Things You’ll Need
Handsaw
Screwdriver
Coping saw
Measuring tape
(1) 1” x 8” x 8’
(1) 1” x 6” x 28”
Block plane
Glue
Clamps (bar clamps or pipe
clamps, see text)
Sandpaper (all grits)
Brace drill
1/8” twist bit
5/16” twist bit
1 5/8” dry wall screws
Wood putty
Safety glassesLesson 16
Step Stool
Here’s a project that everybody can use. Don’t think that this is a project
just for the vertically challenged. Anywhere there’s a shelf that’s out of
reach, or a light bulb that needs changing, or how about a plant up high
on a cabinet that needs watering? And yes, for those of us that God
seemed to pass over when He was handing out the height gene, a stool is
very handy.
The first thought in designing a step stool is safety. If the stool is wobbly
or you feel like it might tip over if you’re not standing in just the right
spot it’s not worth having. So we made sure that this stool would be
sturdy and look good too! But with any step stool, be
sure to use it carefully. Make sure that it is on level
ground and don’t reach out until you feel yourself
getting off balance, it’s too late at that point. Move
the stool if you can’t reach something easily instead of
trying to stretch way out for it.
We bought southern yellow pine for this project
because it’s stronger than white pine and we felt
added strength was needed for this project, again to
make it as safe as possible. You may see this kind of
pine listed as SYP on the shelf at your building
supply store. Make sure that the lumber you buy is
as free of knots as possible. Loose knots can weaken
a board. You can tell a loose knot from a solid knot
usually by the color, loose knots are dark, almost
black and may have several cracks around them. The
big problem with loose knots is that as the wood