# Kitchen Island Stool



## Tom Smart (Jan 17, 2019)

I’m finally starting the kitchen island stool I promised my wife 6, no 7, years ago now. This 6/4 walnut board was to be a table, another project I procrastinated on long enough to find another use for the wood. I had a dado stack on the table saw so I figured I’d just cut it with a circular saw. There was so much tension in the wood it bound up, so I’m glad I didn’t have it on the table saw. After wrestling it out, went to the hand saw from the other end. The board snatched it up also. (I don’t recall who on the forum mentioned the Jawhorse, but thanks! It sure is handy.)









Plan is to get 2 stools from the board. I will try and keep as much of the figure as I can in the seat.





First seat roughed out.





Cutting mortises with the dado to accept the legs.










Mortises finished. I have to rabbet 1/2 inch around these but I’m at a standstill. Have to order a 1/2” collet for my router. Thought I had one but.....

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## Bigg081 (Jan 17, 2019)

Following


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## DKMD (Jan 17, 2019)

You’re gonna spoil her doing stuff that quickly... not to mention making the rest of us look bad.

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## Tom Smart (Jan 17, 2019)

DKMD said:


> You’re gonna spoil her doing stuff that quickly... not to mention making the rest of us look bad.


You never want to peak too early, Doc. 

This is what she is currently using.

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## Wildthings (Jan 17, 2019)

Well what's wrong with that??

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## Nature Man (Jan 17, 2019)

Beautiful kitchen cabinetry! Yep, I would say she needs a bigger one! Chuck

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## Tom Smart (Jan 17, 2019)

Wildthings said:


> Well what's wrong with that??


Nothing, that’s why it’s lasted 7 years.

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## Mike1950 (Jan 17, 2019)

Gotten about 18yrs of use out of this one. Grandkids have used it in kitchen as much as anyone. I actually built it for myself. Having a 5' wife means you have to get everything over 72 " now she can reach almost to cabinet top. Used and abused. Alder. And i did not think you used one of those spinny saws Tom....

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## Tom Smart (Jan 17, 2019)

Very nice, Mike. Doesn’t look abused at all. Looks almost new actually.

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## Mike1950 (Jan 17, 2019)

Tom Smart said:


> Very nice, Mike. Doesn’t look abused at all. Looks almost new actually.


I have a 3 step out of cherry someplace. She does not use it much, too heavy. Alder was made to match oak cabinets we had. Now they are cherry. So many different renditions of stools. Yours is looking good.


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## Tom Smart (Jan 17, 2019)

Mike1950 said:


> I have a 3 step out of cherry someplace. She does not use it much, too heavy. Alder was made to match oak cabinets we had. Now they are cherry. So many different renditions of stools. Yours is looking good.


Thank you sir. My first attempt so I’m a bit intimidated.

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## Mike1950 (Jan 17, 2019)

Tom Smart said:


> Thank you sir. My first attempt so I’m a bit intimidated.


mine was second attempt. first was small and wood was too thick- looks clunky- still hanging in there, probably could park truck on it... little grandkids use it in bathroom

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## Mike1950 (Jan 17, 2019)

Stools are fun


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## Tom Smart (Jan 17, 2019)

Mike1950 said:


> Stools are fun


So far so good. This plan has a lot of hand work in it. It’s costing me a bunch to buy all the tools and bits I didn’t have. I’m gonna have to make a dozen to get the cost below what I could have bought them for.

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## woodtickgreg (Jan 18, 2019)




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## Sprung (Jan 18, 2019)

Mike1950 said:


> Stools are fun



There's a /potty humor joke in there somewhere. 



Tom Smart said:


> It’s costing me a bunch to buy all the tools and bits I didn’t have. I’m gonna have to make a dozen to get the cost below what I could have bought them for.



Ain't that the truth sometimes! With the amount I've spent thus far on hardware, tools, and some plywood for my current kitchen hutch build, I probably could've gone out and bought something pre-made and had some money leftover. But where's the fun in that? Besides, I'll have a piece that is uniquely designed to meet both our needs and our taste in design, I'll have a piece that will be built to last, and I can use the tools I've bought in future projects. I mean, the Freud Super Dado I finally pulled the trigger on will serve me for many years to come.

Looking like they'll turn out nice thus far. I'll be watching this one - at some point I know I've got some stools I'll have to build. Probably on about the same 7 year timetable as you too!

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## Wilson's Woodworking (Jan 18, 2019)

Love that Walnut! Can't wait to see the finished product.
(in about 3 years if you are like me)

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## Brink (Jan 18, 2019)

Sprung said:


> There's a /potty humor joke in there somewhere.
> !

