In order for a hand-made stool to become visually attractive, with a pleasant texture and beautiful color, you need to try hard. It should be carefully treated with sandpaper and varnished. If desired, you can paint it in a color that suits your interior.
It is quite possible to make a folding stool with your own hands, without using expensive material and special mechanisms. All the essentials can be found at a hardware store.
First you need to decide on the layout of the future stool. There are drawings of various types and complexity available on the Internet.
Decorating a folding stool
The resulting two parts are connected to each other by wide bars intended for the seat, but overhangs of 1.5-2 cm remain. They are attached as follows: one bar is to the two outer crossbars, the other is to the two inner ones.
At this stage, it is important to determine the size and choose the appropriate material.
The proposed drawing may seem complicated and incomprehensible, but when the folding chair is ready, you will see how simple everything is. Please note that in the drawing the dimensions are given in millimeters.
You can start with the simplest thing - with a stool, the design of which you can come up with yourself. No special knowledge is required, you just need to follow the step-by-step instructions.
The finished chair folds and unfolds in one motion (photo 10, 11). You can make a convenient folding table to go with it.
progress of work on assembling the stool
It took
: wooden blocks, self-tapping screws, 4 head bolts 40 mm d 6 mm, jigsaw, screwdriver, drill, nails, hammer, screwdriver, wood putty, sandpaper, acrylic varnish.
Tsarga*
Foot supports Having folded the structure and stepping back approximately 80-100 mm from the lower ends of the legs, I secured small foot supports to the inner legs with self-tapping screws (photo 7). Then I turned the chair over and screwed the large supports to the outer legs (photo 8).
Fold the leg blanks crosswise. I aligned the through holes and tightened the axle bolts (photo 1). placing a washer between these parts (as well as in all bolted places) for better sliding during further operation (photo 2).
Then I bolted the upper ends of the legs to the crossbars under the seat, also aligning the holes of the blanks (photo 3). First, I attached one crossbar to the inner leg (inside the future chair), and the second to the outer leg (photo 4). I assembled the second same hinge part in the same way.
A comfortable folding chair is always useful around the house. Without taking up much space when folded, it will be a godsend both in the apartment and when going on a picnic, cottage or fishing trip.
At the end of the work, I summed up how much it cost to make this furniture. Calculated the cost of materials and time costs.
Total costs were: 80 rubles.
After checking the reliability of the connections, I finished assembling the furniture.
Three parts
Yes, a good stool, incl. decorative for the living room, can be assembled from just 3 parts. Drawings of a product of this kind (stools-cabinets) are given on the left in Fig. The version of 4 parts is unsightly, but very durable, therefore it is more suitable as a working stool: you can attach a removable vice on it, drill, saw, chop, etc. In this case, it is better to take the overall dimensions of the 4-piece stool to be minimal, see above.
Drawings of simple stools from 3-5 parts
The sample on the left in Fig. – one of the very few types of stools that can be made entirely from chipboard with a thickness of 20 mm or more; The width of the connecting grooves in the parts corresponds to the thickness of the material. The base is assembled with glue (carpentry glue, nitro glue for wood, PVA or polymer for tiles like bustylate). Seat fastening – wood self-tapping screws or confirmatory screws (60-90) x 6 mm. Screw connections are also glued.
The fact is that chipboard really “does not like” loads on the layer and fastening at the end. In this design, the loads concentrated at the attachment points spread well and, if assembled correctly, delamination of the material is unlikely. But it is still highly advisable to glue pads made of hard, dense wood (oak, beech, hornbeam) with a thickness of 10 mm or more onto the heels of the legs. No need for rubber, it will stain and ruin the floor.
Cost of materials
The time spent making this furniture was about 8 hours.
To make a folding stool with my own hands, I needed the following tools:
Having experience in drawing, I made my own drawings of a folding stool made of wood.
Video tutorial on assembling a high chair:
DIY folding stool. Folding chair drawing
DIY folding stool. Folding chair drawing
A long round rail is placed at the top of the folding chair and it also serves as a handle for carrying the stool. And two small pieces of this rail are located in the middle of the chair on both sides.
