Today I split firewood for about an hour, then decided I would be having a lot more fun if I were to take a piece of poplar I split into pieces, and turned those pieces on the lathe. I cut my firewood to about 19 inches, so it was obvious right from the start what I would make. It was just about right for legs for a stool. Maybe Missus could use it at her spinning wheel or loom, if she wants to. It has been a long time for me wanting to try one, and today brought me my chance. I wanted to try crating spindles and then recreating them a couple of more times. So that’s what I did.
A stool does not rock on only three legs. That is a four legged stool. So I wanted to make a three legged one, cutting down the number of legs I would have to duplicate. The firewood was split with the grain, so the legs would have the advantage of strength for going with. As for design, I saw Anne of All Trades on Instagram showing a stool she made, and the spindles were just the style I most love, old fashioned! The seat was natural wood, live edges and all. If it worked for her, surely it would work for me! So that’s what I set out to do, only in the three legged variety. Again, I am using poplar, so I don’t think mine will come out looking quite as nice as Anne’s did, and this is my very first piece of furniture, so that has lowered my expectations as well.
I did not put any real coves or beads. I don’t much care for them, honestly. Strange, for someone who bought a lathe, I know! The top 20% of the legs look like a pawn, and the bottom is long and slender, then flares out just before the feet, which are slender again. It’s simple, and they are a bit thick, but if it works out as a stool for Missus, I want it to be sturdy so she will feel secure on it.
I suppose the most exciting prospect of this little project is that if it works out, I will have build furniture from a couple of pieces of firewood! That’s about as free as the materials get. And if it does not work out, just the parts I have made so far have been an educational experience, and have given me confidence to try again. Another way it helped, I finally found the bevel on the roughing gouge. My goodness! I want from clip-clip-clip to slice-slice-slice, and the debris went from splintery little chucks to real slices. It cut a lot faster, too! I was amazed!
Tomorrow I will probably look for a log I can chop two inches or so off the end of, with a diameter right for the seat, and then turn it on the lathe like a platter. I intend to set it up with a mortise on the bottom, and a beveled gouge outside of that, which will hopefully provide a spot to drill holes to mount the legs into. The bevel should put all the legs at the same angle. Then I will wedge them in, and glue them up extra good! I may cut the tenons on the legs a little longer by turning them on the lathe again, and taking them down the shoulders at the top of the legs a bit more. That may be necessary to give added strength, and also because of the thickness of whatever seat I produce. That’s yet to be seen! But I have a plan if longer tenons are required. Right now my tenons are only about an inch long, which I regret, thinking about it. Nothing I can’t fix with a skew and a minute each on the lathe!
Speaking of eventualities! If it turns out to be too short, I may in the future put a hole in the middle of the seat, thread it, and put a new seat on a dowel with threads on it, and set it up with adjustable height. I guess just one way one can build and then modify one’s furniture!
Missus reminded me that she was looking forward to me making some Christmas decorations, too! She mentioned spindle icicles. I mentioned baubles with spindles, but that I am probably not quite ready for those just yet. I guess I had better learn my icicles! I also want to make icicles that are also whistles. I’d think wooden whistles would be fun! I have made several so far, but not after the fashion of a tree ornament.
I would be out in the shop working right now, but for the fact it is dark and I don’t want to go rooting around for the wood for the seat in the dark. I would rather see it with fresh eyes in tomorrow’s daylight!
When I finish the stool, I will cut the bottoms of the spindles as necessary to put the stool relatively level. Also, though I originally wasn’t going to do it, I went ahead and coated these spindles in beeswax that I received in the mail today. I was dying to see how the wax would come out. It wasn’t quite as I expected, but I think it will be a durable finish for now, anyhow. The wood was green, though, so I expect it to lose water out the ends, causing them the cheque and shrink. It may be bad, but it is a stool I can always remake, especially where I have got the experience now!
That’s all I have got to say about it tonight. I will be off to bed soon, eager to get up and get started on the seat!