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I made a folding stool for a friend - they wanted something to reach tall cabinets in the kitchen, but they didn't want it to be on display all the time.

I didn't have a table saw or a planer / thicknesser at the time, so I milled all the parts for it by hand from this slab of oak:

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Scrub plane, followed with a jack plane produced square-ish edges:

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To speed things up, I used a circular saw, taking passes on both sides, flipping the slab around, slowly increasing cut depth. Once the cut depth was maxed out, I cleared out the middle with a hand saw. The boards were not nearly the same thickness, which caused some headaches with positioning the seat boards later, if I was doing it again, I'd make sure the parts are definitely the same.

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After a bit more sawing and drilling, I ended up with the parts ready for assembly:

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Two middle seat boards had some pretty dramatic grain, unfortunately it doesn't pop as much after applying varnish :(

This contraption helped me get the correct final widths for the seat boards:

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I glued everything up, and then took it all apart to apply some varnish:

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And this is the finished product:

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It's not perfect, I definitely wouldn't chamfer seat boards on both sides again, difficult to get rid of squeezout after the glue up.
I'd make sure all parts are identical, and I'd probably make myself some alignment jig for the glue up, it was awkward :D
The 'client' loves it though, so that's all that matters :D
I have some experience of foldable bits and bobs, and your stool is very good, both in design and workmanship.
Very easy to make an unstable thing that doesn’t really work, damhik!
 
The first project on the new bench?
Came out well, is this your design?

Yup, first project on the bench! It makes a huge difference.
The design isn't mine, I borrowed this one:



In the video, the guy says it took him an afternoon 😂 I'm not going to admit how long it took me 😄

I have some experience of foldable bits and bobs, and your stool is very good, both in design and workmanship.
Very easy to make an unstable thing that doesn’t really work, damhik!

Thank you! I wasn't too confident at first, I've added those bottom stretchers last, and without them, it was quite wobbly.
They add a lot of stability, with them glued in place, it's very solid.
 
Yup, first project on the bench! It makes a huge difference.
The design isn't mine, I borrowed this one:



In the video, the guy says it took him an afternoon 😂 I'm not going to admit how long it took me 😄



Thank you! I wasn't too confident at first, I've added those bottom stretchers last, and without them, it was quite wobbly.
They add a lot of stability, with them glued in place, it's very solid.

Snap, one of my first projects back in 2015, made as a surprise for a friends kitchen to help kids reach the cupboards, whenever I speak to them they still say it’s in use. It’s a great design.

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Fitz
 
You know when you make some items for sale, but one of them just insists on staying at home with you?
I made several magnetic knife blocks over the last week or so, but this one is not going to be sold, I just love the grain too much!
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This was before a little more sanding and finishing, but was the only photo without knives on it I took!
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And a side view:
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On rubber feet.
 
This is only tangentially related to woodwork, but today I released a new version (following a complete overhaul) of my hobby website, with most of my woodwork and metalwork projects on it. The new website should be much easier for me to maintain and also much easier to read on mobile phone browsers. It's almost exactly 10 years since I started the website but I'm much happier with the look and feel of it now.

Screenshot of the projects overview page:

websitescreenshot.jpg


Link for anyone who's interested: https://www.cgtk.co.uk
 
This is only tangentially related to woodwork, but today I released a new version (following a complete overhaul) of my hobby website, with most of my woodwork and metalwork projects on it. The new website should be much easier for me to maintain and also much easier to read on mobile phone browsers. It's almost exactly 10 years since I started the website but I'm much happier with the look and feel of it now.

Screenshot of the projects overview page:

View attachment 193529

Link for anyone who's interested: https://www.cgtk.co.uk
Yes, I'm *bookmarking* this web page!
 
Box lid design number two

Box lid design no 2.JPG


Still with the box making learning programme. I was suffering with some warping and shrinkage so made a different lid (for box no 4). The fifty meter cedar construction waste stock was some sort of internal decorative cladding which had 20mm tongue. After chopping them off I had them in the disposal bin but decided they could find some work after being cleaned up and hey ho! Here's some use for them!
More by luck than anything else the lid was a perfect *air cushion* fit. Four days indoors and as yet no sign of any change in shape.
Err...touch wood.
 
Does this count as the last thing I made? It's going to be the shelf for the workbench I am making.

I bought in some reclaimed 6x2 (really not 6x2) boards, put it through my thicknesser then 'jointed' it ad best as I could using my tracksaw. There was a small amount of edge to edge cupping that I am hoping will be gone (using the clamps on the sides) when I pop the sash clamps after work this evening.

First attempt going so wide (four boards at about 22 inches). Figured a shelf for the bottom of a workbench could suffer my errors better than something I might want 'on show'.

All a huge learning curve at the moment with this build. Good fun though.
 

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Does this count as the last thing I made? It's going to be the shelf for the workbench I am making.

I bought in some reclaimed 6x2 (really not 6x2) boards, put it through my thicknesser then 'jointed' it ad best as I could using my tracksaw. There was a small amount of edge to edge cupping that I am hoping will be gone (using the clamps on the sides) when I pop the sash clamps after work this evening.

First attempt going so wide (four boards at about 22 inches). Figured a shelf for the bottom of a workbench could suffer my errors better than something I might want 'on show'.

All a huge learning curve at the moment with this build. Good fun though.
It will if you post your bench pics when done. Wink, Wink.
 
As part of an effort to run down my offcuts pile ...

Myrtle and Cherry box ...

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and Hard Maple and Laurel box ...

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Both are finished with Chestnut Hard Wax Oil ( @Terry Smart - thanks for alerting me to it) which is far easier than my usual "wax over oil" approach.

The maple had a price stamped on it with VAT at 15% suggesting I've had it since 2008/9!
 
@Blackswanwood I do believe you have this box-making lark pretty much down to a tee! ;) (y)
What on earth do you do with them all?

Thanks although I’ve not made a perfect one yet!

I find every time I make one someone says “Could you make one for me/my significant other/daughter?”

These ones have no hardware so don’t cost much in materials to make. I’m thinking about doing a batch of them to donate to the local hospice charity shop for them to sell.
 
As part of an effort to run down my offcuts pile ...

Myrtle and Cherry box ...



and Hard Maple and Laurel box ...


Both are finished with Chestnut Hard Wax Oil ( @Terry Smart - thanks for alerting me to it) which is far easier than my usual "wax over oil" approach.

The maple had a price stamped on it with VAT at 15% suggesting I've had it since 2008/9!

Mate these are stunning 👌
 
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