DIY Wooden Stool made with Pocket Hole joinery

I made this great little stool from some left over wooden legs and some scrap plywood.  I have become a big fan of using my Kreg Pocket Hole jig.  The jig allows for some easy super quick and really strong joinery.  Don't be intimidated by the gizmo.  It is really quite easy to use and relatively inexpensive.  You can easily adapt this to make a table of virtually any size.  I have built several display tables and cabinets using the pocket hole jig. 

What you will need:

A pocket hole jig set  ( mine is a Kreg I bought a few years back.  It included the clamp, drill bit and driver bit as well as some screws.  All at the time for around $40.00)

Pocket screws

Drill and/ or Driver

Bar Clamps (optional - they do help holding things together while you insert the screws)

(4) tapered legs  1 3/4" square by 10" tall (any size will do depending on your need)

Some scrap Birch or other wood for the stool skirt and top

Saw of choice ( I used a table saw to rip the scrap down and a miter saw to cross cut the pieces.)

Stain and finish

Safety glasses

Step 1: Getting the pieces ready

I first ripped some scrap birch to 3" wide.  I then cut two pieces 15 1/2" long for the sides and two pieces 8 1/4 " for the ends.   I then used my pocket hole jig to place screw holes on the top and end edges of the pieces.  The screw holes will be on the inside of the assembled stool so they won't show.

Comments

[jeffeb3]

One point I like to mention w.r.t. pocket hole jigs is to treat them like glue-ups. You should "dry fit" everything first, and then clamp like crazy, because it doesn't look right if you miss on the first try.

[sosclosetsandfurniture]

Hi Jeffeb3


Have you tried any of the specialty pocket hole clamps that place a clamp into one pocket hole while you screw into the other? I tried Rocklers small clamp without much success. My clamp would come apart. It just wasn't sturdy enough.

[glorybe]

Some glues are quite a problem such as the swelling that takes place when Gorilla glue hardens. Often even a quick wipe off will not really get the glue off of an area that you want to stain or finish. As much as possible I suggest staining off all pieces prior to any glue work taking place. That way wiping off a squeeze out will clearly display any residue before it becomes next to impossible to remove.

[sosclosetsandfurniture]

Hi Glorybe

I'm not crazy about Gorilla Glue because of the way it expands. It has its place for a lot of applications though. I prefer Titebond II or III. They both develop a nice intial tack but let you reposition parts if needed and clean up is pretty easy with a damp cloth if done immediately. It will block stain if allowed to soak in. You have a great point, staining parts first is best.

[nagutron]

Neat. I was wondering how pocket hole jigs worked and this video explained it well.

[CementTruck]

http://ana-white.com/

You might get some ideas out of this site, or a kick at the very least. There are quite a few neat woodworking ideas that use the pocket hole jig as well. I have the Harbor Freight pocket hole jig.

[sosclosetsandfurniture]

I'll check that site out. It sounds familiar. Harbor freight is my second home. If I can't find a gadget there I look on Rocklers site.

[blkhawk]

Beautiful piece of furniture! I have the same jig, it is a neat tool. Great work!

[sosclosetsandfurniture]

Thanks for the kind words! That jig is a handy thing!