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Adjustable Height Wood and Metal Stool

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DIY Adjustable height stool made of hardware store parts and 2x2s.  Free plans from ana-white.com

Hello Awesomest DIY Folks Ever, and Happy Monday!

Toliy (who's been sorta interning with me this summer) will be working with us for another couple of weeks before he heads back to college, and he's been wanting to make an adjustable height stool to match the sawhorse desk we made a while back.

To refresh - this sawhorse desk goes from desk -

To a tallish coffee table by just adjusting bolts.  You can find the plans here.  Yup, 2x4s and all-thread.

Now for a stool to match ...

After quite a few tweaks and trips to the hardware store ...

I think we finally nailed bolted it!

It ended up being much simpler than we had thought.  We just attached a floor flange to the underside of the seat (I suggest a more comfortable seat if you plan on sitting on this stool for long periods of time), and then screwed a piece of all-thread into that flange.

Then made a base out of 2x2s, and drilled holes in it to hold the all-thread,

And then just used bolts and washers to secure the all-thread to the stool at the top and bottom of the cross supports.

Once we got this stool figured out, it's acutally pretty easy to build!  

Enjoy the plans following!

Ana

 

PS- I'd love to make a taller stool too!  If you'd like to see a taller stool, let me know in the comments.

Dimensions
Adjusts between seat and counter-height stool heights.

Preparation

Shopping List

1 - 2x2 @ 8 feet long

1 - piece of scrap plywood 6" x 6"

1 - 2x12 or 1x12 cut into a round circle (you can also buy a plywood round for a stool top at most hardware stores)

1 - 3/4" All-Thread 16" long (if you can't find 16" all-thead, you can cut it down easily with a jigsaw or handsaw with a blade designed to cut metal)

1 - 3/4" Floor Flange to match all thread (also recommend pipe thread tape for securing all-thread into the flange)

2 - bolts and washers to match the all-thread

2-1/2" pocket hole screws

3" screws or lag bolts (heads will be visible) for attaching cross supports to the legs

Cut List

1 - 3/4" thick plywood, 6" x 6"

4 - 2x2 @ 15-1/2" long, long point to short point, both ends cut at 15 degrees off square, parallel to each other

4 - 2x2 @ 8-3/8" long, long point to long point, both ends cut at 15 degrees off square, ends NOT parallel to each other

Tools
Tape Measure
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Jigsaw
Miter Saw
Power Sander
Drill Bit Set
General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

The best way we found to attach the legs to the base is with 1-1/2" pocket holes from underside, using 2-1/2" pocket hole screws and glue.

Take a second to confirm the outside to outside measurement of the legs matches the diagram.

Step 2

Now this is the harder part of making this stool.  There are easier ways but we felt that this was the right balance between difficulty and getting a nice looking project in the end.

Use either a tablesaw or circular saw to notch out the cross support pieces (note that you notch one on top and one on bottom), 3/4" deep.  You can do this by making multiple cuts with saw blade set at 3/4"  in the area to notch out, and then remove any excess material with a chisel.

Test the pieces to make sure they fit together.

Step 3

Attach the cross supports to the legs.  Do not attach the actual cross supports to each other, as a bolt will need to pass through the center of them.

Step 4

Attach the floor flange to the center of the seat (we used a scrap 2x12 cut with a jigsaw) and thread the all-thread into the flange.

Step 5

Step 6

Turn the seat to adjust up or down.  NOTE: Once you have the seat where you want it, make sure the nuts are still tight.

Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
Project Type
Stools
Room
Craftroom
kitchen
office
Teens

Comments

Locism

Mon, 01/19/2015 - 05:56

We can you find 3/4" floor flange? I've seen1/2" but no 3/4".... people keep showing me floor flange for piping, Grrr!!!

AlexO

Mon, 01/19/2015 - 06:39

Locism, It is a floor flange for piping... you can get them at Homedepot or lowes... I just bought 12 3/4" flanges for an entry table I am working on. For large projects I will be going to Essential Hardware online.. much cheaper

Locism

Tue, 01/20/2015 - 05:05

Thanks AlexO. I'll need to look again... will try lowes this time.

I thought the 3/4" piping was to large because the 3/4" measurement was for the inside diameter an not the outside ie 3/4" threaded rod.

danielm05

Wed, 09/30/2015 - 07:51

Locism - were you able to find a solution to this?  I'm having the same issue with the 3/4" floor flange being too large.

 

Thanks

Dsfcoex

Tue, 06/07/2016 - 02:35

How practical would it be to embed the nut into wood so that when spinning the seat the nut would stay in place when raising or lowering stool seat 

Dirk Medema

Tue, 06/07/2016 - 22:31

Embedding the nut could be a challenge to get the hexagonal hole. Once you get it, the wood would have a tendancy to deform and morph towards a round hole thereby wasting all your hard work. They do make a "nut" with teeth that are poke into the wood to anchor the nut when tightened. Sorry, can't remember the name.

nafzimo

Sat, 10/10/2020 - 18:02

why do I need 4 - 2x2 @ 8-3/8" long? It appears that only two are used. Also, the plans call for 2 bolts but I think you meant nuts. Finally, why not use a second floor flange instead of nuts?