Shop Stool, a supporting member of the cast

  A couple of weeks ago a video showed up from the Samurai Carpenter, showing him building Crib Ponies. If you don't know what a crib pony is you'll need to watch the video, I didn't know either. It turns out a crib pony is a sort of stool.

Making Cribbing Ponies

   I liked the design and have been thinking of making a stool/chair for my grandson's new bedroom. He and I would be able to make and finish something as straight forward as a Crib Pony. 

  Than as usually happens I got thinking about the project, the time line and the available materials.  Also a funny thing happen a project ago when I was cutting up the long plank for the garden support. I opted to take my circular saw out side instead of trying to bring the 16 foot plank inside. I have a saw bench that I made last last year.

  But the plank was so long that I ended up having to support one end on a lawn chair, only moderately successfully, while I cut the plank to length.

  What I needed was a supporting character to hold up the other end while I worked.  A small light bulb went off and I thought of the Samurai Carpenter's video.

  I decided that I would make my supporting stool as tall as my saw bench, which is 21 inches tall. Taller than the ones in the video. Other changes were made in the process too. In fact my pony is much more like a stool.

12 x 18 x 21 inches

  I had a wide softwood board that I used for the top and rounded one edge to make it nicer to sit upon.  The legs are 2 x 3s attached at a 3 degree angle, with a corresponding 3 degree cut on the bottom so it sits flat on the floor.  I opted for 3 degree to broaden the stool's stance.

   You can see that the stretchers are attached with pocket hole joinery, and the whole unit is very stable and sturdy.

  The plan is to paint the legs but put a nicer finish on the seat since it is a very nice piece of wood.  

  I think I may still make a pony (5 pieces of wood) with Kieran if he wants a seat for his new room.

  As well as working on the stool yesterday I finished a boot clip and cut up some cherry ready to be turned.  Like in a kitchen there is chopping and prepping that needs to be done before the fancy work happens.  I will have to dimension and plane a bunch of elm for the jewellery box I plan to make next too. (maybe this evening if things cool down a bit.)

cheers, ianw