Table of Contents
Introduction and plans
This step stool is a very practical, multi-purpose unit which would find a place in just about any house. It serves as a setHow much the teeth are angled out on a circular saw blade. of steps, a seat and a stand, all in one.
The step stool stands 400mm (16″) high, 400mm (16″) wide and 235mm (9 1/4″) deep when the step is turned in. It is constructed out of 250mm x 25mm (1″ x 10″) and 100mm x 25mm (1″ x 4″) boards.
About the woodTimber, lumber. The hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees dimensionsAny of the three linear measurements, length, breadth and depth.. All dimensions are given in both MetricMillimeter measurements. (mmAbbreviation for millimeter which is a metric unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter. 25.4 mm equals one inch.) and ImperialStandard. Feet and inch measurements. (inches). The size (width and thickness) of the wood referred to throughout this project is the ‘actual size’ or ‘true size’, that is, the size of the lumberAny of the framing wood. when it has been finished/planed. Before the lumber has been finished/planed it is called the ‘nominal size’. For example: 250mm x 25mm (1″ x 10″) when planed may become 235mm x 19mm (3/4″x 9 1/4″) actual sizeThe finished (dressed) size as opposed to the nominal size of a piece of wood..
Below are the plan drawings.
Under the drawings is a cutting list with descriptions of all the pieces.
The instructions, with pictures included, are on successive pages.
Below is a cutting list and description of all the pieces of wood.
| PART ID | DESCRIPTION | USA (inches) | USA (inches) | Australasia (mm) | Australasia (mm) | PIECES |
| [a] | Stool sides | |||||
| [b] | Stool rails | |||||
| [c] | Stool top | |||||
| [d] | Step sides | |||||
| [e] | Step front railThe top and bottom frame member of a door or window (not the jamb). Cross member of panel doors or of a sash. Also the upper and lower member of a balustrade or staircase extending from one vertical support, such as a post, to another. The horizontal member of a fence. | |||||
| [f] | Step rear rail | |||||
| [g] | Step tread |
You will also need a bit of wood glue and about thirty-eight 50mm (2″) long wood screws and a couple of hinges.
I built your step stool plan yesterday, (see pic). I believe your Item (d) should be 3/4″ X 8- 3/4 X 7- 1/4″ long to allow for about 1/2″ overhang on first step tread. Nice plan though, my wife has been wanting one for a while now.
Thanks Jim Green Phenix City, Alabama
Folding step stool – Our grandchildren need a step up to get to the sink in the bathroom. When the plastic stool we had broke, I looked for some plans and found the folding step stool and made 3 of them, 1 for each of our daughters and 1 for us.
But a problem soon arose. When the 2 year old stepped from the first step to the second, putting her foot near the front of the top step, the step stool folded up and collapsed, leaving her on the floor in a heap. No damage done, but I would not recommend the folding stool for a young person.
Bob Palmateer Bolton, Ontario, Canada.
My granddaughter loves to wash dishes. I’m sure she’ll be over that phase by time she’s 4 or 5 years old. For now though she needed something to help her reach the sink. This stool was the perfect choice.. I was able to complete it in one day and then just waited for the paint to dry. My wife asked if I could make another for our niece’s son and before I knew it I needed to make 3 more for friends and family. My grandson has also found another use for the stool as a small desk.
Kelly Edwards, Howell, NJ
Nice little step stool that is easy to build. BUT the total board length on the 9-1/4 material is 74″. In the US, we can get 72″ or 96″ standard. So if the step top is reduced to 11 inches and the E and F rails reduced to 9-1/2 inches, the 72″ standard is enough. Yes, it would make a slightly smaller step but since it is just the step, I plan to adjust on my next build. (First build was made from pieces I had…next will require new material.)