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## Mr. Peet (Jan 18, 2019)

Tom Smart said:


> You never want to peak too early, Doc.
> 
> This is what she is currently using.
> 
> View attachment 159041



Good thing my wife didn't see that, she'd want our vintage 1972 wall to wall carpet torn out of the kitchen...

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## Tom Smart (Jan 18, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> Good thing my wife didn't see that, she'd want our vintage 1972 wall to wall carpet torn out of the kitchen...


I like the wood floor in the kitchen. When we built the house 25 years ago I was skeptical about how it would hold up, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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## Mr. Peet (Jan 18, 2019)

Tom Smart said:


> I like the wood floor in the kitchen. When we built the house 25 years ago I was skeptical about how it would hold up, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way.



My joints have enough to do in the morning, so the carpet feels good. I do like wood, and will likely use it when we redo the kitchen. My one brother gave me a quote of 20K. Had 6 others, kitchen saver was the lowest at 13.5K if you know anything about them... implying cheap for a reason. So, she'll have a dishwasher by 65, if I'm still around to make it happen. But the youngest will have college soon, then the grandson...yeah we'll see.

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## Tom Smart (Jan 18, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> My joints have enough to do in the morning, so the carpet feels good. I do like wood, and will likely use it when we redo the kitchen. My one brother gave me a quote of 20K. Had 6 others, kitchen saver was the lowest at 13.5K if you know anything about them... implying cheap for a reason. So, she'll have a dishwasher by 65, if I'm still around to make it happen. But the youngest will have college soon, then the grandson...yeah we'll see.



We are fortunate enough (read old enough) to have finally negotiated those life hurdles. We might be paying for this kitchen rebuild forever, but the kids are out of college without debt and the weddings are paid for.

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## Tom Smart (Jan 19, 2019)

Thought I’d begin working on the stretcher while waiting for the collet for the router. This is a practice run with poplar before chopping on the maple. Need 3 pieces with a 120 degree angle.





Took me over an hour playing around with it to get the fit.





Need a groove in each to accept a triangle shaped spline. Groove no higher than the line or the spline will show up when the stretcher is shaped.













Used double sided tape to attach the triangle spline to a waste block to run through the drum sander. Needs to get to the width of the saw kerf.





Ready to glue.





Hope this works without clamping.

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## Tom Smart (Jan 19, 2019)

Shape of the stretcher penciled in.

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## Tom Smart (Jan 22, 2019)

A few more baby steps with this project. 

Cut out the practice stretcher before shaping it and cutting the tenons. 



 

Glued up the actual stretcher - curly maple. 





Butchered my practice piece before trying to route the rabbets on the seat. 



 

Glad I butchered my practice piece before routing the rabbets on the seat. 





Top and bottom rabbets to accept the legs.

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## DKMD (Jan 22, 2019)

Too cool! Looks like a cool design.

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## Tom Smart (Jan 22, 2019)

DKMD said:


> Too cool! Looks like a cool design.


Thanks, Doc. The design is not my own. I have a pattern and I’m following some video instructions. Learning a lot.

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## barry richardson (Jan 22, 2019)

Very cool Tom! Those joints look like the joints used in the Maloof chairs, is it going to be shapped and contoured?

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## Tom Smart (Jan 22, 2019)

It is, Barry, yes.

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## Tom Smart (Jan 25, 2019)

A few more baby steps.....

Cut out the maple stretcher.





Finished the cut out of the seat.





Took a break to smoke some pastrami.





Leg stock. I was hoping to get 2 per billet but they are about 1/8” too narrow.





Leg layout.





That’ll work once the mortises are cut.





Finished the last jig for this project. This to to position and align the 1/2” mortise for the stretcher tenons.





Time for a pastrami sandwich.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 25, 2019)

Can't wait to see the rest of this build but....sure would like to have that pastrami!

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## Tom Smart (Dec 3, 2019)

I have finally been able to get back to this project. I set it aside back in February to negotiate a few “life events”. I was hoping to complete it by Christmas but that’s looking iffy now. I’ve been crashing to get ready for a Christmas Craft Show this weekend and then we are out of town until just before the holiday. Ah well.

Stretcher is complete except for sanding.




Legs rough shaped.





Heads rounded over to fit the seat mortise.





Good, tight fit.

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## Tom Smart (Dec 3, 2019)

All pieces rough cut with mortises.





Leg mortise for the stretcher.





Legs tapered and edges rounded over.





Rounding over the bottom of the seat.





Decided to try filling the bottom crack with epoxy and coffee grounds (used of course). If it works OK I’ll do it on the top as well.





Shaping the leg reliefs with a rasp.



 

Under cutting the bottom.









