# Not So Plain Step Stool



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

He's got quite a process going on there. Cool video.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Anytime anyone thinks a simple project is...well...simple. Show them this video.

I had a client come it with a broken table leg. It was a small table and the leg was petite. I fixed it pretty quick, but he couldn't believe all the steps it took to get 2 dowel holes drilled and be accurate and get it put together, glued and the color repaired. He told me he didn't think it would be so complicated to do something that sounded so simple.

I explained to him that nearly nothing was "simple" when you are trying to get a finished product. Simple for those who do it every day. Complex for those who think it is simple.



I really liked how he put his name in the stools. That was a great touch.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Leo G said:


> Anytime anyone thinks a simple project is...well...simple. Show them this video.
> 
> I had a client come it with a broken table leg. It was a small table and the leg was petite. I fixed it pretty quick, but he couldn't believe all the steps it took to get 2 dowel holes drilled and be accurate and get it put together, glued and the color repaired. He told me he didn't think it would be so complicated to do something that sounded so simple.
> 
> ...


Well said. And such a valid observation. Very little of woodworking is as quick and simple as an outsider would suppose. And the number of distinct actions and operations always far outweighs their assumption.

This is why it's hard to get 'true value' for high end pieces.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Heck, I've been doing this for over 20 years as my career and I still underestimate the number of steps that it takes to do most projects. It's mind boggling at times.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

That was a great tutorial on preparing complimentary shapes by routing using patterns.

I like how he hand carved the tenons using a test mortise then added wedges during final assembly.

Also how he planed one side of the (walnut?) flat by hand and planed the opposite side by machine. 


.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Interesting video, thanks for posting. :thumbsup:

Good to see he was not afraid to explain his hiccups and show what he did to recover.

It is common that people who only see the finished project do not appreciate the time, effort and number of operations involved.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

That's a very eloquent way of putting it.

I just say most people are clueless :laughing:


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Everybody is clueless (ignorant) in one way or another.

No one knows everything.

We would all love to have our clientele know the minutia of of our processes to truly appreciate the work we do. Unfortunately most are only interested in the finished product.

I once built a liquor miniature display cabinet for a client in Georgia.

I took great pains to make everything per his specs and with the best results.

He called to say how pleased he was and called me a "master craftsman".

Now I know that's just not true and I told him so.

My point is that though he really was clueless about the process he did, on some level appreciate the results of my efforts and methods.

His appreciation was expressed and his check was good.

That my friends was a successful project.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Nice vid. Thanks Cabbie. I liked the jig for writing with a router. There must be plans for that somewhere.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

Shop Dad said:


> Nice vid. Thanks Cabbie. I liked the jig for writing with a router. There must be plans for that somewhere.


The router pantograph is from Matthias Wandel's website. The link takes you to the page on the pantograph, but be careful because you are likely to loose a few days just looking through all the stuff he's created! He offers the plans for sale I believe.


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