Some Simple But Elegant Woodworking Projects
If you like woodworking, but are short on space, consider buying a good quality lathe. With practice, you can learn to do amazing things with a lathe.
Wood bar stools are a perfect starter project. You can start by turning simple tapered legs and stretchers and gradually work your way up to more complicated turnings. You can even turn the bar stool seat on your lathe.
You can easily make tapered legs just by offsetting the bottom of the leg. It may be a little disturbing at first, because it will wobble, but if you approach it with care, it won’t be a problem. You do, however, have to be careful about how you set your chisel rest and how deeply you make your first cuts. Approach the wood slowly and just nibble rather than gouge.
By the time you have completed four sets of legs for your wooden bar stools, you will be a virtual expert at turning tapered legs. If you like, you can put the legs back on the lathe and add some decorative detailing. Instead of making a dead straight taper, try adding a gentle bulge to give it a less rigid look.
Before you take your legs off the lathe, you will need to turn the top of the legs to an exact diameter for installing into the seat. You will need to set your calipers to the diameter you want and check regularly as you turn. As soon as the calipers can slip over the wood, stop turning. If you need to trim a little off later, after you have bored the holes in the seat, you can easily do so. It’s not so easy, however, to add wood to your turning!
Now it is time to work on the stretchers. These are often tapered at both ends. You can use your calipers on these, as well, in order to make sure that the tapers are equal on both ends.
The hardest part of making these bar stools is putting them together. The legs are not going to be straight, so you will have to drill the holes for the legs and the stretchers at an angle. You can determine the angle best if you make a drawing first. Then, make a jig for your drill press. Make a few practice holes first, so you don’t ruin your stool seats.
As with anything, the secret to woodworking is practice. Set yourself modest goals at first and then tackle the more advanced projects. Before you know it, you will be making modern bar stools to rival the best!