Completely hand-worked oak stool

The oak stool project was my introduction to the world of traditional furniture making, created entirely with hand tools, without the assistance of powered machines.

Through this process I developed an understanding of how the wood responds to being planed and the value of a professional level of tool setup. I discovered the challenges and problems that can be encountered with grain direction and imperfections in the wood. I had to deal with twist, whilst thicknessing and dimensioning the wood using a plane to achieve a completely flat surface with which to work accurately to extremely fine tolerances.

Traditional joinery techniques were then used to assemble the stool, using a wedge mortice and tenon joint, visible from the top surface. These joints are extremely strong, but also add a decorative feature, contrasting oak and walnut. Further aesthetic interest was added by cutting the oak top in half and sandwiching a strip of walnut down the centre, which is then carried on through the legs. To match this theme a walnut stretcher was made, adding lateral strength to the piece and also fitted using mortice and wedge tenon.

Finishing was achieved using Danish oil, which makes the colours 'pop' and enhances the character of the wood. this was then protected with a clear coat of wax.