ll work that into the next one.

It’ll also give me the chance to hone my tenoning skills.

[MauleSkinner]

So on to plan B...I made a half-size model. Rake and splay that will put the front feet two inches forward and two inches outside of the seat corners, and the back leg 7 inches behind the seat seems pretty stable.

[MauleSkinner]

From the side, the legs look a little close at the top, but the seat is only 7” deep, and I don’t want to get too close to the edge with the legs. From other angles it looks fine.

I’m shooting for about 1 inch height difference between the front and the back.

[MauleSkinner]

Got a little time in the shop today...made a new tapered tenon cutter, this time out of maple.

I also worked on my technique for tapering tenons on dowels in preparation for the cutter. A jack plane and block plane work pretty well, with a little pocketknife adjustment as I finish up with the cutter. I need to make a fixture to hold the leg while I’m planing, but it’s moving forward. I think a chair devil is on my short list of tools to make.

[KyleD]

A spoke shave would work nice for roughing out the tapered tendons. It looks like you may have made a small hand plane so look on the internet for do it yourself spokeshave builds. a straight one would work fine. 
So many of my projects start out and then get put off because of the need to build or modify or fettle a tool I want to use on the project.

[MauleSkinner]

Yeah, that’s one of my problems...I enjoy making tools as much as I enjoy making the other stuff.