shop stool build help

[Mark Stewart]

I need to build a stool for my shop, Thinking about using 2x4 for the build. but I am new to this type of thing. I need to figure out the angles for my legs. Stools probably gonna be 28" just a basic squat kind of thing. This is as far as I have gotten.

 

[Dave Richards]

The best thing to do is decide on a design first. Three legs or four? How big is the seat? How much splay do you want. If I was building it, I'd work it all out on the computer. You could do that or you might find it useful to draw out an elevation view at full size on a scrap of plywood or cardboard. Then you can lift the angles with a bevel gauge right from the drawing.

Maybe something like the tall one in the back?

 

[Mark Stewart]

well I've tried to play with sketch up but don't know what I'm doing. so I'm stuck with graph paper .

 

[Dave Richards]

There's nothing wrong with graph paper but if you want to learn how to use SketchUp, I can help.

 

[Mark Stewart]

Dave, the tall one in the back is kind of what I am after. Just a simple stool with 4 legs and a place for my feet to rest. As I am a fat man thinking of making it wider than normal maybe 18" or so, with a square top.

 

[beloitdavisja]

Steve Ramsey has some free plans for a 4 leg simple bar stool, 29 inches high, along with a video tutorial:

http://woodworking.formeremortals.net/2014/06/make-a-wood-bar-stool/

 

[Dave Richards]

If Steve Ramsey's stool from James's link doesn't suit, I'll see what I can do to modify that stool in my image.

 

[Mark Stewart]

Thanks I forgot about Steve Ramsey I've mad a few of his things. This looks like it may just fit the bill.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Mark, I save the brown butcher paper that comes in shipping boxes and make full (1:1) size dwgs of many of my projects. Especially if it's one I'm building in my head. Then I can hold it against other pieces and get a 2D feel of how it will fit where I want to place/use it.

Also, I use it as a full size print for takeoffs. I've saved a lot of lumber over the years using this technique!