Camp Stools--Part 1

First thing this morning after breakfast and dishes, I "hit the town" so to speak, running into Do it Best for building supplies. (I also dropped by Bryan's and Winn-Dixie.) After lunch, dishes, coffee, and some Authentic Christianity by Dr. Morecraft, I moseyed out to the barn and started work.

Oh yeah, before I went to town I browsed the internet for pictures of wooden camp stools and worked up a plan or pattern for mine. I might as well admit that it didn't work exactly like it was supposed to. For starters, I didn't take into account that the legs were going to end up uneven distances apart...so the bottom cross bar only got included on one side. I didn't have enough dowl to do both sides. Anyways...I learned a thing or two about constructing wooden camp stools and I had fun, so I guess it was a success. As soon as I get the seats installed, we will have much more authentic looking seating for our reenacting! (The fact that I used some screws--not part of the plan--will have to be overlooked. I may be able to hide them--maybe.)

(I took all the pictures but the last three...)

Uncut material. Two 8 foot sections of 2"x 2" (which actually was more like 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" stuff--which was just fine with me); one 8 foot section of 1" x 2" (also not exactly as said--it was 1/2" x 1"--I guess the hardware store had things marked funny), and one 4 foot 5/8" dowl.

My kitty. She is terribly sweet...

The materials, marked and ready to cut!

Sawing away. I find that I saw more smoothly while singing. I sang the Confederate Yankee Doodle, the first verses of various other Confederate songs, and some Irish tunes...

Clamps really are helpful...as are sawhorses, no matter what they are made of!

Cut materials...ready to assemble! Or so I thought...it was about this time that I realized that those lower cross bars weren't going to work the way I intended.

The first one mostly done!

When she wasn't under my feet or on my shoulder, Curiosity (or Curio as I call her more frequently these days) was over there napping by the tractor. She's kind of deaf...and getting quite tubby! :D

Mama Cat was there most of the time too...watching and waiting until supper would arrive. :P

Rather than using glue (not authentic as far as I know!) I used some little nails to hold the dowl in the holes. I think it looks kind of nifty myself. :)

The "joint". Yes, I used a very modern looking bolt. (I can tell I didn't have the nut screwed down very tightly yet...I also took the bolt cutters and trimmed the bolt shorter.)

Those hideous screws I was talking about!

Drilling the holes for the bolts. I didn't take a picture of me drilling the holes for the dowls...

This one is kind of fuzzy (that's what happens when a right handed person takes a picture with their left hand!) but I like it anyway. It kind of give a feel for the job. :)

I stuck the top bars into the vice and started the screws like that. I thought it was something Daddy would do--and when I do this kind of stuff (aka stuff I've never done before!) I always try to think "how would Daddy handle this?"

Taa-da!! I just needed to trim the bolts and then the frames would be all done!

As Savannah said, they are a little taller than average, but that's okay...

Pleased as punch...I realized later that I had dirt all over my face.

I had to pull the cat into one of the pictures... :P (This cat is so weird. I used to not be able to pet her...and now I can even pick her up!!)

        Racheal