# Ugly Stepstool



## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Full of flaws. Next time maybe I will use dowels instead of screws. Hands were numb most of time while working not to mention I was having electrical issues in the shop. Still need to sand and paint or stain.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Looks functional! :thumbsup:

Is it for the cat? :huh:


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## RetiredLE (Jan 20, 2011)

Looks good and sturdy. I am an overbuilder myself. Only mod I can think of is a handhold as depicted in the attached pic - but you might throw out your back when you pick it up. :smile:


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

mdntrdr said:


> Looks functional! :thumbsup:
> 
> Is it for the cat? :huh:


Cats name is Giner aka Lump and she may need it because she is too fat to jump.


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## desertforest (Aug 6, 2011)

the know on the side, the knot on the top, is there a knoton the other side? nice design if it is.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Unfortunately knot


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## 6SpeedSD (Jan 21, 2011)

Looks practical and functional to me. Only thing I'd suggest is to roundover all the edges. But that may not be the look you are going for. What are your plans for finishing? If you are going to paint it, the paint will nearly cover the exposed screws, if you don't like them showing that is.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Personally, I see nothing wrong with it at all. There is something to be said about every skill level and every project and this one reminds me of some of the ones that I used to build. I think that it's great and that you did a fantastic job. I agree that next time you could use some dowel joinery and maybe you could round the sharp corners with a router. Keep up the great work.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*step stool really?*

Looks like a purrfect dining table for the cat in the photo....


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

6SpeedSD said:


> Looks practical and functional to me. Only thing I'd suggest is to roundover all the edges. But that may not be the look you are going for. What are your plans for finishing? If you are going to paint it, the paint will nearly cover the exposed screws, if you don't like them showing that is.


Sand and stain are the plans and just knocking of the corners with a sander.


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## 6SpeedSD (Jan 21, 2011)

EM3 said:


> Sand and stain are the plans and just knocking of the corners with a sander.


Should look just fine! Post up some pics when you finish. Would love to see it completed. What color stain are you thinking of going with?


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## mackem (May 20, 2007)

EM3 said:


> Full of flaws. Next time maybe I will use dowels instead of screws. Hands were numb most of time while working not to mention I was having electrical issues in the shop. Still need to sand and paint or stain.


Looks mighty fine to me. :thumbsup:
You can still use dowels on it, just take out one screw
at a time, redrill for size of dowel, then put glue in the
hole, cut dowel to size, stick your dowel in, job done. :smile:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

mackem said:


> Looks mighty fine to me. :thumbsup:
> You can still use dowels on it, just take out one screw
> at a time, redrill for size of dowel, then put glue in the
> hole, cut dowel to size, stick your dowel in, job done. :smile:


+1. :yes: Or, just seat the screw a bit deeper, and cut off a section of a dowel and use it as a plug, and sand flat, ease all the edges, put a finish on it, and then place the cat on it. Make sure the finish is dry before placing the cat on it. If not it could be _*cat*_astrophic.:laughing:










 







.


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## mackem (May 20, 2007)

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Nice use of 2x stock.....
I agree with all the prior posters.
Good shape
Round the corners
I would NOT stain.....just poly and let the natural patina take over in a few weeks.

One structural critique.....The front leg has the grain going horizontal vs the correct orientation (vertical) on the rear leg.
Picture the leg of a table or chair. You wouldn't make the grain go across because it would split easily.

...but I'm headed to the shop to make one with your design....thanks


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## Work-The-Wood (Jan 22, 2012)

I think a step stool is probably going to be my first "official" woodworking project! I like your design!


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

tcleve4911 said:


> One structural critique.....The front leg has the grain going horizontal vs the correct orientation (vertical) on the rear leg.
> Picture the leg of a table or chair. You wouldn't make the grain go across because it would split easily.
> 
> ...but I'm headed to the shop to make one with your design....thanks


 You found the screw up! Yeah I saw that also after I brought it in. I got in a hurry because it was cold in the shop and my hands were numb. I guess my brain went also. The important part is the wife likes it.


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## Carvel Loafer (Dec 31, 2011)

Nice! :thumbsup: A good thing on this step stool is that the top looks about the same size or smaller that the spread of the feet. The one shown by retired LE is nice too but has a smaller footing so if you step on the edge it can tend to roll causing you to fall. 

Show us after you put the finish on.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Will do! I am still debating on a finish. The wife wants to pick the stain out.

One of my coworkers saw the image on the wifes Facebook page and said she wanted one. One of the wifes friends in Nebraska wants me to make one and send it to her. Sure no problem just no idea how much shipping would be.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

EM3 said:


> You found the screw up! Yeah I saw that also after I brought it in. I got in a hurry because it was cold in the shop and my hands were numb. I guess my brain went also. The important part is the wife likes it.


