stool leg angles

jdh122 · Dec 5, 2018

I'm making two kitchen stools (bar stool height) for a friend. I'm unsure about the rake and splay angles for the legs and wondering if people have any suggestions. I'm vaguely copying the Thos Moser High Stool and found an image taken from the front that should allow me to measure the angles to the sides, but can't figure out the front and back angles. I found another image taken from the front corner and it seems that there must be programs that can easily calculate the angles from the image. Any suggestions either of how to get the angles from the image, or can anyone provide angles from a stool they've made themselves (does not have to be a similar stool, just one that is solid)?

The picture taken from the corner: https://goo.gl/images/xHQJms

The picture taken from the front: https://www.thosmoser.com/product/high-stool/

LittleShaver · Dec 5, 2018

Looks to me like both angles are the same. Mock up something with scraps and pick some angles that look good to you. Matching someone else's exact dimensions is highly over rated.

HokieKen · Dec 5, 2018

Looks to me like both angles are the same. Mock up something with scraps and pick some angles that look good to you. Matching someone else s exact dimensions is highly over rated.

- LittleShaver

+1

I'd start around 15 degrees for both angles and just nail some scrap together and see how it looks. As far as stability, it depends on how big the seat is and how the legs are positioned on it. You just need to be sure the center of gravity of the person sitting in the stool can't go outside where the legs meet the floor. So, the taller the stool, the wider the footprint needs to be.

jdh122 · Dec 6, 2018

Thanks for the advice, guess I'll try mocking something up.

redlee · Dec 6, 2018

I always make sure the leg bottoms are at least as wide or a little wider than the top. Someone is bound to stand on it and if the legs are not as wide as the top it will tip.

jdh122 · Dec 6, 2018

Thanks Richard. I had noticed that the base always extends past the top, had much thought about the issue of standing on it, but it's good to keep in mind.

WoodenDreams · Dec 6, 2018

If you have a angle gauge for your table saw, you could use that gauge to calculate the angle. The stools I made for a client was 10 degrees, they specified the height and wanted two square & two round seats!

jdh122 · Dec 7, 2018

You mean mock up a scrap one and then use a Wixey digital gauge to get the angles? That could work.
I may get to this step this coming weekend. Right now I'm turning the 8 posts on my springpole lathe, takes a long time…

000 · Dec 7, 2018

Sketchup,
Draw the base, draw the seat, connect the dots, measure the angle. easy peasy.
Take about 5-10 minutes at most.

However you do it, you need to know some fixed dimensions to start with.
Base size of legs (footprint)
Size of seat, and, How far you want to inset the legs from the edge of the seat
height of stool.
Once you have these the angles are pretty much a given.

jdh122 · Dec 7, 2018

THanks Jbay. For me, I think it's simpler just to use high school trig once I have a mockup or a model that I like than it is to use Sketchup.

stool leg angles

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