I took a break from door production to make a stool for my Mom for Christmas. She needs something to allow her to get into the wall cabinets in her kitchen, and I noticed she held onto the counter while using a little plastic stool. I remembered this design from some publication or another, and thought it might work (and look) better. This was fun because I got to use a tool set that I rarely touch any more.
This was my first use of a Leigh jig that I got used last year. I tried my new Festool 1400 router as well, which is a sweet tool, but not optimal for this job due to the high grip position (note to Festool, the snap-in insert ring would function better if it were flush to the base, and it wasn't quite centered on the bit). In retrospect, I might have varied the dovetail spacing a bit, but time was short. One little detail I did add was the slight taper from the floor to the bottom of the step, which I cut after the dovetails and back joint were cut.
I used cherry and jatoba, with walnut and maple dowels. The joint where the step interlocks with the back was done on the bandsaw with no hand tool cleanup. I love the Tri-master carbide blade! The curve in the back was easier than a straight cut, and looks OK, I think. The top cap is a handle that balances pretty well for moving the stool, and gives a hold point while using it.
I used epoxy to glue it together, then while it was clamped, drilled and glued the dowels to reinforce the joints. I used 3 coats of wipe-on oil/poly gel for a finish. I would make it all more sculptural if I were to do it again
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