november 2007

P O P U L A RME C H A N I C S . C OM

NOVEMBER 2007

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Reach your book and read it, toowith a red-oak

step stool that converts to a chair.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHAD HUNT

 



PULLOUT

g at e f o l d

Tools

112-in. No. 8 fh
screws
2-in. No. 8 fh
screws
112 x 2-in. butt
hinges
3
8-in. wooden
plugs
Glue or epoxy
adhesive

HARDWARE
AND SUPPLIES

BASIC TOOLS
Jigsaw
Router
3
4-in.-dia.
straight bit
1
4-in. quarterround bit
Drill/driver
Drill bits
Chisel
Plane
Sander

Materials

VIEW

Top

Cut the seat shapes with a jigsaw, clean

up the saw marks and plane 221 2-degree
bevels on the adjacent edges. Use a chisel
to cut the hinge mortises and join both
seat halves with the hinges. Then rout
a 1 4-in. round along the ends of the seat
pieces and around the front.

P L E A S E

VIEW

3/4

C U T

Attach seat to front and back

subassemblies.

e best time to rout the dadoes for the

steps is aer the side components have
been joined. Use a straight board to guide
the router, and clamp the board and the
side assembly to your bench. For extra
router support, secure a piece of scrap
wood between the legs of the stool with
double-sided tape.

CUTTING THE
STEP JOINTS

You can cut plugs ush with

a sharp chisel, but take very
light cuts at rst to determine grain direction.
Otherwise, you risk tearing
out a bit of the plug below
the surface of the
surrounding wood.

Join back step, slats and top

step-stool step to sides.

Join seat halves with hinges.

Join front step and seat rail to sides.

Rout step dadoes.

Join side subassemblies with

screws and glue.

ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE

Except for the dado joints that support the

steps, all of the parts are assembled with
simple screw-fastened butt joints. We
used a wood glue along with the screws
if your joints are less than perfect, use
epoxy adhesive instead. This is a good gap
ller and it works well on endgrain.
Weve counterbored the screwholes
and covered the screwheads with 3 8-in.dia. wooden plugs. You can buy plugs, or
make them with a plug cutteror simply
countersink the screwholes and leave the
heads ush.

Reach your book and read it, toowith a red-oak

step stool that converts to a chair.

Classics

pullout

Photograph by chad hunt

Step-by-step pullout inside

If you opt for

counterbored
screwholes
covered with
plugs, you should
invest in a
combination bit.
e best ones
have a tapered
twist bit, an
adjustable
counterbore
cutter and a
depth stop.

Combination Bit

is tool handles
both curved and
straight cuts.

While the piece is simple to build, the

parts must t together correctly so the
assembly works in both stool and chair
positions. To get everything right, its
best to make a full-size drawing of the
side view from which you can transfer
the actual shapes and sizes of the parts.
For the curved parts, make templates
from 1 4-in.-thick plywood. Transfer the
shapes to the wood, cut to the lines
with a jigsaw and smooth the sawn
edges. You can leave the lower ends
(chair position) of the rear side-frame
components long, then cut the bottom
to length after the parts are joined.
Similarly, the upper ends of the front
sides can be trimmed after assembly.

VIEW

Side

O N T H E W E B /// Rotate, animate and zoom in on 3D animation

of this project at popularmechanics.com/3Dworkshop.

> BY NEAL BARRETT

Step Stool

CLASSICS

WOOD
We chose red oak
for this project
because its
strong, durable
and available at
most home
centers and
lumberyards.
Maple would also
work, but avoid a
sowood like pine.
e screw joints
rely on a tougher
wood to hold the
threads securely.

S i m p l e D o - I t - Yo u r s e l f P ro j e c t s

Jigsaw



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ILLUSTRATIONS BY THOMAS KLENCK

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Wood stoves, lightning rods, bifocalsand the founding of our countryare a few of the things we think of when Benjamin Franklin
comes to mind. But somewhere in between ying kites in storms and
diplomatic missions to Europe, the great man had a hand in furniture design, including an innovative step stool that doubles as a
chair. Weve created a version thats easy to build and ideal for any
home. Its a four-step design thats hinged at the middle step. When
the top pivots down to the oor, the middle step opens into a seat and
the rear legs become the chair back.

