Note: Since the inception of this Design. Click. Build Blog in April 2007, I have provided weekly entries on SketchUp - I don't believe I've missed a week. So now I will be taking a break - don't expect to hear from me for the next four weeks. See you in November.
Last week I introduced the first design part for the short Windsor Stool. That exercise mostly covered making the seat. In this second part I show the design steps for the stool undercarriage including legs and stretchers.
Step 1: Create the faces for the turned components, Legs and Stretchers. These are half diameter faces ready for a Follow me to create the turnings.

Step 2: Make a circle path and use Follow me to create the turnings.

Step 3: Now we need to fasten the Legs to the Seat. The Centerline model that we created last week is very useful in positioning the Legs and Stretchers.

Step 4: To rotate the Leg into position, I connect one end of the leg as a fulcrum, make a triangular plane between the Leg and the centerline, then use the Rotate Tool to connect the Leg onto the Centerline.

Step 5: You can use Rotate Copy to position the alternate leg.

Step 6: Finish up copying the remaining legs into position using the Move/Copy Tool , then Flip along Green axis. Once Legs are in position, I do an "Intersect" to create the sockets in the Seat.

Step 7: Accurately place the Stretchers, again using the Centerline model as the reference locations.

Step 8: We need to create the "Sight Lines" on the bottom face of the Seat. These sight lines are very useful for accurate drilling of the leg sockets. With Sight Lines, there is no double angle issue - you set the sliding bevel in line with the sight line and drill to this angle only.

Step 9: Create the full-size Seat Template. Use Top View, parallel projection, and X-ray so you can see both the bottom and top face in the template. You need only to print 1/2 the template, since it can be flipped to mark out the other half of the seat.

Step 10: We also need to know what angles to drill - the seat and leg sockets. I use the Centerline Model to determine these drill angles.

Here is the finished stool along with a taller Windsor Stool. I used fresh cut ash for the turned parts and soaked the tenons in a hot bed of sand to dry and shrink. I used no glue assuming that the joints will tighten as the wood dries. I wedged the Leg tenons into the Seat. Pine was used for the Seat.

Back in November......
Tim
http://killenwood.com