I completed my daughter's step stool a week or so ago, and I finally got around to taking some pictures. Behold, the end result: Front View: Back View: Side View: I got the plans from the January/February 2009 issue of Fine Woodworking. The stool is designed in the Shaker style, which is probably why it appealed to me. Most of the furniture I make is Shaker-inspired. I made the stool from poplar, which I then bleached using a pickling stain. I painted on some grass to give it a definite "kid's stool" look, and finished off with 4 coats of satin-finish polyurethane. The main feature of the magazine article was a lesson in hand-cut dovetails joints; the piece is relatively straightforward, so it gives novice woodworkers an opportunity to practice their skills and the exposed joints show off their hard work. It was indeed difficult, being my first attempt at hand-cut dovetails, but I'm very pleased with the end result. -monkey
nice nice work, nice touch on the painting. Making things for family is the best thing to do with woodworking and crafts.
