| Carved Oak Barstool -- Assembly |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-112 |
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With the stock cut for the legs and seat elements, the next phase of the project is a meticulous assembly that will result in legs that are angled to precise measurements -- and which attach to the sculpted seat as integral through-tenons. Once the main assembly is complete, wood stretchers are installed between the legs for added stability. Materials: Oak-stock leg and seat elements
Polyurethane glue
Epoxy glue
Wood scraper
Disc sander
Table saw
Band saw
Carpenter's square
Clamps
Yellow woodworker's glue
Chalk or carpenter's pencil
Safety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his website -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, saws, drills, routers, etc. Gluing the Leg and Seat Assembly Steps: - To begin the process of attaching the legs to the seat, u-shaped assemblies are made -- each of which consists of two legs and a center portion of a wood strip that forms part of the seat (figure A). Once the two u-shaped assemblies are glued, clamped and allowed to dry, they will in turn be glued to the wider center section of the seat. Polyurethane glue is used in this process, as it allows adequate working time for the assembly but dries faster than standard yellow woodworker's glue.
- Once the leg assemblies are dry, scrape away the excess glue using a hand scraper, then grind the tops of the legs flat on the disc sander (figure B) -- so they will be flush with the top of the seat.
- Finally, the leg assemblies are glued to the side sections of the seat, clamped securely (figure C) and set aside for a couple of hours to dry.
- With the legs glued firmly into the side sections of the seat, the side sections will need to be glued to the center section. But first, the joining surfaces on the side section need to be prepared to form a good mating surface for gluing. The edge of the section is cut on the table saw, with the blade set at a 6-degree angle (figure D). In order to avoid cutting into the upper portion of the leg, the height of the table-saw blade is set so that it's level with the bottom of the seat (figure E).
- With the proper angle and height dialed in on the table-saw blade, the assembly is passed across the blade to shave off about 1/32" from the side of the seat section. In so doing, the portion of leg stock that's protruding slightly beyond the edge of the strip (figure F) is removed. Any shavings left over after the cut can be removed with a sharp chisel.
- The notches that result at the top of the legs (figure G) aren't a problem as they will blend flush with the center section once the pieces are assembled.
- Polyurethane glue is applied to the joining edges of the center section (figure H), and the three main sections making up the seat and legs (figure I) are assembled.
- The glued assembly is clamped secure (figure J) and set aside to dry for about three hours.
The Stretchers With the seat and leg pieces assembled and glued together, the most complicated portion of the project is complete. Once the glue has dried, the next step is to create the wood stretchers that connect the four legs together. Once installed, the stretchers will add a visual detail as well as structural support. Steps: - A template is used to ensure uniform height for installation of the four stretchers on the legs (figure K). The template is held in place, and pencil marks are made on each of the legs indicating the height of the stretchers.
- Stretcher stock is then held in place across the stretchers -- aligned with the pencil marks on the legs (figure L) -- to mark the stock so that it can be cut to the exact length needed.
- With the stock marked for appropriate length, the stretcher stock can be cut to length on the band saw.
- The surfaces on the ends of the stretchers are then ground on the disc sander to make certain that they are smooth and flat.
- Once cut and sanded, the stretcher stock is checked for a precise fit between the legs of the barstool (figure M).
- With the stock cut to the exact length, it can then be cut to provide the visual profile. A premade template (figure N) is used to cut a uniform profile on all four stretchers.
- The template is used to mark curved lines on the stretcher stock. The lines are then followed to cut the profile using the band saw (figure O).
- Once the stretchers have been cut, two opposing stretchers are glued and clamped into place between the legs (figure P) using quick-setting epoxy glue.
- The glue is allowed to dry on the two installed stretchers before taking measurements for installation of the two remaining stretchers. This will allow for any flex in the legs that occurs in installation of the first two stretchers, and allows for precise measurements.
- With the proper fit on the remaining two stretchers checked, they can be glued and clamped into place (figure Q).
Once the stretchers have been installed, the bulk of the barstool assembly is complete. In the following segment, brass holding pins are added to accent the legs and stretchers and the seat is hand-sculpted using a variety of power tools.
After the glue has dried, the curves at the top and bottom of the frame will be cut. Those steps -- and other steps in the completion of the frame -- are demonstrated in the following segment. Sponsored Resource
> Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456
Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)
Author: Mark Duginske
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 0942391985
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
The Complete Woodworker's Companion
Author: Roger Holmes
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
ISBN: 0823008665
The Complete Book of Wood Joinery
Author: Robert J. Decristoforo
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
ISBN: 0806999500
Advanced Woodworking
Model: 0783539126
Author: Editors of Time Life Books
1998
Time-Life Books Inc.
Website: www.timelife.com
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
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