The saddle bar stool has become popular furniture in recent years in your bars as well as your homes. The saddle seat bar stool is available in a wide range of colors and designs to match your modern spaces. The good news is that you can make your saddle bar stool and come up with the best style that you ever dream of.
Wood is the common material that is used in making saddle bar stools. The stools are unique from the rest of the bar stools since their seats are wider and give you maximum comfort. If you wish to make a saddle bar stool yourself, this is the article for you since you will learn how to do so step by step and precisely.
How To Make A Saddle Seat Bar Stool?
– Choose your stool design.
There are different materials that you can make your saddle bar stool from. These include pine or maple, but oak is considered the best material to use. It is strong and at the same time, affordable. Also, choose the best height for the stool that you have in your mind. The height should be compatible with the height of your counter. Moreover, choose your preferred seat design. The designs include round, dish-shaped, and others. The other option is to make your saddle bar stool with a back.
– Cut the pieces.
This is the first step to making your saddle bar stool. Cut all the pieces for your seat stool including the base, the arched pieces should be an exception. The best idea is to use what size you have and cut it to your preferred width for nice clean edges. When cutting your pieces, keep in mind the height of your counter for the perfect match.
– Seat.
For your bar stool seat size, come up with the best size. You can draw the sizes from different templates that are free from the internet. After choosing your template, cut it using your band saw and thereafter trace it on the other pieces. Make sure that you rotate your pieces to the sides so that the wood grains stay perfectly in position after the cut.
The other step is to figure out the perfect way to arrange them and then glue them together by brushing glue on both of the adjoining sides. Clamp your pieces together by placing two clamps on the top and one on the bottom to prevent bowing.
Once it is dry, sand it down. Start with a grinding disk to eliminate the ridges and then finish it using an orbital sander of 120 and then 150 grit. Scrap off the glue from the bottom sand it with a belt sander that has a coarse grit paper. Once you have sanded down your seat, use your table saw to trim the edges. When everything is smooth and straight, route the edges with a quarter router bit then do one more final sand.
– Legs part 1.
Start working on the legs. Make the front pieces and then match the back pieces. Arrange the pieces where you want them from the bottom with the top pieces flushed with the top of your legs. Mark a straight line at every intersection to know which angle your dowels need to go to stay at a 5-degree angle. You can use dominos, joinery, or screws to assemble your stool.
For the long legs, cut a size of wood that would angle your wood 5 degrees horizontally. This will allow your dowel hole to enter at the proper angle. Therefore, the piece of wood is cut 5 degrees on one end and is flat on the other.
For the crossbars, cut a piece of wood that would angle the piece of wood 5 degrees vertically to let the dowel hole go through straight. The measuring should be accurate for the dowel holes to avoid any trouble later. The front and back pieces with their holes should be similar for your stool to be square.
– Legs part 2.
It is time to make short pieces that can be attached to the back and front legs. The two pieces for the bottom part differ slightly from those at the top. The top pieces ought to be cut at an angle of 5 degrees on the longer side for them to sit flush with the rest of the pieces.
For the bottom pieces, you can choose to use a 1-inch Forstner bit. After you have dried your front and back legs, drill a coordinating hole in the top corners ensuring that they are in line with the dowel holes. Then sand the whole structure again. Mark where each piece of wood fits perfectly, glue them and then clamp them in place. For additional support, you can put a 0.5 inches dowel on one end of the arch.
– Assembly.
You are now set for the final assembly. Perform the final dry fit. The best idea is to mark exactly the piece and the dowel that goes at its specific place. This is because some wood pieces might fit slightly better in a particular spot compared to others.
– Final glue-up.
In case some of the dowels are tight or rather need some encouragement, use a mallet or a scrap piece not to damage your place, bang it into place. When you have got your stool glued up, the next step is to clamp it and then leave it to dry. Once the stool is dry, chisel the excess glue and carry out one last sand.
Stain.
Use a wood conditioner to eliminate or rather prevent blotchiness. After that stain your stool with some of the best stains such as the early American stain made by Minwax. Staining is very important at ensuring the durability of your stools. It is protected from invasion by wood pests. Staining also gives your stool a color that will match with your modern home or space.
In conclusion, making your saddle bar stool is very important at enhancing your creativity and at the same time saves you a significant amount of money. This article has given you the precise steps that will help you make your own saddle bar stool.