One bit of caution:

The grain going the wrong way on a stepstool can be a real hazard.
Not trying to be a buzz kill but you should rethink actually using this.
I would make another leg with the correct grain orientation.
just my 2¢


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

tcleve4911 said:


> One structural critique.....The front leg has the grain going horizontal vs the correct orientation (vertical) on the rear leg.
> Picture the leg of a table or chair. You wouldn't make the grain go across because it would split easily.


thanks for pointing this out... I had never thought of the grain direction before, regarding an application like this. That is why I am on this forum. Always learning......

so it is better to have the grain running vertical (up and down)? So when you have any sort of load you want the load to be running in line with the grain, not against it?

Fabian

Ps. Nice job on the stool by the way. I really like its proportions, and don't ever be ashamed to post anything on here. I think the stool turned out great. Its all about a learning curve right.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Exactly correct Fabian.

The way I think about grain orientation is this:
Take a 1x8 and cut two 1/2" pieces from it.
Cut one going with the grain. Cut the other across the grain.
Now take each one and try to break them in your fingertips.

Across the grain snaps pretty easy, huh? It has no strength in this orientation.
Some will say...oh but it's just because it's not thick enough.
I've seen many a structural 2x break with the wrong orientation.

This could be the table/stool leg.....not good.


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

tcleve4911 said:


> Exactly correct Fabian.
> 
> The way I think about grain orientation is this:
> Take a 1x8 and cut two 1/2" pieces from it.
> ...


I am confused here. In my pic that I attached, if I was to build the same stool, and use the grain orientation that is in "A", I would think, that based on your example above, that the the stool could split (especially with screws in the middle weakening the grain more). In "B" , with the grain oriented that way, the wood can take the compressive strength better. Maybe I am overthinking this.....









Of couse my pic is too small to see, but I think you can see the grain direction and what not on there. 

Fabian


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## 6SpeedSD (Jan 21, 2011)

Drill pilot holes for your screws and splitting shouldn't be an issue. If your grain in running vertically (pic 1), and it should happen to split, you will still have vertical stability. The stool won't fold up under you basically. If the grain is horizontal, and it splits, I would imagine the stool, and even worse you, will crash to the floor. Hope that makes sense.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*wood grain and loads*

what he said above.

Most of us woodworkers have some experience in construction, if not first hand, then through observation. Loads in the building trades and home construction vary greatly in the type and the amount of force, whether concentrated loads like on a column or distributed loads like a floor. So commonly, loads are vertical down the column or distributed along a beam horizontally.
There are other types of loads.... rotating, shear, etc.

For woodworkers we mainly have to account for much lower forces such as on a cabinet loaded with goods or a human body on a chair or footstool, no where near the amount of force in a house wall or roof. So grain direction is sometimes more of a visual choice than a stress related one. Screws as a rule don't grab well in end grain and are much stronger across the long grain. Screws in end grain can "assist" in the splitting of the wood if not properly drilled or oversized. Less of a problem in cross grain, but still possible.

So with your stool legs issue, you have one leg with vertical grain with screws down from the top into the end grain and the other with the grain running across or horizontally, and then brace in the center with the screws in the end grain. The length of the pieces is not great and the thickness is very substantial, so probably neither will "fail" as a result of the mild loads from standing on it. Racking is another set of forces that cabinets and chairs are subject to and braces and back panels do a good job of preventing, as will your brace in the center.

The leg with the cross grain has the potential for a split to develop with the grain and fail if not loaded directly in line with the leg. It may show signs of splitting or checking as it's called over time. The other reason the suggestion to run the grain vertically in this case would be that a finish applied to the end grain on the cross grain leg will not be attractive and will be darker than the sides. 

Now that all is said and done, you can change it or leave it and probably not have a problem. This could be a "test" project and you could post the results in a few years of vigorous use.....  bill


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

First of all, my apoligies to the OP if I hijacked this thread. I am sorry for that. 

Second of all, thanks woodnthings, 6speedsd, and tcleve4911, for clearing up those "load" questions that I was confused about. Woodnthings..... you also bring up a very great point about the endgrain being exposed when you go to finish it. Thanks for that as well.

to the OP.... Still nice job on the stool, and thanks for posting so that I could learn more about the do's and don'ts.

Fabian

PS I would have just hit the "thanks" button, but for some reason, mine is not there anymore :blink: :huh: :no: :thumbdown:


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

to the OP
I hope you learned something from this discussion and excuse us from borrowing (not hijacking) your thread.

But nice stool
Show us a pic of your stool with the corrected leg.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

No problem with the discussion.


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## EM3 (Sep 12, 2011)

Never mind about a pic update. She bought ebony stain.


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

No, see you are wrong, THIS is the official ugly step stool.









Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Woodworking Talk


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