Shaker Step Stool

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

Hi

As in many wood working projects, we often combine a number of known skills with a few new ones to add to the satisfaction of the completed project. This project was more for practicing hand cut dove tails for a coming project so it served as a warm up since it’s been almost a year since I last cut dove tails.

I looked for a project in that light, to let me make the joinery and get the process reestablished in my hands. I found just what I needed in a book by Norm Abrams, Mostly Shaker. I have had this book now for about 8 years and this is the third project I have made with its guidance, a really well done book.



I chose the step stool project as a gift for my daughter, Dana is now going on 11 and needs a stool to get up to her clothes in her closet. How she has more clothes than anyone else I know amazes me.


The project is made in cherry and is really quite simple, not an advanced project at all really. In the description of the plans Norm uses a jig to make his dovetails, I decided that this project would be as much focused on the dove tails as it would also be using hand tools.

I also kept some notes, following a theory that Chris Schwarz describes as Course, Medium, Fine.


For my Course work I used the following tools: Jointer, Planner, Table Saw and Bandsaw.

Medium work used, chisels, coping saw, hand saws, block planes and spoke shaves.

Fine work used a smoothing plane and a hand scraper and some 220 sandpaper for some lights sanding.

It took me three days to make this, it will take another two days of applying Danish oil to complete the project.

Some times it’s very useful to make a project like this to tune up on a skill in preparation for something bigger.

[Matt Campbell]

Jim, very good idea to practice this way. It's a beautiful "practice" piece also.

[Von Bickley]

Jim,
Great looking stool and great looking joinery.

I have made several stools like that but mine did not have the dovetail joinery.

[Greg Crawford]

Jim,

Maybe you should post this in the neanderthal forum, as well. You certainly used a great many hand tools. What did you think of hand cutting dovetails? I've never done it, and don't think I could do near the job you did. It really looks nice.

[Rick Levine]

I made the same stool about 4 years ago. It was the second thing I built since my high school woodshop class, the first was the Shaker end table. I followed Norm's plans exactly but used an Incra dovetail system instead of the jig Norm used. My skill level was, and probably still is, not up to doing the hand cut dovetails. I posted it along with the first Norm Abram project I built on the NYW website. Jim, you might want to consider uploading yours also. It is a beautifully executed piece.

Here's a link to mine:
http://www.newyankee.com/Yankees/carichardlevine.jpg

[Jim Becker]

I love these things and Norm Abram's version is a great project. Nice work!

[Steven Wilson]

Nicely executed Jim, a simple project but very useful. I made that one and the lower one with the cubby hole to use as plant stands. Mine were pine, finished with Milk Paint (seal with shellac first) and they've stood up to the plants quite well over the years. Doing it in solid wood really makes the dovetails stand out - nice job.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Jim, nice project. Great way to keep the hand skills up to par and get something in return. My fireplace is normally the benefactor when I do this kind of thing Thanks for sharing.

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

Thanks Guys,

It was fun to use some of my favorite tools to make this as well...enjoyed the look on my daughters face as well....some things are priceless.