How to build a stool.

August 1, 2019 3:18 PM

The rural grandfather built the legendary seventh-generation Luban stool, which is so powerful. (SLYT)
posted by zengargoyle (12 comments total)

Such sorcery! I watched closely and I still don't know how that happened. Bravo, woodworking wizard
posted by Redhush at 3:52 PM on August 1, 2019 [6 favorites]

I love this, thanks!
posted by Reyturner at 3:54 PM on August 1, 2019

Holy shit. That's amazing. Thanks for posting this.
posted by nangar at 4:44 PM on August 1, 2019 [1 favorite]

Neat! Hadn't seen one of these before; that's some very clever engineering and a nice hand-tool execution. And he's getting much better results out of "who needs a clamp, I'll just stand on this thing while I saw it" than I usually do.

Looking around, I found another video, same guy, different stool configuration, same grandkid-on-the-stool finish.

Way more long form, here's a four-part series (1, 2, 3, 4) of someone else doing a bunch of work on stools in what looks like a real time (and all told 2 hours and change) documentation of the build and finish process in a more full-fledged woodworking shop.

Also, some 3D printing instructions if the whole woodworking thing isn't your jam.
posted by cortex at 4:50 PM on August 1, 2019 [9 favorites]

Just a warning, mid-way through a cat yowls...we went racing through the house making sure our pointy-eared assholes weren't in trouble...
posted by notsnot at 6:56 PM on August 1, 2019 [3 favorites]

If you want to see a simpler version of the same idea, Roy Underhill makes something called the Roubo book stand, which is a French design from the 1700s and based on a folding quran stand.

Season 37 Ep3 on this page
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:12 PM on August 1, 2019 [2 favorites]

Such sorcery! I watched closely and I still don't know how that happened. Bravo, woodworking wizard

The Roubo Bookstand popularized by Roy Underhill has a wooden hinge joint that's cut out of a single board.
James Wright has a shorter video that explains the process. But that's just one hinge. This looks like a two sided version of that joint for the seat and another one to splay the legs. Way more complex and very neat!
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:17 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]

Amazing!
posted by greenhornet at 8:51 PM on August 1, 2019

The kid's shirt says, trouble-making devil in pinyin, which is like writing English with the long and short vowel markers. You only do it if you want to make sure barely literate little kids can read it. So cute.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 9:09 PM on August 1, 2019 [8 favorites]

If you'd like to start with something very simple and work your way up to this, you might look into carving a set of pliers from a single piece of wood.
posted by Harald74 at 10:39 PM on August 1, 2019 [2 favorites]

The little move at 0:50, setting the side of the sawblade kerf with his thumbnail, is done with such fluency and experience. So impressive, on many levels.
posted by penduluum at 11:32 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]

Yes, I saw that thumbnail move and I know I'd lose a digit if I tried it. Thanks for posting this video - 100% impressive!
posted by corvikate at 8:02 AM on August 2, 2019