Almost ready to dry fit. Bunch of sanding to do first.

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## Sprung (Dec 3, 2019)

Looking great, Tom!

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## Mr. Peet (Dec 4, 2019)

Tom Smart said:


> All pieces rough cut with mortises.
> 
> View attachment 174813
> 
> ...



I'd save those walnut shaving and saw dust and use with your epoxy filler... Project is looking great.

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## T. Ben (Dec 4, 2019)

I


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## Gdurfey (Dec 4, 2019)

thanks for all the details. teaching me a LOT!!!!!

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## barry richardson (Dec 4, 2019)

How do you like that Kutzall rasp Tom? I ordered one a while back (half-round) and they sent me a flat, grrrrr... had to send it back, I was kind of annoyed with them at the time, and have never re-ordered....


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## Tom Smart (Dec 4, 2019)

Barry, the Kutzall isn’t very aggressive and tends to clog up. Have to take a wire brush to it. Better for finer detailing. That Shinto Sawrasp made quick work of cutting in the relief curves. The instructions I’ve been following called for a grinder to do that. Pretty sure I would have screwed things up if i did use a grinder.


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 4, 2019)

Cool build, I'm enjoying watching this one. I save the sanding dust when I empty my sander and I store it in glass jars, I label them so I know what species it is. It's very easy to make an epoxy wood filler out of it.

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## Tom Smart (Dec 4, 2019)

woodtickgreg said:


> Cool build, I'm enjoying watching this one. I save the sanding dust when I empty my sander and I store it in glass jars, I label them so I know what species it is. It's very easy to make an epoxy wood filler out of it.


I thought the coffee would give it a nice darker accent, which it did, but I think I will revert to the sawdust and shavings for the top of the stool.

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## Tom Smart (Dec 5, 2019)

Couple small steps:

Epoxy and shavings to fill the voids in the top. Will sand them back tomorrow. 



 



 

Glued some thin plywood to the tops of the legs. Goal is to support the short grain tops and keep them from splitting when driving them home during assembly.

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## T. Ben (Dec 5, 2019)




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## woodtickgreg (Dec 8, 2019)




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## Tom Smart (Dec 24, 2019)

Dry fit. Lots of fine tuning to do before getting the glue out.

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## Tom Smart (Apr 21, 2020)

Finally....

Glued up, seat dished out, finish applied and out of the basement. Only took a year but I was torn between doing the stool or weed pots. 

The finish is Osmo Polyx Matte. Has anyone used that before? Easy to apply, a little goes a long way, plant based, no VOC or chemicals. Sturdy enough for countertops and floors.

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## barry richardson (Apr 21, 2020)

That's a solid looking stool Tom!  Couldn't resist...... Turned out really nice, only 5 more to go?

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## Tom Smart (Apr 21, 2020)

I’ve started on the seat for number 2 but I don’t yet have maple for the legs. I do have walnut so I could make one that’s all chocolate except for the stretcher. Probably will only have 2.

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## woodtickgreg (Apr 21, 2020)

Very nice

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## TimR (Apr 21, 2020)

Now that’s a proper stool! Very nice design, though the details are above my pay grade.

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## Tom Smart (Apr 21, 2020)

TimR said:


> the details are above my pay grade.


I had that worry as well, Tim, but I learned something at each step. Turns out this is a _really_ expensive stool cause, also at each step, was the opportunity to buy another tool. And I took each opportunity.

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## woodtickgreg (Apr 21, 2020)

Was that a Charles Brock plan?

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## Sprung (Apr 21, 2020)

Nicely done, Tom!

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## Tom Smart (Apr 21, 2020)

woodtickgreg said:


> Was that a Charles Brock plan?


Yes, Greg, it is. Has paper templates with it which I transferred to 1/4” plywood.

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## Maverick (Apr 21, 2020)

Tom Smart said:


> I had that worry as well, Tim, but I learned something at each step. Turns out this is a _really_ expensive stool cause, also at each step, was the opportunity to buy another tool. And I took each opportunity.



That sounds like me. I have been remodeling my house for a few years now. Told my wife that I work for tools. We saved some money and I got more tools...win/win. 

Very nice build. Beautiful stool and I am sure you are proud of it.

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## woodtickgreg (Apr 21, 2020)

Tom Smart said:


> Yes, Greg, it is. Has paper templates with it which I transferred to 1/4” plywood.


I thought so. I just ordered his rocker plans and when I was on the site I thought I saw that stool, very cool. I might have to give that one a try someday. The rocker will be a monumental project as it is.

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## Tom Smart (Apr 21, 2020)

Yeah, that one will be challenging. He says the stool is kinda an entry level project.

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