This pair of stools was inspired by a video I watched about making Stanton Stools with hand tools only. These two stools were made from a single 2×12 by 6′ board of local construction lumber (Douglas Fir) board. This was a gratifying woodworking project and the total cost was ~$12. The stools were finished with a Cherry stain and several coats of Polyurethane.
Because the stools are of different heights (leg lengths), the sanded pieces are labeled with Painter’s Tape to avoid errors in final assembly.
This simple fixture was fabricated from the remainder my 6′ Douglas Fir stock. The purpose is to drill 9-degree angled holes in the seat and legs using my Drill Press.
Being a wood turning neophyte, I had trouble measuring and sizing tenons. I created this measuring tool from a 4/4 (15/16″) scrap Oak piece. Along both long sides I marked a pencil line to pass through the diameter of each hole drilled with my Forstner drill bit set. The holes were arranged to fit a variety of hole sizes on my scrap piece. After drilling, I accurately sawed (ripped) through the diameter of all the holes, leaving a “perfect” half circle. Due to the relative thick height (15/16″) of this gauge I can identify which parts of the tenon need further trimming. Once my tenon fits into the half circle the fit is perfect. My turned tenons went from being sloppy to a snug fit every time.
Finally, to get a proper angle on the feet for flat resting, I temporarily glued a sheet of sandpaper to small Melamine rectangle. Then, standing the stool upright on the Melamine, I manually sanded each foot flat to the horizontal plane.