# Building bar stools, little help please.



## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

First off, new to the forum! The wife and I build rustic furniture and just got a order for 5 bar stools. The stools will have swivels and also have a back rest. We have done a lot of other furniture including beds, dressers, tables, tv stands ect... But this is the first time attempting chairs. Some questions I have are, for the actual seat should I just do a thick pine slab or should I be looking into a glue up of several pieces? I plan on doing a 2in minimal seat, and I am just wondering what will be better in the long run, as far as durability and not warping. Another question, is for the bottom and top base for the swivel. Should I find a hard wood like oak to fasten the swivels too? Just worried that since pine is such a soft wood that the screws will eventually loosen up. Any help from you guys would be much appreciated!

Thanks


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Welcome to WWT. 
Build with what you have. Using a pine slab for the seat is common for some building rustic log furniture. Depends what Customer wants. 
Let's see pics to see your building style and techniques, to further help.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Dominick said:


> Welcome to WWT.
> Build with what you have. Using a pine slab for the seat is common for some building rustic log furniture. Depends what Customer wants.
> Let's see pics to see your building style and techniques, to further help.


Thanks, sorry I tried to post a couple pics but I guess I have to have 10 post before I am allowed to post pics...


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

Use as wide of stuff as you have.
A little warp in a seat might be a good thing.
Look to original windsors for inspiration....most are single-plank seats.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

JBSmall said:


> Use as wide of stuff as you have.
> A little warp in a seat might be a good thing.
> Look to original windsors for inspiration....most are single-plank seats.


I think I am going to go with a 18" seat so my idea is a glue up of 2 9" pieces and using dowels in between my glue up. I like the looks of the bigger seats but the customer needs to fit at least 5 stools possibly 6. I am going to my local saw mill guy today to see if he possibly has wide 18" planks, but if not I will try to just do one glue up per seat.


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

Skip the dowels.
If you joint, glue, and clamp properly, you don't need them; dowels can actually hasten the failure of the joint, rather than preserve it, as they are cross-grain construction. Of course, the shorter they are, the less this is so, but the less sense they make to use!!
I guess you'll think about it anyway.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

JBSmall said:


> Skip the dowels.
> If you joint, glue, and clamp properly, you don't need them; dowels can actually hasten the failure of the joint, rather than preserve it, as they are cross-grain construction. Of course, the shorter they are, the less this is so, but the less sense they make to use!!
> I guess you'll think about it anyway.


Good to know thanks! I have been doing some thinking and would it be good to take a router and making a groove to insert a piece of hard wood in between the glue up. Would this be a good way to go? I am sure there is a name for this process, but forgive me for not knowing the technical name:smile:

Thanks


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

Spline.
I splined a seat-joint once, with the grain of the spline running the same way as the two planks. 
That was a whole lot of work for nothing!
Think about that!
That seat has held up just fine.
Just glue them with good-mating surfaces and forget about reinforcements. The spline would be the same as dowels - cross-grain construction.
Many swear by biscuit-joinery...that's a bit different, in that they don't extend too far into the wood, and hae a side benefit of aligning the parts during glue-up.
How fat are these customers?


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

JBSmall said:


> Spline.
> I splined a seat-joint once, with the grain of the spline running the same way as the two planks.
> That was a whole lot of work for nothing!
> Think about that!
> ...


Thanks, guess I will be just doing a standard glue up! 

How fat are these customers? This made me laugh out loud, the customer is average build but just want to make sure I make a quality stool. Don't know if he has any overweight friends, and just don't want to get blamed for a seat breaking. I'm sure it will be fine and durable, but I am always trying to make my furniture better!

Thanks


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Okay so started getting all the stuff together, swivels finally got shipped today. So I started peeling and measuring logs, the customers bar is 48" tall so I am going to go with 32 to 34" legs. The swivels are 7" x 1 in thick, and my seat will be 16" x 2". I originally thought about going with squared legs but with the seat being only 16" the squared leg look would be to close together. So I am going with the slanted legs to give the customer more leg room while sitting. Couple questions I have, for starting to assemble the legs I am wondering on what to do first? I went with a 2x12 for the bottom board to attach to the swivel and legs. So I cut my squares to 11 1/8. Is there a certain angle for the bottom of the legs I should consider? Once I get the legs at a angle then I can tenon the tops of the legs and mark out where to drill. After I get the legs at the right angle the rest should be fairly simple. I have a 1 1/4 tenon cup and plan on trying to get the legs spread out as much as possible so the stool doesnt look like a TP.

Thanks for any help


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Sorry I need to get 10 post before posting pics and I need 2 more


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

10 post


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

This is basically what I am going for... few changes but to give you guys a idea.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

jmccallie said:


> This is basically what I am going for... few changes but to give you guys a idea.