How to make a folding stool with your own hands, instructions:
DIY folding stool. Folding chair drawing
Drawing of a folding chair with a back (1 option) Drawing of a folding chair with a back (2 option) Drawing of a folding chair with a back (3 option) Drawing of a folding chair with a back (4 option) Drawing of a folding chair with a back (5 option) Drawing of a folding chair with a back (6 option)
A do-it-yourself folding chair will require the use of wooden blocks of different sizes and quantities:
Sophistication and originality
Not everyone likes the hard seat and angular shape of the stool. For fans of aesthetics and comfort, craftsmen offer elegant products with curved legs and soft upholstery.
It is difficult for a beginner to make bent curly legs. Without compromising their beauty, they can be replaced with two pairs of crossed bars connected by a crossbar. But you shouldn’t give up soft foam upholstery.
Let's ask ourselves the question: what is needed to assemble a homemade wooden stool? Four thick boards for the seat, legs and crossbar. By decorating them with carvings, we get an exquisite and high-quality product. You can use it with pleasure at home, and on occasion, make it an exhibit of an exhibition of folk crafts.
When planning to make your first “masterpiece”, do not forget about using firing, stain and varnish for decoration. Even the simplest piece of furniture acquires a noble gloss after finishing with contrast tinting.
In addition to natural wood, stools can be made from chipboard and thick plywood. This solution reduces their weight without losing strength. In the photo below we see an interesting plywood structure. Slotted holes in the seat and legs give it beauty and delicacy.
Square, round and oval seats are yesterday's carpentry art. Today, original solutions are in fashion. From these you can assemble a bench of any length and configuration. Invite your friends to visit and show them this miracle. Among them, there will probably be those who want to play with an unusual furniture “constructor”.
Folding chair: manufacturing instructions with backrest
A folding lightweight wooden chair will be a useful small-sized attribute in the household. A compact analogue of a regular stool can also be used for relaxation. A homemade chair design with a back can be made using various understandable drawings. A folding chair with your own hands, when folded, is put away in the pantry after use on a picnic or fishing - this is the main advantage of the proposed design.
Here's how you can do it without a back:
A wooden folding chair is assembled as follows:
The following types of wood would be a good choice:
First, according to the existing drawing, individual elements of the furniture item are prepared:
Simple kitchen
A simple full-size utility stool can also be made from scraps of timber, plywood or chipboard, see fig. It is more suitable for a seasonal garden. When used in the kitchen of a residential building, the design turns out to be rather weak, where this stool lasts for 3-5 years. The second option for using the same design is a smaller children's stool, see above; the dimensions of the parts are then proportionally reduced, except for the width of the connecting grooves.
Simple utility stool of lightweight design
Drawing with dimensions
- wood hacksaw;
- grinding machine;
- screwdriver;
- milling cutter;
- ruler and a simple pencil.
Ideas for decorating the resulting result can be seen in the following photos:
- Cheapness. Such a piece of furniture will require a minimum of materials.
- Efficiency. If you have everything you need on hand, assembly can be done within a few hours .
- Convenience and ease of use. The assembled folding chair can be placed on a balcony or loggia, terrace, or in the garden. You can also take it with you outdoors.
- Compact and ergonomic. Such products are taken for picnics or summer cottages. Folding chairs are also in demand among tourists. It is convenient to make a pass and relax on them.
If you are absolutely unable to calculate the number of elements and draw, then you can choose a suitable stool diagram on the Internet.
To create a folding stool with your own hands, you will need the following tools:
Before you start making a stool, you should prepare a drawing with dimensions or a diagram. Since this piece of furniture does not have any structural difficulties, the sketch can be drawn by hand.
How to make the simplest life-size version?
We will look at making a simple folding chair without a back from plywood and fabric. Since these materials are easy to work with, they are characterized by high technical characteristics and low cost.
To manufacture parts and assemble the structure, we will need the following tools:
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- construction stapler;
- wood hacksaw;
- sander;
- milling cutter;
- scissors;
- jigsaw;
- pencil and ruler.
The materials we will use are:
- plywood, at least 2 cm thick;
- foam;
- cardboard;
- glue;
- self-tapping screws;
- upholstery fabric;
- paints and varnishes.
Important: the color of the fabric is chosen according to the overall interior of the room or landscape design where the stool will be located.
So, step by step the production and assembly of a simple model of a chair made of textiles and plywood will look like this:
First we create a template. It is drawn with a pencil on paper and cut out strictly along the contour. Next, using these patterns, we make blanks from plywood. It is most convenient to cut out the components of a piece of furniture with a jigsaw (if you don’t have one, you can use a hacksaw).
