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A couple weeks back, I wrote about the step-chair I was making for my niece, per a Fitzpatrick family tradition that began in the 1950s. The project plan was from U-Bild, which discontinued the plan probably in the early 1990s, said a company official who cited poor sales as the likely culprit. But I had a fair number of people request the plan, so I e-mailed U-Bild again, and they kindly gave permission for me to post it.
I’ve done so in the PDF below (compatible with Adobe Reader 7.0 and later) , and my apologies in advance for the image quality. This is a scan of a photocopy of a photocopy from a plan from the ’50s, shrunk down to work on our server , it’s the best I’ve got to offer.
Note: I did modify the plan a wee bit by trimming the bottoms of the base pieces so the sides would rest on the floor in the step-stool position. If I built it again, I’d simply shape the sides with more of a swoop, or move the dowel down (it seems to me important to have the sides rest on the floor; otherwise, the thing is tippy).
And I had to chuckle at the first paragraph under “Recommended Finish,” which reads: “Use plenty of sandpaper. The beauty of the finished article depends largely upon the amount of time spent in sanding.” My grandfather (the original owner of this much-used plan) didn’t enjoy time spent in sanding. But to be fair, neither do I , which is why I love my No. 4.
By the way: We’re working on our own design for a flip-stool; look for that in the August “I Can Do That.” Glen’s building it out of scrap tiger maple (natch).
