Some Simple But Elegant Woodworking Projects

If you like woodworking, but are short on space, consider buying a good quality lathe. With practice, you can learn to do amazing things with a lathe.

Take wood bar stools, for instance. These can be made almost entirely with your lathe, including the seat. Start with a simple design and then tackle more complex turning projects.

Start with a simple tapered leg. You can easily make tapered legs from square timber simply by putting placing one end of the leg off center in the lathe. It will wobble at first, so you have to be very careful about two things. First, set your chisel rest far enough away from the wood that it doesn’t hit it as it spins. Secondly, start by taking small bites out of the wood rather than trying to hurry the process along.

By the time you have finished your first set of four wooden bar stools, you will have made sixteen legs and will already be proficient at turning them. If you like, you can put them back on the lathe and add some custom touches.

Don’t forget to turn the tops of the legs to the diameter of your dowel holes. Usually that’s around three quarters of an inch or 18 mm. Use your calipers to determine the diameter. Check regularly and stop as soon as the calipers just clear the timber. It’s a lot easier to trim off a bit more wood than it is to add more later.

Now it is time to work on the stretchers. These are often tapered at both ends. You can use your calipers on these, as well, in order to make sure that the tapers are equal on both ends.

The hardest part of making these bar stools is putting them together. The legs are not going to be straight, so you will have to drill the holes for the legs and the stretchers at an angle. You can determine the angle best if you make a drawing first. Then, make a jig for your drill press. Make a few practice holes first, so you don’t ruin your stool seats.

Woodworking, like any other craft, is a matter of practice. It’s a good idea to start off with fairly easy projects and work your way up to more complex pieces. You will be surprised how quickly you will improve. Soon you will be making better modern bar stools than you can buy in the store!