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by:
Carla Clipsham
illustration: Paul Lewis
photo: Christopher Campbell |
OLIVER'S STEP STOOL |
| Build
a simple project with your little one |
When Oliver,
my two-and-a-half-year-old son, needed help to reach the sink
and toilet, I decided to make this handy stool. I kept the design
as simple as possible so that he could help out with most of
the work. The project is easy enough to complete in an hour
or so—just long enough to keep Oliver’s interest.
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| Two-year-old
Oliver and his mom Carla Clipsham took about an
hour to make this footstool from antique pine |
|
The
stool is built from reclaimed antique pine—the primary
wood used in our workshop—however, since it’s planed
to 3/4"-thick, you can easily substitute off-the-shelf
lumber.
Start by laying out all the pieces
on the lumber. To include Oliver in the work, I chose to use
hand tools for all of the cutting operations, but you could
use power tools if you’re building this on your own.
Cut the top and sides to width
first; then cut them to length. Use a handsaw to make all the
straight cuts. Then clamp the workpieces in a vise to hold them
steady while cutting.
Taper the legs of the stool to
provide extra stability: lay out the shape of the legs first,
then make the straight cuts using a handsaw. To make the semi-circle
cutouts on the legs, use a compass to mark the 4"-dia.
opening; then cut out using a coping saw. Cut the centre brace
to size now. Sand all the pieces and smooth any sharp edges.
Assembly
Assemble the stool using screws. Drill pilot holes to prevent
the wood from splitting. Draw layout lines to indicate the position
of the centre brace where it meets each leg. Attach the legs
to the centre brace first. Hold the centre brace in a vise,
end-up, and position the leg onto its end. Drill two pilot holes
and drive the screws home to secure the leg. Flip this assembly
over and attach the other leg using the same method.
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| CLICK
ABOVE FOR FULL-SIZE PATTERN |
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To
complete construction, attach the top to the legs and centre
brace assembly. Centre the top, drill pilot holes and install
the four screws.
Before applying finish, sand off any pencil lines you drew on
workpieces for fitting purposes.
Oliver and I finished his stool
with a wash of boiled linseed oil cut with pure turpentine.
This brought out the beautiful colour of the antique pine.
After drying for a day or two,
apply several coats of tung oil. (Polymerized tung oil is a
good choice for this stool since it needs to endure multiple
washings). The end result is a deep and glowing finish. |
| You
will need: |
| Part |
Material |
Size |
Quantity |
| Top |
pine |
3/4"
x 8" x 14" |
1 |
| Legs |
pine |
3/4"
x 6 1/4" x 9" |
2 |
| Centre
Brace |
pine |
3/4"
x 3" x 11 1/2" |
1 |
| Screws |
#8
1 1/4" long |
8 |
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