Project by ytsejamr | posted 10-25-2010 08:35 PM | 5660 views | 17 times favorited | 41 comments | ![]() |
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So a couple months ago I needed to make a step stool for my son. It needed to be big enough for him to reach the kitchen sink.
I searched around on the internets and found the design that Tommy Mac aka T-Chisel aka the new host of the Roughcut show on PBS. He had done a “forum build” a couple years ago with a bunch of people making the step stool. He had a few podcasts about it that I did watch.
I had also been given a gift certificate to a local lumber store for my birthday. I splurged on an expensive (>$100) figured walnut board.
So I broke out my dovetail saw and chisels and went to work.
I started with a wash coat of shellac. Then a little bit of danish oil. Then a few more coats of shellac, then topped off with a bunch of sprayed on coats of water based lacquer. A little paste wax topper and she was ready for pictures.
I have a feeling you’ll see a few more of these in the future.
41 comments so far
489tad
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3968 posts in 3985 days
#1 posted 10-25-2010 08:59 PM
Very nice. Your son will be proud to have his son use it.
-- Dan, Naperville IL, I.G.N.
Millo
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543 posts in 4024 days
#2 posted 10-25-2010 09:08 PM
your handcut joinery looks great! Awesome! Spectacular wood, that figured walnut.
Gintaras
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#3 posted 10-25-2010 09:19 PM
so great wood
-- Gintaras, http://www.woodatelier.com
mcoyfrog
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4757 posts in 4568 days
#4 posted 10-25-2010 09:25 PM
Mann look at that wood, so beautiful
-- Wood and Glass they kick (well you know) Have a great day - Dug
AaronK
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1512 posts in 4438 days
#5 posted 10-25-2010 09:28 PM
nice stool! it certainly looks too good to actually use :-)
just wondering: what’s your reasoning behind using all the different finishes in that particular order?
ytsejamr
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#6 posted 10-25-2010 09:32 PM
Yeah . . . the finishes. I was going to try to fill the grain a little with the shellac. So the first few coats of that were sanded down pretty good. Then the danish oil was to get a little oil in there. The danish oil alone didn’t quite have the look I was going for, so I did a couple coats of shellac again because I knew I was going to go water based on top of that. I never really did fully fill the grain. If I did it again, I would probably use a grain filler, some sort of oil and go right to the top coat. One of these days I’m going to build up a finish and rub it out, but I’m just not patient enough yet.
AaronK
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1512 posts in 4438 days
#7 posted 10-25-2010 09:37 PM
gotcha. I can imagine myself doing the same thing. Actually, while I don’t ever really want to go for a full piano-like finish, I have gotten as close as I really care to get using poly. 1 coat of straight gloss poly put on there without too much care for dust nibs etc, then sanded back with ~500 grit paper does a really fine job. Using another coat or two of diluted “wiping” poly has gotten me pretty smooth finishes – actually smoother than I’d intended.
I’ve never tried shellac, but I was under the impression that it was kind of the perfect grain filler, since it dries so quickly. hmm.
TopamaxSurvivor
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#8 posted 10-25-2010 09:42 PM
WOW!! That has to be the most expensive foot stool in the world!! sure looks good :-)
-- Bob in WW ~ "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence
MickeyGee
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119 posts in 3868 days
#9 posted 10-25-2010 09:44 PM
Nicely done!
The board is really eye-catching but the joinery is equally nice!
Great job on featuring the craftsmanship in your photos.
I’m sure your little guy will love it. Great work.
-- -- Mike
shimster
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96 posts in 3980 days
#10 posted 10-25-2010 09:55 PM
Art!
-- Less is More.....expensive
CiscoKid
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#11 posted 10-25-2010 10:02 PM
Beautiful work.
-- Al, Culpeper VA
GabrielX
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#12 posted 10-25-2010 10:06 PM
Thanks for the idea! Nice joins.
-- GX
jusfine
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#13 posted 10-25-2010 10:07 PM
Amazing figure! Great workmanship!
-- Randy "You are judged as much by the questions you ask as the answers you give..."
Dusty56
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#14 posted 10-25-2010 10:52 PM
Did you try a sample piece by putting the oil on before the shellac ?
Was the oil able to penetrate the shellac on your project ?
Finishes and their order of application intrigue me sometimes.
Thanks.
-- I'm absolutely positive that I couldn't be more uncertain!
rivergirl
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3201 posts in 3812 days
#15 posted 10-25-2010 10:59 PM
Beautiful wood on this stool! Wow!
-- Homer : "Oh, and how is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain."
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