Making a Step Stool

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Villa Park, CA
I just completed a tutorial on making a step stool. While this might seem elementary, when the legs splay out (as they should) the project gets a bit complex calculating the angles to cut, and actually cutting them, so everything fits together well.

Your comments and suggestions will be appreciated.

Mike
 

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What Mohammad Said.

Not sure I'd make that nice of a step stool, but I do have some other applications for the calculations.

Great job! :thumb:
 
Maybe you could sell your tutorial to Cynthia!! :rofl::rofl:
I read her posting and though about mentioning this project to her. But with the calculations required, and the number of tools necessary to do the project, I felt it would not fit as an "easy" project. For an experienced woodworker it would not be hard, but for a beginner there might be a number of places where frustrating mistakes could be made.

Mike
 
That's great Mike! I like the way you were able to make the legs like like it all came from one piece of wood.

Question on your finish. I see you using the bullseye shellac with waterborne. Have you ever had any adhesion problems or crazing of the finish with it?
I have been told by both Target and GF that there have been issues using that as opposed to mixing dewaxed from flake. Something about Zinser fiddling with the alkalinity causing the two products to not play nicely with each other.
 
That's great Mike! I like the way you were able to make the legs like like it all came from one piece of wood.

Question on your finish. I see you using the bullseye shellac with waterborne. Have you ever had any adhesion problems or crazing of the finish with it?
I have been told by both Target and GF that there have been issues using that as opposed to mixing dewaxed from flake. Something about Zinser fiddling with the alkalinity causing the two products to not play nicely with each other.
No, never had any problem with using Zinser dewaxed shellac. I use Target water borne lacquer and it's always worked well for me. Of course, I let the shellac cure well before applying the lacquer.

I've never even heard of any problems with using dewaxed shellac. Does Target have anything on their web site about it? If they consider it a serious problem I would assume they would post something about it.

Mike

[added comment: the reason I use shellac is to get the orange color. Water borne lacquer is just too clear - or white. The wood doesn't look right with just that on it.]
 
Beautiful stool Mike. I thought the tutorial was very well done too. I just love working with walnut. Your joinery appears seamless and holds no distraction for the eye. The angles versus the height of the piece fell really good to the eye as well. Fun stuff.
 
I agree with you Glenn,

That is one beautiful step stool Mike. I would really like to try building one like it someday. That tutorial was excellent. I think that even without your dimension spreadsheet, one could do a nice job duplicating the stool. Again, beautiful job.

One question, what is that strip of reddish wood on the top?

Aloha, Tony
 
Great tutorial, Mike. :thumb: The step stool's not half bad, either. :D Beautiful work.

The only comment/suggestion that comes to mind is the symbol you're using for degrees. Although the asterisk is used (a holdover from earlier text-based bulletin boards, I believe) I think most browsers these days can display the degree symbol. I'm also pretty sure Frontpage supports it. If you'd like to use º instead of *, hold down the <Alt> key and enter 167 on the numeric keypad on the side of your keyboard.
 
I agree with you Glenn,

That is one beautiful step stool Mike. I would really like to try building one like it someday. That tutorial was excellent. I think that even without your dimension spreadsheet, one could do a nice job duplicating the stool. Again, beautiful job.

One question, what is that strip of reddish wood on the top?

Aloha, Tony
Thanks for your kind words, Tony. That's bloodwood. It holds its color over time.

Mike
 
No, never had any problem with using Zinser dewaxed shellac. I use Target water borne lacquer and it's always worked well for me. Of course, I let the shellac cure well before applying the lacquer.

I've never even heard of any problems with using dewaxed shellac. Does Target have anything on their web site about it? If they consider it a serious problem I would assume they would post something about it.

Mike

[added comment: the reason I use shellac is to get the orange color. Water borne lacquer is just too clear - or white. The wood doesn't look right with just that on it.]

I have never seen anything on their site. Jeff Weiss from Target is the one that told me not to use the zinser. He said that they do something to it in their formula. something about the alkalynity of their product has caused crazing when used under theirs.... Beyond my ken.
Anyway, with that info I have never used it and only mixed it from flake. I have used the blonde dewaxed flake from homestead in a 1lb cut. I switched to GF awhile ago and have been happier than with Targets products. Their endurover gives that nice old time varnish look and you can get a nice build from it without it starting to look "plastic" I found with Targets products they seem to get that look...
The project I just finished has both products. The kitchen and floors have the endurovar and some earlier builtins I did have the target. Both satin waterbornes, same amount of coats and 2 completely different looks. The GF looks just like an oil or solvent based finish.

Do you cut the bullseye before you use it or do you put it on full strenght? I believe its a 3lb cut out of the can.
 
Great tutorial, Mike. :thumb: The step stool's not half bad, either. :D Beautiful work.

The only comment/suggestion that comes to mind is the symbol you're using for degrees. Although the asterisk is used (a holdover from earlier text-based bulletin boards, I believe) I think most browsers these days can display the degree symbol. I'm also pretty sure Frontpage supports it. If you'd like to use º instead of *, hold down the <Alt> key and enter 167 on the numeric keypad on the side of your keyboard.
Thanks for the tip, Vaughn.

Mike
 
I have never seen anything on their site. Jeff Weiss from Target is the one that told me not to use the zinser. He said that they do something to it in their formula. something about the alkalynity of their product has caused crazing when used under theirs.... Beyond my ken.
Anyway, with that info I have never used it and only mixed it from flake. I have used the blonde dewaxed flake from homestead in a 1lb cut. I switched to GF awhile ago and have been happier than with Targets products. Their endurover gives that nice old time varnish look and you can get a nice build from it without it starting to look "plastic" I found with Targets products they seem to get that look...
The project I just finished has both products. The kitchen and floors have the endurovar and some earlier builtins I did have the target. Both satin waterbornes, same amount of coats and 2 completely different looks. The GF looks just like an oil or solvent based finish.

Do you cut the bullseye before you use it or do you put it on full strenght? I believe its a 3lb cut out of the can.
I don't cut it. I think I read that it's equivalent to a 3 lb cut.

Mike
 
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