Making my first piece from reclaimed pallet wood

Re: Making my first piece from reclaimed pallet wo

Jack Guzman from Maine

Build a mockup out of foam board and dowels or stiff wires. Adjust the legs in the top til you like the look,then take measurements. Once you get the top made and drilled out and the legs at final shape,dry fit them in the top and then you can figure out the stretcher angles and lengths.

Do you have a drill press with tilting table?

Re: Making my first piece from reclaimed pallet wo

JL

A couple of questions..

What will be the final diameter of the top?

What sort of thickness for the top?

How long are the legs?

Do you have "flats" for where you would like to put the rungs?

If I am making a short stool (12" or so high) - I typically do a 11-12" diameter for the top.

I typically make short stools three legged (AKA milking stools).

For those I often drill the leg angle 12 degrees or so.

If I am making taller stools (24-26") - I often make the angle in the seat at 8-10 degrees.

I make the angle in the legs the same.

Milking stools examples.

JL

Thanks, good ideas

Drill press, yes....tilting table, No

Barry Irby

I bought a DP with tilting table at a tool auction and got it home. It got such bad reviews I was unwilling to trade out my old Rockwell for it and not enough shop space to keep both. So I sold it and made $150 on the deal. I did keep the hold down clamps the guy had on it. My Rockwell is a floor mocel and will drill to the center of a 16" circle.

Re: Making my first piece from reclaimed pallet wo

Barry Irby

Thanks, lots of help. My son made three legs and they are about 18" long. The top we have glued up is about 13 1/2" and just over 1 1/4" thick.

During the night it occured to me I could have made a sculpted seat with a butt print in it with one leg in the front and two in the back.

(Anyone else think in slow motion these days?)

I have been instructed to remove the clamps sand the blank flat and wait for my son to return.

Re: Milking stools examples. Questions

Barry Irby

Thanks for the picture.

A couple of questions. It appears you did not drill all the way through the top. Do you drill a hole and glue the tenon on the leg in?

My top will be thinner, about 1 1/4". I was planing to drill through and wedge the legs. Do you do that? If so, should I taper the hole?

through mortises

Jack Guzman from Maine

Unless you object to the tenons with wedges showing in the finished stool,I would suggest through,tapered,wedged mortises. It is a tried and true windsor chair joint. You don't get much glue surface in a short tenon,especially since your top is only 1 1/4".

Re: Milking stools examples. Questions

JL

These tops are thicker - close to 2".

For these and my taller stools, I make a 1" tenon.

When I drill the holes, I make a 7/8" hole.

This style does not have a through tenon. Not really needed, though it is stronger.

I have an angle table that I made for my drill press which allows me to drill the angles for the holes.