Building bar stools

[tomkat001]

My wife would like me to build 4 bar stools for our recent kitchen remodel to sit by the Island.
Anyone have a design for me to work off of? She dose not  want back on them, just a simple stool that she can add an upolstered seat.
Also, what do you think of using quarter sawn oak for this project? Will it be strong enough?
Thanks in advance for any input.

[beenthere]

Sounds like a good project.

Your question about 1/4 sawn oak....
Are you turning the parts, or sawing them out for legs and cross braces?

The most important for wood selection would be straight grain. Don't think there is any gain from the 1/4 sawn as the dimensions would likely be the same if sawn square (other than the seat). Rift might be of interest, but straight grain will be most important.  In my opinion.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Tomkat, what ever way you decide to build your stools or what species you use, please post pics of your progress. I'd love to see your work. 

[tomkat001]

I will not be doing any turning, she wants square legs.

[Hilltop366]

 Around 20 years ago I made some out of pine (square legs but I ended up taking the corners down) and used one I had given to me for the angles and dimensions, It is a bit tricky getting things just right and glued up all at once. I would recommend making one first to work out the bugs before making a bunch. A drill press with a tilting table and a forstner bit is handy but not necessary.

You might try to search here and on he www for plans as well.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Here is a great link for a book friends of mine have built bar stools from as well.  It is a green wood working book, so it's not the mainstream method, but you might enjoy it.  This is how I will be building my kitchen island stools.

best of luck,

jay

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Joint-Stool-From-Tree/dp/0985077700

[Lud]

QS Oak would be plenty strong.  Suggests Craftsman style as Stickley always used QS oak.

Put the cross members (heel rails)  at slightly different heights for different folks.

[Brad_bb]

These were in a house our group rented last weekend.  Nice.