Next, we carefully polish all the parts so that they are free from roughness, defects and other flaws. For these purposes it is better to use a grinder. If you don’t have it, you can use sandpaper of varying degrees of grit. After all the parts are ready and cleaned, we begin to create the holes for the hinges. Here you need to check the drawing several times so as not to spoil the future product with unnecessary holes. It is best to use bolts and sleeves as hinges. For the strength of the product, it is additionally recommended to secure the sleeves with glue. Now we begin to form the holes for the tenons that it needs to hold it open. We make the seat from foam rubber and upholstery fabric. The seat is fixed to the frame with a furniture stapler. Then you can proceed directly to assembling the product
Here it is also important to check each step with the existing drawing.
After assembling the chair, you only need to carry out finishing decorative work. The frame of the product, made of plywood, is treated with stain and covered with several layers of varnish. This will prevent its damage from negative factors and extend its service life. In addition, finishing the chair will make it more aesthetically pleasing. Instead of varnish and stain, you can use water-based paint of any shade.
Tip: if you liked the process of making chairs, try making one for a bar, for the kitchen, or for a child. A beautiful table with a glass, wooden or epoxy top will be a good addition for them.
Materials
You can make a small folding stool from wood yourself. To do this, it is not at all necessary to have the skills of a carpenter or to be a qualified furniture maker. You just need to have the necessary tools, materials and a great desire nearby to build this piece of furniture.
Here, experienced specialists not only lay out ready-made drawings in various projections and with all the parameters of each element, but also give the necessary recommendations on how to do and assemble everything correctly.
Materials you will need:
So let's get started. First of all, in accordance with the existing drawing, we prepare the individual parts of the stool.
Chairs
No one doubts the convenience of folding chairs. With their help, you can make fishing, picking berries easier, and sitting down where there are no permanent places to rest. And if you also make a folding chair with your own hands, it will become a real value, charged with positive energy. Such children's models often turn into the baby's favorite furniture.
Types of chairs
The chair will be appropriate in any interior, you just need to choose the appropriate design and materials. For example, a dining chair has a narrowed seat, it is higher, and the legs are lower than the living room version.
The so-called solid chair is reliable, strong and durable, which makes the design suitable for creating a smaller version for children. Its parts are distinguished by increased thickness.
At home I want to sit on a chair with a soft seat. Lightweight, elegant model, characterized by thinner legs and a shaped back.
For your garden, make a compact folding chair. Its design is more complex than the previous ones and requires certain skills from the master. The product must have a large margin of safety, because it will undergo repeated folding and unfolding.
The transformable chair can turn into a stepladder. It is durable, comfortable, practical, but heavy.
Drawings of different types of chairs can be easily found online.
Model selection
To make the upholstery soft, foam rubber or batting is placed between the wooden base and the fabric. The layer height is on average 4-5 cm.
Prepare blanks of the required sizes
If you make a folding chair with a back, it will be convenient to use, for example, in the village. It can be easily taken outside and does not take up much space when stored in the house. It should be remembered that such models do not involve rocking or uneven pressure on the seat. It’s easy to roll over on them and disrupt the center of gravity. You should not use a chair made from wood with your own hands to stand on top of. It can be easily broken by falling, especially if the person’s weight is significant.
A small addition in the form of a handle with a latch, and such a stool will come in handy when you have a lot of guests. The option is simply gorgeous; on the Internet there are many instructions for step-by-step manufacturing, which differ from simple stools only in the presence of a shelf.
Especially in the second case. You definitely have tall cabinets, maybe mezzanines, which are not easy to reach, especially for a short girl. As you already understand, bookshelves are not the only place you need access to, which is where a step stool comes in handy.
Schemes and drawings of homemade stools of this type are not difficult to find on the Internet. Essentially, it is a stool on a stool, with both sharing two legs. This option is very suitable for both home and apartment.
Tools
Those who want to do something themselves at home often turn to stores to buy wood milling machines. They are used in large enterprises, and sometimes in home workshops. It is in woodworking that these power tools are most popular.
This is due to the fact that the use of inclined spindles and end mills allows us to solve a wide range of problems.
What types of milling cutters are there? There are several types of stationary milling machines. The prices of wood milling machines depend on different characteristics.
They are:
- Lungs. Such power tools are used for simple work. Their power is, as a rule, no more than 1 kW. Most often, these devices are used in home workshop activities. These can also include a manual milling cutter.
- Average. This category includes more complex devices with a power of up to 3 kW.
