Dimensions: 8.5“H x 11 ⅝“L x 7 ¾“W
Materials: repurposed Pine (paint & Danish oil), wood glue, hardwood dowels (x3), nails (x5)
Tools used: hammer, block plane, no.5 plane, palm sander, handsaw, wood shaving for smearing glue, coping saw, triangle file
Milking stools are a form that has many shapes and construction methods, the small five board bench, three legged stool, the spring harness, and the cut log. Etc. Whenever I go to a antique store or a thrift market, I take pictures of different ones that I see. It is always interesting to see how each one was made, how old the paint looks, if the paint actually is that old or distressed, were nails used? Were tenons used? Screws? Was it a fruit crate taken apart and put back together to get a new life?
Milking stools are also comfortable, they are low to the ground and feel like crouching but gentler on the knees. Good for around the fire, and you can often stack or stow them easily until needed. You can carry a thermos and a stool and not be over encumbered.
I work at a store that sells used building supplies, furniture, and also salvaged building materials. I keep an eye out for small stools to bring home, take pictures of of course, but also for lumber that works for my own small furniture and woodworking projects. 1x10s and 1x12s are the boards I snatch and pay for same day, regardless of length because of how much I like small stools. This is the 4th one that I have made, and the white paint was from the previous owner, in its original life this bench was actually part of a shelf, and part of the side of a homemade garage shelving system.
I handplaned some of the paint off, to let the wood through, but didn’t go all at it. I want to be able to see what it was before it got this second life.
On one side of the bench there is a split down the length of the leg, from the cut out where the feet form all the way up to the board that goes across and under the seat. This split came up when I was putting the thing together, I glued it and clamped it shut and tight. But, after sitting on it, and standing and jumping on it (to make sure it was sturdy for all 240 lbs of me), the split came apart again. I sighed, and took out a nail and took apart the end. I used my drill brace and auger bits (the bits a great gift from a coworker) and put the leg back together with dowels to give more hold.
I could have just made another leg, but that wasn’t the point. The split on that side I will recognize, I know it’s strong now, and I would’ve hated tossing away a leg that could just be fix’d up.
