Constructing Tall Breakfast Bar Stools

Breakfast bar stools come in an array of different sizes, and the height usually found in homes is 2 1/2 feet tall. If you are looking for a more elegant piece of furniture, you may prefer to have a bar stool that is over 3 feet high which, although stylish, may not be suitable for children. You may be considering purchasing a set of breakfast bar stools, but you can just as easily create your own set of stools using either softwood or hardwood such as pine, some tools, and a few hours of your spare time.

Step One - Preparation

To protect yourself from any debris during this project, always wear a mask, safety glasses and gloves which will also protect your hands while using power tools. Ensure your work area is well ventilated and that all power tools are kept at a safe distance away and are unplugged when not in use. Set up a jig to support the pieces of wood you will be working on.

Step Two - Measure and Cut Legs

Place your piece of 3-by-3-inch wood into the jig and use your tape measure to divide the wood into 3-foot pieces, mark the sections with a pencil. Adjust the wood to sit on a 45-degree angle on its side and use the circular saw to cut off the sections at an 85-degree angle. Make sure the legs are cut angled outwards.

Lay out your stool legs and use your measuring tape and pencil to make an inch mark in the center on each leg a foot from the bottom, then make another mark 2 feet from the bottom and a final mark 1/4 inch from the top, this will be where the mortises are cut into the insides of the legs. The stool leg insides are the sides opposite the downward angle of the cuts. Use a 1/2-inch bit and the router to cut the mortises halfway through into the legs. A mortise is a square hole which is made to form a joint when you insert a tenon; a tenon is the end of a piece of wood which is shaped to fit the mortise. Remove from the jig.

Step Three - Measure and Cut the Rungs

Divide the 1-by-4-inch wood into four lengths of 10 inches using a measuring tape and pencil. Then as with the legs, place in the jig and cut using a circular saw at an 85-degree angle. The bottom edges should end up measuring about 13 3/8 inches. With each cut piece, mark 1/4 inch with a measuring tape and pencil on all the wood faces. Following the marks, use a chisel to cut tenons into each piece.

Step Four - Assembly

Place the 1-by-4-inch wood into the top mortises of the legs. This will become the top rung. Use a measuring tape to measure the length needed for the next two rungs which will be cut from the 1-by-4-inch wood. You will need to note where the rung's top edge will be and from there measure the distance between the two legs, remember to add an inch to the measurements.

With the wood inside the jig, use a circular saw to cut the measurements at an 85-degree angle. Repeat the tenon cutting process mentioned in Step 3. Put glue on all the 1-by-4-inch pieces as you put them into the mortises. Make sure the parts fit together properly and are level. Use a clamp to keep them secure until they dry.

Put glue on all the surfaces at the top of the frame and place your 12-by-12-by-2-inch wood block centrally onto the frame. Use clamps to help strengthen the glue bond. Drill holes through the 1-inch blocks up into the seat. Then screw in the 1 3/4-inch screws through the holes using a screwdriver and leave to dry. Once dry, remove the clamps and sand off any visible glue.