- Heavy. These are already professional machines that are used in large-scale production. The power of heavy machines is more than 3 kW.
Stool-table
Almost everyone made stools during labor lessons during their school years. They were not particularly distinguished by their beauty, but experience is experience. In the basic version, you will only need a hacksaw, a plane and a screwdriver. You can cope with this, but I would advise adding a screwdriver with drills and an electric jigsaw to this.
I made this with my nephew and didn't bother to prepare. It was fun, but not very productive. It all ended with me ordering such a stool from IKEA and we assembled it together.
Everyone has seen, everyone has tried, everyone knows what it is. However, few people have tried to assemble one on their own. I’ll share my personal experience and say that this process can become real torture if there is no ready-made drawing.
If you do this more than once a year, they should already be in your arsenal. We cut out and process all the necessary parts according to the drawings. There can be five or more. More is better, because the legs will not be superfluous.
Brief contents of the article:
In order not to spend money on purchasing, you can make them yourself. Such furniture is easy to create and has a low cost. You will learn how to make a stool with your own hands from this article.
How to determine the optimal dimensions
The main dimensions of furniture are chosen in accordance with the average anthropometric data of an adult. Functional dimensions are designed for an average height of 175 cm. Parameters for children are calculated depending on height.
To make a stool with your own hands, you need to take into account only two dimensions: the height from the floor and the width of the seat. Ideally, the height of the seat should reach the knees of a standing person. The full height of the chair is calculated depending on the dimensions of the kitchen table. If it provides a level of 680-750 mm, then the comfortable height of the stool will vary from 420 to 450 mm. With a kitchen countertop height of 680 mm, the stool’s parameters will increase to approximately 650 mm. For the size of stepladders, the height of wall-mounted kitchen furniture is taken into account. With the average height of the housewife (158-160 cm), it is 450-650 mm. Comfortable seat width – at least 360 mm. The design of the stool requires a strict balance between the height, width of the seat and the shape of the lower part. Failure to comply with these parameters will result in poor stability of the product, falling and injury.
The positive aspects of making stools yourself
For novice home craftsmen, in order to avoid mismatches, it is better to strictly follow the instructions on how to make a stool correctly. This rule will help you make a truly high-quality and worthwhile item.
You can involve your son in its creation - for him it will be a good experience that will be useful to him in later life.
Since sitting on a hard seat for a long time is uncomfortable, you can take care in advance and make a cape or cover for the stool with your own hands.
Buying a new stool is quite expensive, especially if we are talking about a high-quality wooden product, for example, made of oak or larch.
To obtain equal angles on the legs, use a miter box. The drawers are placed in recesses made in the legs. In addition to connecting the legs with drawers approximately in the middle part of the legs, they are also fastened across the top directly under the seat.
Some general information and history
A stool, or, as this piece of furniture is commonly called, a stool, is a product designed for sitting, which has neither a back nor armrests, and can accommodate only one person. That is, the stool has only the seat itself, as well as support legs connected to each other by drawers and legs. There are usually 4 legs, but some types of stools may have 3 or 1 leg.
The dimensions of the classic stool are standard. The seat has a width of about 30-45 cm for an adult, and for a child this parameter is approximately 25-28 cm. The height of the product is on average 42-48 cm for an adult, and 26-28 cm for a child.
Scheme of a classic stool
The history of the stool goes back many centuries, if not millennia. The first product in history was created according to the principle of building a dolmen, when one was placed horizontally on two vertically installed stones and acted as a roof. In general, the history of this modest piece of furniture officially began with Ancient Egypt (about 5000 years ago). The first stools were very low, which is directly related to the short stature of people of that time (men of that time rarely exceeded the height mark of 159 cm).
For a long time, an ordinary stool was considered an attribute of the interior of the rich. Even pharaohs sat on it, although soft pillows were placed on the seat. A little later, the stool “evolved” into the prototype of a chair - it had a small back.
Design features of the stool
Also, stools conquered Rome and survived until the Middle Ages, not disappearing even in the midst of wars. Medieval products were assembled without nails and had wide legs. Then stool-chests began to appear in which something could be stored. The same seats with storage drawers appeared in Rus'.
It’s interesting that for a long time she could only sit on chairs and stools. The low-born were located directly on the floor and ground, without experiencing any discomfort. The monks also contributed to the development of furniture in their time, thanks to whom stools began to be used for sitting at desks. To facilitate intellectual work, a rotating stool was invented, which appeared around the 14th century.
