Footstool Finishing
Over the last few weeks I put the footstool back together. After a good amount of sanding, I used oak coloured wax to stain the wood for the new side panels. The PVA/sawdust filler did not take this stain so well so I sanded that back further and applied more wax.
The plywood top was prepared by rounding the corners and sanding the sides. I drilled some holes in that for some small L-Brackets that hold it to the sides. I also drilled the sides for their respective holes.
The old padding was replaced by memory foam and that was cut to size with a knife and the top edges rounded off. The foam was attached to the top using a sheet of cloth and staples. The top was then screwed to the base.
Both the dome-headed tacks and the leather from the previous version were still in good shape. The tacks needed straightening so this was done carefully with some pliers and a wooden mallet.
The leather was placed over the top and adjusted so all sides were even. So that it would be easier to tack in place the edges were folded and glued. The leather was tacked in place starting in the middle and working out to the corners. Care was taken to ensure that all the sides were the same height and were level. The position of the tacks simply followed the previous locations
For the corners the leather was folded in on itself and then glued.
Due to the same materials being used, it looks pretty similar to the first version, although the thicker foam means that the leather does not come down quite so far. Not having a tight time-limit and not having to work in secret really helped in that I could spend more time ensuring that the legs were all even and the joints were all square. And the new joints should be a lot stronger than the old pocket screws.
It’s great to have this project finished again and out of the Workshopshed. I’m really happy with how this turned out although slightly nervous it will break down again. Fingers crossed we won’t be revisiting again in another 3 years.
Metal sculpture in brass, mounted on an 1800s French Coin
