Making a Seriously Solid Step Stool – Woodworking

Making a Seriously Solid Step Stool – Woodworking

▶️ Get the full 8 video build course plus plans at the $5 per month level on Patreon:
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See the build article for free plans for this project and many more details:

How To Make A Step Stool – Solid Wood

This is a great looking solid wood two-step stool that’ll be very handy to have around the house. While the joinery is fairly challenging, I’ve broken it down in the build course to make it reasonably easy for the average woodworker to do with standard shop tools. I used power tools for mine, taking it from rough milled lumber right to finished product, but it can also be done with hand tools only.
Recommended wood is any solid hardwood. I used ash for mine. It can be made from a softwood such as pine, but I figure if you are going to these lengths for the joinery, it’s worth it to use a nice hardwood.

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50 Comments

  1. Sargon Sajaha on March 10, 2023 at 7:03 am

    Maybe you dont read the comments for older videos anymore. A question anyhow:
    Why do you use a disc-sander? I had one and gave it away since I dont like it for timber. It always sands against the wood grain and leaves marks I dont like. I use a belt sander and only along with the wood grain and this way they dont get scratched. Takes longer indeed, but its a better finish.
    Also hardly use a orbital sander for this reason.
    However, I use sanders not very ofter anyway and always take the time for a smoothing planer, at least if I build stuff for myself. Clients very rarely pay for perfection and hand planed stuff these days. But with the right planer you avoid dust in the pores and the piece retains its character and details, especially with slowly grown hard woods.



  2. Joop on March 10, 2023 at 7:03 am

    Damn, this was excellent! Both the work piece (great precision and original design) as well as the video (good camera angles, good editing)!



  3. Daniel Taylor on March 10, 2023 at 7:05 am

    This is some seriously nice work. Love the dovetail joints and strong attention to style and finish.



  4. -- on March 10, 2023 at 7:06 am

    I’ve been out of the shop for 20 years, but isn’t miter saw + fence to be avoided due to binding risk?

    If you’re doing it for repeatability of the cuts, you can offset by 1" or whatever and clamp a block to the fence and butt the workpiece against that.



  5. Martin Roe Eidhammer on March 10, 2023 at 7:08 am

    How the h….. can someone not like this?? Very nice design and good craftsmanship!



  6. John Heisz - I Build It on March 10, 2023 at 7:09 am

    ▶️ Get the full 8 video build course plus plans at the $5 per month level on Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/user?u=865843
    See the build article for free plans for this project and many more details:
    https://ibuildit.ca/projects/how-to-make-a-step-stool/

    This is a great looking solid wood two-step stool that’ll be very handy to have around the house. While the joinery is fairly challenging, I’ve broken it down in the build course to make it reasonably easy for the average woodworker to do with standard shop tools. I used power tools for mine, taking it from rough milled lumber right to finished product, but it can also be done with hand tools only.
    Recommended wood is any solid hardwood. I used ash for mine. It can be made from a softwood such as pine, but I figure if you are going to these lengths for the joinery, it’s worth it to use a nice hardwood.



  7. Giuseppe Sapio on March 10, 2023 at 7:12 am

    Molto bello, grande maestria



  8. Ildefonso Girón on March 10, 2023 at 7:13 am

    This step stool looks beautiful, and may last forever. It’s construction is very involved though. Regards.



  9. Ralph Woodard on March 10, 2023 at 7:15 am

    I just love the detail that you put into your work. I also like the fact that you have handmade clamps too. You don’t see that very often.



  10. Wesley Slemp on March 10, 2023 at 7:16 am

    Hello John! I have an interesting question for you? Can you plane mdf in a power thickness planer? I am thinking about a project doing just that! So curious of your response. Your answer would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!



  11. JOARES AMORIM on March 10, 2023 at 7:16 am

    A PACIÊNCIA NESSE TRABALHO GERA OBRAS DE ARTE!



  12. this is a social experiment on March 10, 2023 at 7:17 am

    I love that virtually everything that can be made of wood in your shop is in fact made of wood. All that custom hardware in your table saw looks amazing, and that sled for your planer is great. I came here for stool ideas and ended up with 3 shop ideas unrelated to the stool. 10/10



  13. Kelly Carr on March 10, 2023 at 7:18 am

    I love it!! What’s that finish?



  14. tangobravo on March 10, 2023 at 7:22 am

    Beautiful job!



  15. Rhonda Walker on March 10, 2023 at 7:22 am

    I know you can’t answer all the questions. But your ceiling in the shop looks amazing. what wood did you use, and how did you achieve the spacing? ( if it’s not tongue & groove shiplap)



  16. poppa Rock on March 10, 2023 at 7:25 am

    WHAT .. how did you make this beautiful Stool without $30k worth of Festool tools?!



  17. Beard Guy Workshop 𐤇𐤓𐤔 on March 10, 2023 at 7:27 am

    This is an amazing step stool, I will try to duplicate this for my household.