 
 



Double Play

Free

104

/!-%(.

Double Play

STEP-BY-STEP PULLOUT INSIDE

>




104

H E R E

Wood stoves, lightning rods, bifocalsand the founding of our countryare a few of the things we think of when Benjamin Franklin
comes to mind. But somewhere in between flying kites in storms and
diplomatic missions to Europe, the great man had a hand in furniture design, including an innovative step stool that doubles as a
chair. Weve created a version thats easy to build and ideal for any
home. Its a four-step design thats hinged at the middle step. When
the top pivots down to the floor, the middle step opens into a seat and
the rear legs become the chair back.

Quick Tip

>

FREE

S i m p l e D o - I t - Yo u r s e l f P ro j e c t s

Classics

illustrations by thomas klenck

> by neal Barrett

Step Stool
Help: Using the 3D Interface
Click Activate 3D to the left. Then
use the toolbar above this text to
play animations, change the look of
models, and use other tools.

Close Help

Activate 3D

p l e a s e

c u t

h e r e

Step Stool
Classics

O N TH E W E B /// Rotate, animate and zoom in on 3D animation

of this project at popularmechanics.com/3Dworkshop.

wood
We chose red oak
for this project
because its
strong, durable
and available at
most home
centers and
lumberyards.
Maple would also
work, but avoid a
softwood like pine.
The screw joints
rely on a tougher
wood to hold the
threads securely.
BASIC TOOLS
Jigsaw
Router
3
4-in.-dia.
straight bit
1
4-in. quarterround bit
Drill/driver
Drill bits
Chisel
Plane
Sander
HARDWARE
AND SUPPLIES

112-in. No. 8 fh
screws
2-in. No. 8 fh
screws
112 x 2-in. butt
hinges
3
8-in. wooden
plugs
Glue or epoxy
adhesive

3/4
View
Except for the dado joints that support the
steps, all of the parts are assembled with
simple screw-fastened butt joints. We
used a wood glue along with the screws
if your joints are less than perfect, use
epoxy adhesive instead. This is a good gap
filler and it works well on endgrain.
Weve counterbored the screwholes
and covered the screwheads with 3 8-in.dia. wooden plugs. You can buy plugs, or
make them with a plug cutteror simply
countersink the screwholes and leave the
heads flush.
ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE
1

Join side subassemblies with

screws and glue.

Rout step dadoes.

Join front step and seat rail to sides.

Join back step, slats and top

step-stool step to sides.

Join seat halves with hinges.

Attach seat to front and back

subassemblies.

Tools
Materials

View
While the piece is simple to build, the
parts must fit together correctly so the
assembly works in both stool and chair
positions. To get everything right, its
best to make a full-size drawing of the
side view from which you can transfer
the actual shapes and sizes of the parts.
For the curved parts, make templates
from 1 4-in.-thick plywood. Transfer the
shapes to the wood, cut to the lines
with a jigsaw and smooth the sawn
edges. You can leave the lower ends
(chair position) of the rear side-frame
components long, then cut the bottom
to length after the parts are joined.
Similarly, the upper ends of the front
sides can be trimmed after assembly.

Jigsaw
This tool handles
both curved and
straight cuts.

Combination Bit
If you opt for
counterbored
screwholes
covered with
plugs, you should
invest in a
combination bit.
The best ones
have a tapered
twist bit, an
adjustable
counterbore
cutter and a
depth stop.

Top
View
Cut the seat shapes with a jigsaw, clean
up the saw marks and plane 221 2-degree
bevels on the adjacent edges. Use a chisel
to cut the hinge mortises and join both
seat halves with the hinges. Then rout
a 1 4-in. round along the ends of the seat
pieces and around the front.

Quick Tip

Side

&

You can cut plugs flush with

a sharp chisel, but take very
light cuts at first to determine grain direction.
Otherwise, you risk tearing
out a bit of the plug below
the surface of the
surrounding wood.

CUTTING THE
STEP JOINTS
The best time to rout the dadoes for the
steps is after the side components have
been joined. Use a straight board to guide
the router, and clamp the board and the
side assembly to your bench. For extra
router support, secure a piece of scrap
wood between the legs of the stool with
double-sided tape.