- Sander
- Center-finder (optional, but helps)
- Drill
- Screwdriver
- Small socket wrench to fit acorn nuts
- Rags
- Knife
- Three 1 1/8” Birch hardwood dowels - enough for three 24” pieces
- One brass 2.75” bolt
- One 1.5” eyehole bolt
- Two brass acorn nuts
- Three brass washers
- Three brass finishing washers
- Three brass 1” wood screws (big enough not to slip through the finishing washer)
- Finish - I used Osmo PolyX-Oil
- Leather or other heavy material for seat
In honor of this month’s Design*Sponge theme of the outdoors, how about we build an old-fashioned camping stool? First of all, have you seen modern folding tripod stools? They are ugly as sin and your grandpa would be ASHAMED if you bought one. With the help of some hefty dowels, a little hardware and a piece of leather or heavy canvas – you’ll be sitting by the campfire in style. Also, the materials will only set you back about $25.
In addition, I’ve got to give proper respect to the super creative Kate Pruitt at Design*Sponge for sparking this idea… It’s great to work with her and the D*S crew.
Instructions:
1. Start by cutting your dowels to 24” or closest to that. I bought two 48” dowels, so each leg is about 23 7/8 after the saw blade’s share. Drill a hole completely through each one, 10.5” from the top of each leg. Find the center of each leg’s top, and drill a small pilot hole for your seat mounting screws. You’ll need this pilot hole to prevent your legs from splitting. Sand each of the legs smooth, and a little around the edge of the tops, and a good amount on each bottom to round it out more. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure you don’t shorten any leg with too much rounding.
2. After the legs are cut, drilled and sanded, apply your choice of finish and set aside to dry. As they are drying, you can work on the seat material. I’m including a downloadable template for you to create your seat with. I chose leather because I have plenty of it around, but you could sew up a heavy canvas seat or any number of materials. Make sure it’s heavy and sufficiently reinforced since there will be a good amount of stress on each corner.
On one corner of the seat, I left a tab for the carry strap, but this is optional. Mine’s attached to a closure strap, which I recommend having regardless of a carry strap. It’ll keep your stool from popping open in storage or carrying. I edged my leather pieces and treated the smooth surfaces with carnauba wax.
3. Once the legs are dry, assemble the structure assembly by threading two of the legs together with the bolt, with the eyehole bolt in the middle. Use washers on both ends, and attach the acorn nut. I actually cut my bolt down a little bit with a hacksaw, so it fit close. You’ll need a little play in the assembly to move, but it shouldn’t be gaping. Once those two legs are secure, feed the eyehole bolt (which I cut down a little too) into the third leg and attach with a washer and acorn nut. Tighten both acorns securely with a socket wrench.
4. After the base is complete, attach your seat to each leg using a large finishing washer and the wood screw. Don’t over-tighten and strip out your holes, for you’ll need all the strength on these mounting points. After everything is secure, you can take a seat. The main bolt might bend a little to the stress, but that’s fine, it keep its bend permanently and that shape will aid in the folding-up state. Now you’re ready for your next campfire sitting in distinguished comfort.
Having some of these for extra seating by the firepit would be awesome. You’re so talented!
This is perfect. The strap makes it that much better.
These are so great! I would love to have them around my backyard bonfires!
Swoon!
brilliant, as always.
Thanks everybody. I was really happy with the turnout.
Are you kidding me? We just went to Zion, these would have been so buff! Great job dude!
So beautiful, it would make a great Fathers Day gift! Do you sell these, I love some??
Sorry, no plans to sell them as of yet. Thanks for asking.
Love this project! You should market these to museums- they have those awful aluminum & blue tarp ones for patrons.
Well done.
This is a thing of beauty! Thanks for the inspiration!
I was just thinking of these– beautiful, and it will only get better with age. And your instructions are so clear (a real art)! Can you recommend a good leather supplier?
Thanks JES. I get all of my leather through Oregon Leather Co. Give them a call, or check your local saddle/tack shop possibly.
Thanks!
Really a fantastic project if you’ve got some time to kill. Took me only two hours to put one together (well… excluding the extra trip to the local DIY store because I botched the emperial to metric conversion). I made mine slightly taller, so I can use it as a desk chair by pretending it’s ergonomic. Please do more of these!
Great! Makes me happy to hear you put one together.
Love it! Thanks for sharing these project ideas. I owe you a beer if I ever see you out and about.
awesome, id love to have one straped to my bike permanantly. im definatelly going to try this one, maybe with some canvas so I could do more.
Since Tandy Leather discontinued this kit I have been searching for instructions to make one of these stools. I sent your page to our friend who does leather work and he made a pirate stool for my husband’s birthday. I have pictures and would like to send them to you. Thank you for sharing.
Great! I’d love to see your rendition. mmp{at}woodandfaulk.com
Thanks so much for this instruction! I made my own out of a piece of recycled vinyl banner mesh. I reinforced the corners. I blogged about it at http://vinally.blogspot.com/2011/07/tripod-camp-stool.html
I really love this design because I really don’t like the ones at the medical supply stores. But I really need one for situations where I’m standing in lines.
Brilliant work! I like the choice of materials, and having dowels already is a definite plus… happy to see it come together.
thanks for sharing this with all of us. i have been trying to “borrow” my friends vintage leather stool (via her grandpa who would be impressed w/your handy work) for years, now i can make my own ; )
hope you don’t mind that i re-posted this diy on my bloggity blog, please let me know if you do.
ps your pics are amazing!
Thanks, and I appreciate the repost too!
I haven’t had any luck finding the 2.75″ brass bolt. Can you suggest a supplier?
Thanks!
Laura, I believe I had to cut that one down from a 3″. Should just take short work with a hacksaw or grinder if you have one available. Good luck on your build!
Wow, you are like the most awesome handy man!!
This is great and I plan on making it but I have never worked with leather before. I was wondering what type of leather that you use. Is there a certain grade, thickness, cut? I am a real novice! Also, what hardware do you use for the strap? Thank You!
Hi Kara, that was natural vegetable tanned leather in about a 10oz weight. It came from a side, but if you’re not buying a whole hide, I’d get it as a piece from the back. Hardware on the strap was just some chicago screws and a loose buckle. Hope that helps!
Love it! What size punch did you use?
Thanks. On the corners, it’s a #5 or a 11/64. On the chicago screw holes, it’s a #6 or 3/16.
Great looking design, but I might recommend one change. My leather seat (fairly heavy veg) just ripped out at the wood screw. When I remake the seat, I’m going to put a grommet in those corner holes to spread the load of those screws. I’d be interested to hear what changes you made for your upgraded store model, or would that be revealing trade secrets?
Hey Allen, sorry to hear about the rip. What weight leather were you using? Did you use finishing washers to help disperse some of the stress? For the store model, I’m sewing double thickness 12oz leather together, so that should hold up for the life of the stool.