  18. chandraguptha rajah on March 10, 2023 at 7:27 am

    It is a masterpiece. I love it



  19. Foo S. on March 10, 2023 at 7:27 am

    That is some serious woodworking mastery, sir. Very calming to watch.



  20. Magical WheelChair on March 10, 2023 at 7:28 am

    Wait what are you doing step stool



  21. selbergekauft_de on March 10, 2023 at 7:29 am

    Vielen Dank für das teilen. Super Idee und sehr gut umgesetzt. Danke.



  22. asailijhijr on March 10, 2023 at 7:30 am

    How much more would it have taken to hold it together with joinery wedges instead of adhesive?



  23. Dzmitry Parsiyeu on March 10, 2023 at 7:31 am

    МАСТЕР !



  24. Dan Alaniz on March 10, 2023 at 7:32 am

    Really nice piece. The bevel on the outside of the cutout on the side pieces is a nice addition.



  25. Destitute on March 10, 2023 at 7:33 am

    A stool that size & shape can be used for aerobics exercises, but the top surfaces need to be rougher.



  26. MrKockabilly on March 10, 2023 at 7:33 am

    There is another cut that are used here a lot but many may have not noticed in this video – the J cut.



  27. DracoHFT on March 10, 2023 at 7:33 am

    Very nice video John.



  28. Mike B. on March 10, 2023 at 7:33 am

    Nice



  29. David Stevens / A sideways look on March 10, 2023 at 7:34 am

    not very impressed with this chaps safety, its a wonder he has any fingers left.



  30. Hector Trujillo A on March 10, 2023 at 7:35 am

    Maestro de la madera, super trabajo, ni un solo clavo o tornillo. Felicidades desde México.



  31. Dana Owen on March 10, 2023 at 7:35 am

    What a beautiful technique.



  32. Gelo Soriano on March 10, 2023 at 7:36 am

    Pretty step stool that I don’t want to step on. Great work!



  33. Shinerise Liu on March 10, 2023 at 7:37 am

    My messy workshop doesn’t deserve such a nice furniture…….



  34. Alex Pettigrew on March 10, 2023 at 7:39 am

    Really nice design John!



  35. Cam LaFrance on March 10, 2023 at 7:40 am

    I like it!!



  36. Andy Arsenal on March 10, 2023 at 7:43 am

    Very skillful, great video



  37. Mars-L Quebec on March 10, 2023 at 7:43 am

    I have seen in your videos that you cut your piece of wood in two pass when using your meter saw.
    The first one is by pulling the saw toward you by half the thickness of the wood and the
    seciond stroke by pushing trough the entire piece. Doing so you always have a perfect cut.
    Did you have mentioned that to yours supporters?
    GOOD JOBS JOHN
    I like verry much what you do. Congratulation.



  38. Геннадий on March 10, 2023 at 7:43 am

    Куча приспособлений для изготовления одной табуретки, не поподание в размер, куча лишних операций, такое чувство что ценник на табуретки накручивает👎👎👎



  39. Jay MyLotto on March 10, 2023 at 7:44 am

    Why hide the finish that you used?



  40. Cheatman97 on March 10, 2023 at 7:45 am

    I think I can smell the fresh wood as it’s being cut! Awesome build



  41. václav čermák on March 10, 2023 at 7:46 am

    Such a nice and clean work! It almost feels intimidating .



  42. Steampunk on March 10, 2023 at 7:46 am

    What is the size of router bit in 2:34 ?



  43. Andrew Dacey on March 10, 2023 at 7:47 am

    Loving this project. I’m just getting into woodworking and was thinking that a step stool project would be a nice small project to try some more ambitious joinery on and this has given me a ton of ideas.



  44. Standa Kubišta on March 10, 2023 at 7:48 am

    👍



  45. dalebmartin on March 10, 2023 at 7:50 am

    I think it is weird that you are not using a wooden plane.



  46. 森井弘幸 on March 10, 2023 at 7:50 am

    Japanese DIY
    impressed by careful work



  47. HoustonSam61 on March 10, 2023 at 7:54 am

    8:05 Those treads moving onto the sliding dovetails, followed by trimming and flushing with hand planes, is a thing of beauty.



  48. Jamie on March 10, 2023 at 7:55 am

    I think I’d need to watch this half a dozen times to understand every angle during build, but damn was it nice watching them all slot together perfectly at the end.



  49. Boots on March 10, 2023 at 7:56 am

    I’m confused, the first step is held onto the main stool only with glue? I know glue is strong, however if the former is true then wouldn’t it have been possible to really strengthen that assembly by making it sort of like a half-blind dovetail? Very nice project, and I need one so I will try it! Thanks again and Happy Holidays John!



  50. Antônio N. Freitas on March 10, 2023 at 8:00 am

    Muito bom seu trabalho; Qualidade e perfeição. Your work is my inspiration!!!