One Man’s Treasure – Turned Stool Project – #1 Setting The Stage

Over a series of blog entries I’d like to present a project that builds turning skills, has very low materials cost, is fun to do, and the kids and grandkids will love it too The project is a wood stool with turned frame components and a woven rush seat. The basic materials for the turned frame components are likely to be free and might even be in your firewood pile at this moment.

Turned Walnut Stool

But first a little background. I learned this technique from Temple Blackwood an awesome turner and a great teacher. Temple is also a member of the Chesapeake Woodturners a chapter of the American Association of Woodturners. He is by far a master of spindle turning and the skew chisel – one of the least appreciated tools in the woodturner’s toolbox. The first stool I made – pictured here – was as a student in an intermediate woodturning class where Temple was one of the instructors. As an aside no matter your skill level join a local chapter of the AAW near you. I have learned more in a short time from this giving community than is possible from years of trail and error on my own. Back to the project at hand. The turned frame components for the stool uses basic wood turning techniques and only 3 or 4 different turning tools. Preparing the stock for the turned components will draw on techniques that have been in use since the 17th Century. So as a final tease here is another example of the turned wood stool that I made from a poplar log I found laying on the side of the road after the electric company trimmed some trees near my house. Total material costs for this stool was $4.00 for the one pound of sea grass I used for the seat.

Turned Poplar Stool

So enough tease for now I’m off to the shop to work on the next segment. Coming up – “A look at the tools not usually associated with woodturning” Cheers Mike “The Wooden Quill”