I'd been meaning to make myself one of these for some time. My shop is in my basement and I have standard 8' ceilings. There are times when things up high are just out of reach for me and I figured a step stool would be a lot easier than dragging out a ladder every time. 

 

I had initially imagined something utilitarian - made out of scraps or even (dare I say it?) 2x4s and plywood. As the design took shape I decided to take the long way around and use this project to try some things I'd never done before; namely angled mortise and tenons.

 

The primary wood is soft maple. There is some figured maple trim around the top board. I also used the figured stuff for the tiny moulding around the center support.

 

The reason for the center support between the stretcher and the top (I've taken to calling it a vertical stretcher), is because of the immense amount of weight the step stool will have to put up with (me!).

 

The tusks for the stretcher are made of bloodwood. The primary finish is Waterlox original. I'm also applying coats of General Finishes High Performance 450 to the top for durability.

 

 

 

Now that is a real stool. That makes my poor little plastic step stool in the shop look completely out of place.

 

Great job on that Mike. Man that is a show piece for sure. Love those bloodwood tusks!

That's a great looking stool and one I would not be afraid to stand on. It looks very sturdy.