Antique stools
Thus, the stool, changing, survived until the twentieth century, and then to the present day. And it still continues to be in great demand, remaining a convenient and functional product. So, it is convenient to sit on it at the table; if necessary, it can be pushed under it so that it does not interfere. And in some cases, you can safely stand on a stool to reach something from above. This is a very stable, practical and interesting product, despite its apparent simplicity and modesty.
How to make a three-legged stool
Main types of stools
A stool is an integral part of the interior of any home, be it an apartment or a country house. In addition to the function of a seat, it is often used to get a book from a shelf, an apple from a tree, in a word, to simplify your life and not have to go to the barn for a stepladder.
A spike is made on the top of the legs, which is inserted into an eyelet made on the bottom side of the seat.
After it has become clear what you want to get in the end, legs are made from pre-prepared timber with a cross-section of at least 30 mm, which are assembled together in pairs. Fastening between the drawers and legs is most often carried out using the classic tenon-eye method.
Spreader
A step stool with 2 pairs of X-shaped legs is also quite popular due to its low material consumption and good decorative qualities. However, in reality it turns out to be not so simple.
Take a look at the subassembly marked in red in the fragment at the top left of the figure. Performing a strong and reliable insertion of 3 beams in 2 mutually perpendicular planes is not an easy task even for an experienced carpenter; putting a dowel there would be unreliable, and the self-tapping screw in this case is outright hackwork: the double crosshair is heavily loaded and the steel hardware will tear the wood.
Decorative stool with drawer for small items
These problems can be circumvented by combining the beam and box-type load-bearing circuits of the supporting structure. We will leave the openwork of the beam frame in the most noticeable place - at the bottom - and we will achieve overall strength with an “oak” box-shaped top. Technically, this is achieved by reducing the angle between the legs to 60 degrees. Then, in order to maintain the overall height of the stool and the width of the contour of the supporting surface within acceptable limits, the crosshairs of the legs move upward. The V-shaped part of the now asymmetrical X is high and wide enough that a strong box can be made from 20 mm or thicker pine boards, chipboard or plywood, see left in figure.
Note: the missing overall dimensions can be taken from the figure; it is drawn to scale.
The longitudinal walls of the box do not have to be inclined; This is done to reduce the visibility of the box while maintaining maximum volume. If the longitudinal walls of the box are straight, it can be made narrower, as long as the V-shaped part of the legs fits inside. It also doesn’t hurt to deepen the box by moving its bottom down; the whole stool will only be stronger. In this case, 1-2 attachment points are added to the Λ-shaped parts of the legs, similar to the V-shaped part, marked in green in Fig. The box is assembled on dowels (see below) and glue or on steel corners applied from the inside. In this case, the box is first glued together, and after 1/4-1/3 of the time the glue has completely hardened, it is finally fastened with steel.
The bottom of the box is sewn up with fiberboard; a spacious drawer for useful rubbish is formed under the seat: the supporting structure provides the stool with full strength and its seat can be removable or folding. The last option is better, because... When rearranging the stool, take it by the seat. Fastening the folding seat is a piano loop or a pair of small card loops. The latch in the lowered state is any suitable: a tight ball latch, a hook and a bracket on the underside of the seat, even a secret lock, if you so choose.
When making this stool, you will have to master at least one carpentry joint - cutting into half a tree, this is how the parts of the legs are connected. As they would say in America, President Obama’s youngest daughter (Jane Psaki’s grandmother, they say, is a smart and skillful lady) can cut two pieces of wood into each other using a router. Using a simple hand tool, a half-tree cut is made by making cuts according to the markings and selecting the excess between them. Working “only with your hands”, you need to take a closer look at how the layers of wood go on both sides and place a chisel to knock out the excess, so that the chip does not go deep into the mass of material, see above in Fig. The remainder is removed with the same chisel, acting as a chisel, without hitting with a mallet, and, if necessary, the bottom of the groove is smoothed with a rasp. There is no need to smooth it clean with sandpaper; rough surfaces will stick to the glue more tightly.
Note: please note that the details of the legs of the step stool are a mirror image of each other both horizontally and vertically, at the bottom right in Fig. If you do not have experience in design work or have a naturally developed (convex, as they say) spatial imagination, it will be useful to first model the legs to scale or life-size, assembling their models from 2 layers of cardboard.
