Here is a free woodworking plan for the making of a simple stool that we named ’useful stool’, but essentially it is a type of stool usually known as ’saddle stool’.
Saddle stools are little bit different than other types of wooden stools. The thing that makes them distinctive are gently curved seats that of course resemble the saddle. In our plan, the seat is curved just a little, but if you like, you can increase curvature and by the same principle you can get a seat with no curve at all. Curvature increases the surface of the body that is in contact with the stool, whereby the body weight is distributed on a larger contact surface, thus making the stool more comfortable to sit on.
Seat: 380mm (14.96'') x 398mm (15.67''), Height: 431mm (16.99'')
As you can see in the picture, the stool consists of 4 legs, 2 stretchers and 2 aprons. The legs are glued to the aprons using wedged through mortise and tenon woodworking joints, and the laths forming the seat are fastened with screws. If the stool is intended for heavier persons, add two more stretchers between the legs where there are none, a little higher or lower than the existing stretchers. This way you will make the construction more stable and durable.
If you don’t want the screws on the seat to be visible, use dowels to fasten the parts Seat plank (Parts 5), or hide them with plugs. The stool is not difficult to make, and its construction is that of a classic type of stools or chairs. If, for some reason, you find the woodworking joints that we have used unsuitable, choose those that suit you better. This is not a decorative stool but, as its name suggests, a useful stool that will come in handy both in the house and in the yard for various purposes, when one needs to have a sit-down to avoid kneeling for long periods. If you are planning to use the stool in the house, we recommend that you attach protective chair leg pads to prevent damage to the floor.
The choice of finish is up to you because there is a large number of types of finishes that can be applied to this stool.
We hope that you are pleased with the plan that will help you make this very useful furniture piece, and that this stool will serve you well for many years once you make it!