Stool questions

15Broad | Posted in Joinery on December 28, 2003 01:09am

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a safe and happy Christmas.

I’m about to build a stool for the shop and have a few things I want to check beforehand.

I’m pretty sure that I should orient the seat, legs and strechers so that they all expand the same way, right? Also, to provide a solid base the legs have to angle out slightly, this will cause me to have to cut either an angled mortise or an angled tenon. I’m leaning towards the tenon, as my skill with a table saw is superior to my skill with a chisel. Is there any good reason to do otherwise? In everything I’ve read so far I’m being led to believe either option is good with the comparative ease with which one might angle a tenon giving an edge to that method.

Found a copy of Ernest Joyce’s Encyclopedia of Furniture Building under the tree. Is it as good as it’s cracked up to be? It’s good so far, but with what little I know I’m easily misled so any opinions will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance. Chris

P.S.- I’m using hard maple, a.k.a Sugar maple.

Replies

TomMGTC | Dec 28, 2003 01:44am | #1
An angled tenon is the way to go. If you angle the mortise you will have to do a straight tenon with an angled shoulder. Not sure about what you mean as far as the orientation of the parts for expansion. It should not be an issue with the legs and stretchers as they probably won't be all that wide. Just be sure to allow for expansion of the top.

Tom

Douglasville, GA
Jamie_Buxton | Dec 28, 2003 06:32am | #2
You didn't ask, but here's two things I've discovered make stools more comfortable than the usual ones.

1) Make the seat bigger than the usual stool. Standard dining chairs and office chairs have seat that are 17" or more. They're that big because that's how the human posterior is. I have no idea why the usual stool seats are so small.

2) Pay attention to getting the footrest height correct. If it is too low, your legs hang down, and you get a bad pressure point underneath your thighs. If it is too high, you feel like a jockey, with your knees up in your face. The correct height depends on the leg length of the people using the stool, so do a little experimentation.
theRev | Dec 28, 2003 03:53pm | #3
Previous two replies are great for your stool building. I'm just popping in to say congrats on getting Joyce. You can't go wrong with that book. It's the one book every craftsperson should have, I think.

Scott
PlaneWood | Dec 28, 2003 06:09pm | #4
Chris -

Search the Gallery for "shop stool". Couple of messages there have some pics.

PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
ron61 | Dec 28, 2003 07:42pm | #5
Might get some ideas from the last issue of Fine Woodworking check out Mike Dunbars stool .

I don't know about all this angled tenon stuff doesn't sound right to me.

I would drill angled holes in the seat and straight tenons on the legs - you know like how a chair is made.
Steinmetz | Dec 28, 2003 07:59pm | #6
15 broad, While you're at it, install a lazy Susan bearing and race. To make the stool rotate.

For two generations, my four kids (And later THEIR five kids,) fought for the chance to 'spin' on the two Luncheonette stools I installed in my kitchen.

For37 yrs, they racked up much milage. Changed the upholstery three times. Now, all spruced up as a gift for my daughter.

Stein.
Colinsdad | Jan 09, 2004 11:53pm | #7
I'm just finishing one based on the stool David Marks built on his show. The legs are angled 6 degrees out and 6 degrees to the side. Instead of mortises and tenons his process called for gluing up the seat and then cutting out 6 degree angled strips at the width of the leg, then further cutting these at 6 degrees to achieve the second angle. the legs are glued to these sections, then the two sections are glued together with the rest of the seat. check out the DIY.com site for more info.

Eric