Three Legged Step Stool

[Bob Bassett]

I am 'blessed' with an uneven floor in my garage workshop and a regular step stool with four legs is really tippy.

Anyone seen a step stool that only has three legs?

I know for sure my scrollsaw stands a more stable with three legs.

[jl]

I have never seen a three legged step stool. I think it would be unsafe by its design.

If you were to stand on a 3-legged step stool, you would have one foot, let say the right one, over one of the legs. The left foot would be between the two legs on the oposite side. It would likely be outside the imaginary line joining these two legs. If you were to shift you weight on your left foot, the step stool could easily tip.

[leehljp]

Many Milk stools and childrens stools have been made that way. Here is a link that has a few shown:

http://www.skillspublish.com.au/BK03-68.htm

Scroll down part way and look on the left side.

Three legged stools are not generally not real "step" stools as they are meant more for seating than anything else. Three legged stools are unstable for standing on top of. I figured you are looking for something to kinda sit on while working. The same thing has been going through my mind the past few days as I get my shed/shop in order. I need a simple tall stool to kinda sit on while working at the workbench.

[Stick]

quote:Originally posted by leehljp

Three legged stools are not generally not real "step" stools as they are meant more for seating than anything else. Three legged stools are unstable for standing on top of. I figured you are looking for something to kinda sit on while working. The same thing has been going through my mind the past few days as I get my shed/shop in order. I need a simple tall stool to kinda sit on while working at the workbench.

I was thinking just the opposite. My shop floor is 1930's vintage concrete dairy barn, no concern whatsoever for that purpose of finishing it, so it's really uneven. I have to have levellers on everything, and the only stools that work are three legged. For a short step stool, I use a mechanic's triangular roller seat that I replaced the casters with blocks. I find it's plenty stable. Would be easy to make a bigger version for a higher step. My bench stool is 4 legged, but I seldom use it anyway. I do most of my sit down type stuff at the desk, and my chair there has 5 legs. That works great, except it doesn't rool too great on the rough concrete. I have high shelves too that I need a stepladder to get to, so I have one with all four feet that swivel. That helps a lot.

[leehljp]

The problem with two to three feet tall three legged stool is the stability relative to where the wieght is placed on the stool. Sitting, the weight is distributed fairly evenly. Evenly distributed wieght, and weight that is not moving is fairly stable on a three legged stool. But shifting weight such as stepping up or standing on the top is much more unstable than on 4 legged stools.

True, 3 legged stools do better on uneven surfaces themselves, but the problem still exists that moving/shifting weight is less stable with 3 legs than with 4. I have used 3 legged stools for climbing and I always needed to make sure my feet were exactly in the middle.

That has come from my own experiences and observations but they certainly are not scientific. I've been wrong before so there is no pride lost if I am mistaken here too.

I would like to hear what some structural and safety engineers would have to say. That would be interesting.

[Bob Bassett]

This is the stool I have fallen off of a couple of times. Can't imagine a three legged stoop being worse. I think I will try a mod on the stool with some scrap and see what happens.

[WoodPirate]

As far as a stool for sitting, my kid (19yrs) got me a creeper type stool like a mechanic would have. It's on casters (polyurethane wheels don't harm the epoxy finish on the floor), has a height adjustment,and has a tray at the bottom for parts and tools. The best part... the seat is padded.