For most woodworkers, especially those with the convenience and expedience of power tools, a step stool is a weekend project, if not a half-day project. For me, it’s looking like it will be a 2- or 3-weekend project, if I’m lucky. But I am really enjoying the process and continue to learn every time I approach the piece.
Today I cut the dovetails. I had already marked them last week so it was just a matter of putting saw (and chisel) to wood. I was quite pleased with how they turned out:
I then started on shaping the legs. I only had it in me to do one side, since my coping saw is a real piece of junk and I don’t know if it can do any more. After cutting a squiggly line with the coping saw, I cleaned it up with my spokeshave, and here’s what I got:
You can see the little arc on the bottom that I will cut out next. Then to repeat all that on the other side, and finally to do the wedged mortise and tenon for the center support.
5 comments
Comments feed for this article
July 5, 2008 at 7:08 am
Eric aka MorningWood
Good job man! I’m sure that this will become a very used and appreciated piece of furniture.
July 5, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Dan
Nice work! I really like that you are making this out of salvaged wood your buddy found! I can totally relate to the time issue – I always underestimate how long things will take. But it looks like you already know the secret – it’s more about process than product.
Regarding the curves in the leg – I find ripping with a coping saw very frustrating, and would probably set the spokeshave coarse and just go with that (better yet, a drawknife held bevel down). It does waste the wood, but it can be very fast – a curve like that in about 30 seconds (w/ the drawknife).
July 9, 2008 at 8:38 am
Jonathan Reibsamen
Those are very nice looking dovetails. Maybe one day I’ll be able to make dovetails that well.
July 9, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Marco Principio
Another way to tackle the curves is to take a regular handsaw and cut kerfs almost down to the line, then come back with a chisel and chip away big chunks of the waste. The kerf cuts act as stops to ensure that the grain doesn’t grab the chisel and make it stray. Make sure to cut with /down the grain or the chisel will catch the wood and rip a chunk out. then you can refine the curve with chisels, then rasps, then files. This method is quicker, but also more interesting than sawing for a hour with a coping saw. Practice on scrap first, just to get a feel for it. Good looking work so far though!
July 9, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Kaleo
Eric-
The stool is looking great man. I know how you feel I thought that my box should be a 1 to 2 day job ad now it’s stregthed over a month or so. But the dovetails are looking sweet as well my friend. Keep it up man. Later