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A handy stool like this is useful around the house for reaching tall shelves or for kids to sit on. The crossed, flared legs make it stable, strong and easy to build in a day.
Step 1: Create the Leg and Seat Blanks
Step 2: Lay Out and Cut the Legs
Step 3: Cut Notches and Assemble the Stool
If you can't find wide enough boards for the legs and seat, glue and clamp two boards together to get the necessary width (When clamping pieces together, use lumber scraps to protect the board edges.). Secure 1/2-in.-wide accent tips to the seat edges and leg bottoms using glue and masking tape as shown below.
Draw a centerline down the middle of each leg blank. Make a mark 10 1/16-in. out from the centerline, then use a protractor or Speed Square to create the 15-degree leg angle. Next make a mark on the centerline 5 1/2-in. down from the top. Set the pencil tip of your homemade compass on this mark, set the screw centerpoint on a scrap of lumber below the leg as shown and swing the arc. Cut the angles with a table saw and the arcs with a jigsaw, then smooth with a belt sander.
Mark and cut the 15-degree angle notches using a fine tooth saw. Use a wood scrap with a 15-degree angle on one edge as a guide. Use a chisel to remove the waste. Test fit the legs, filing any tight spots. With the seat upside down, position the legs and mark their position. Drill holes through the seat based on your marks, flip the seat over and drill a countersink hole (to hide the screw head), then secure the parts together using 2-in.- long #8 screws. Drive maple plugs into the countersunk holes to hide the screw heads and add a decorative touch.