If your trying to get the angle for the legs, what I do is grab an angle finder hold it against a log and tilt it to the angle you want. I don't know what angle that is, you'll have to play with it. If you don't have an angle finder use a angle Beveler, than transfer that to the miter saw to find your angle. Drill your mortices and tenons.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Dominick said:


> If your trying to get the angle for the legs, what I do is grab an angle finder hold it against a log and tilt it to the angle you want. I don't know what angle that is, you'll have to play with it. If you don't have an angle finder use a angle Beveler, than transfer that to the miter saw to find your angle. Drill your mortices and tenons.


Thanks, sorry was a dumb question as each chair dessign will be different. I just grabbed a log and made a few cuts on the miter saw till i found the angle that worked best. Turns out a 10 degree angle is what worked well, at 36" it gives enough room for feet to rest in between the legs and matches up with my pattern for the base of the swivel with out having the TP look.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

So here is what I have got so far. After getting all my angles figured out its going pretty well. These chairs are taking some time though...


























Legs are all sitting great on the floor.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Hey they look nice. Looks like northern white cedar? the 10deg angle fits it well. 
What's your tip for getting the bottom of the legs to sit flat on the floor? 
The way I do mine is I leave my legs an 1"1/2 longer than my total height, then when it's all assembled I'll use a small chunk of 2x4 and tape a pencil to it, then trace around the log with 2x4 flat on the floor, then cut with a hand saw. 
Nice work. Glad to see more guys & gals do this type of work.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Dominick said:


> Hey they look nice. Looks like northern white cedar? the 10deg angle fits it well.
> What's your tip for getting the bottom of the legs to sit flat on the floor?
> The way I do mine is I leave my legs an 1"1/2 longer than my total height, then when it's all assembled I'll use a small chunk of 2x4 and tape a pencil to it, then trace around the log with 2x4 flat on the floor, then cut with a hand saw.
> Nice work. Glad to see more guys & gals do this type of work.


Thanks, Yes northern cedar we live in Northern Michigan. As for what I did your idea sounds way easier! I just basically made a mini pattern and cut 4 small legs and started making cuts till I found the angle I liked and what kept the legs sitting flat. 

I love rustic, each piece is different and unique. Its like art with wood working. The wife and I are actually a young couple and we own and design rustic furniture in northern Michigan (yourrusticdesign.com). We both love doing it and together with my carpenter experience we do a great job. A lot of our customers love us because we look so young and do professional work (I am very detail oriented and extremely anal!) I am 26 and my wife is 25 but we both look 20 :laughing:


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Off topic here but figured I would show off a few pics of what the wife and I have done.

This is a dresser that I designed and as far as I know the only one like it. Used grape vines to make it look as if the vines where going in and out of the dresser.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

That's awesome!!!!! Work. 
So glad you joined wood talk. Age is just a number. Lol that's cool you and your wife are doing this together. I just picked up 11 white cedar logs today as a matter of fact. I'm not sure if I'm at your caliber of furniture builder. Hope to see more. You can check my pics in my profile. 
Thumbs up.
Nice website. Looks very professional.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Dominick said:


> That's awesome!!!!! Work.
> So glad you joined wood talk. Age is just a number. Lol that's cool you and your wife are doing this together. I just picked up 11 white cedar logs today as a matter of fact. I'm not sure if I'm at your caliber of furniture builder. Hope to see more. You can check my pics in my profile.
> Thumbs up.
> Nice website. Looks very professional.


Thanks, I still have a ton to learn. I was originally a framer with carpentry and then about 4 years ago rustic caught my eye and fell in love with it. I really like your coffee tables! Looks great!


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

jmccallie said:


> Thanks, I still have a ton to learn. I was originally a framer with carpentry and then about 4 years ago rustic caught my eye and fell in love with it. I really like your coffee tables! Looks great!


Thanks. 
Yea you can never learn to much. I'm self taught. 
This forum and people like you are what helps me learn.


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

Rustic-surrealism.
Nice.


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Alright finally got them all done, what do you guys think?


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Those came out awesome. Looks good
Thanks


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

Nice job!


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## jmccallie (Aug 12, 2012)

Thanks guys! I have doubts with everything that I build ( not structurally but the finish product looks) I still don't know if I like them, but I do this with everything I build... And the wife always says that everything I do is beautiful and that I don't have to like it! Because that is what the customer wanted. 

Its funny I have to step back and pretend that I am in a store and ask my self if I would take a second look at them. Maybe one of these days I will actually say I like what I built:laughing: The wife says I am to anal and that I will always find a way to not like what I build.....


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

We're our own worst critic. I know because my wife says the same thing your wife says. 
Don't sweat it. their beautiful. 
Can't wait to see more.


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

A perfectionist will focus on the flaws in his own work.
Anyone who restores anything knows that, take houses for example, we are propping them up just a little faster than they are falling down. 
I use the motto "This is the Earth" to help get over it. Nothing is perfect here. 
You gotta just learn to accept compliments with a "Thank you".


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

I love your stools. But, I REALLY love that dresser. That is off the charts in my opinion. Great work.


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