Designing a step stool for the bedroom...

[dbhost]

Long story short, my wife is, well... short...

When we were engaged, and building up the furnishings for her to move in etc... we somehow came up with the brilliant idea that a nice, thick pillow top mattress would be super comfy, and it is, however it is very difficult for her to get into the bed without jumping up into it...

I would like to build her a nice, long step stool, about 9" tall to let her get into and out of the bed without performing any gymnastic moves (although it is admittedly somewhat entertaining...)

I was thinking about building something like this stool design, but maybe with a total leg height of 9", and a curved stiffener.

Which leads me to my questions...

#1. How do I lay out a curve? Obviously I can cut it out on the bandsaw, and even the cut up with the sander. But how do I lay that line out?

#2. In my other project related thread, what finish is this, I need to know what finish to use... That goes for the stool as well... I figure on going with a satin poly, a couple of coats thick as this will be tread upon, what can I use to keep it from being slippery as well?

#3. How deep should the top piece / tread be to be safe?

Of course, depending on what Tropical Storm, soon to be Hurricane Gustav decides to do, all bets may be off...

[LarryG]

Lots of ways to lay out curves; most involve makeshift ingenuity.

For a long, flowing curve, you can cut a narrow strip (1" wide, say) of something flexible like tempered hardboard or 1/4" MDF, drill a hole in each end, connect the holes with a piece of string, and tension the string until you get the curve you want. Lay your homemade "bow" on the workpiece and trace along it with a pencil.

For tighter or irregular curves, there are French curves, available in a variety of sizes, starting at around 4" long and going up to 8"-12". For longer curves, there are adjustable curves available in a several lengths. Any or all of these are worth having if you cut a lot of curves.

And then there's the old standby method of glancing around the shop, looking for various round objects like paint cans, garbage can lids. etc. and using them to draw connected arcs until you get the overall shape you want.

On question #3, by "deep" I presume you mean the front-to-back dimension of the top step. I'd not go less than 10" to 12". For reference, stair treads are typically in the 11" range, plus a nosing of about 1". IMO the 5-1/2" shown in your linked sketch is way too narrow.

[pelligrini]

#1. How do I lay out a curve? Obviously I can cut it out on the bandsaw, and even the cut up with the sander. But how do I lay that line out?

A pencil on a string works ok. A bendable, thin rip from a board can lay out some decent curves.

A nice way to execute it is to do half of the curve on a piece of 1/4" or 1/8" mdf. Use it to mark your board, rough cut it with a bandsaw or jig saw, and use the layout piece as a pattern to finish it off with the router.

[Mr__Bill]

Just a thought.
Have you thought of making a box that could be used as a step stool? The box cold hold wrapping paper, hip waders, shotguns or perhaps something used every day. I just like making full use of the floor space.

and

Why the heck are you not carrying her to bed each night?

Bill

[dbhost]

Just a thought.
Have you thought of making a box that could be used as a step stool? The box cold hold wrapping paper, hip waders, shotguns or perhaps something used every day. I just like making full use of the floor space.

and

Why the heck are you not carrying her to bed each night?

Bill

It's not the when we go to bed, it's the getting up in the middle of the night thing... We aren't sure yet, but I may be making furniture for another room soon too...

A box is a good idea actually... Not sure the wife would want me storing my shotguns on her side of the bed though... It would give me a chance to practice with dovetails too!

[cabinetman]

As pelligrini described, laying out half of the curve, and then using it for the other half will provide the curve for the length. The stool doesn't have to be overly long. The area along the bed seems to be a relatively measurable length that would provide easy access for the area she uses to get into bed.

Making it too high might make it tipsy. Having the base finish into 4 points would provide more stability than a full end on the floor. For a somewhat non-skid surface, there are additives for finishes that may not be too abrasive. Or, you could carpet the step, ore use one of those rubber shower floor non-slip mats that have the suction cups underneath. Or, they have the non skid stick on sheets that are primarily clear, some with subdued patterns. Or you could use a non-skid tape.
.

[drumpriest]

You may all laugh at my geekiness, when I'm doing curve work, I typically lay it out on the computer, using either Bezier curves, or NURBS curves, or simple cubic curves. I then print this out, cut it out, and use it to trace onto 1/4" ply or MDF, cut out just over 1/2 the curve and smooth it. This is then the template that I use to make the actual curve by bandsawing the stock close to the line, and using a flush trim router bit (sometimes spiral).

[radhak]

Long story short, my wife is, well... short...

Petite, buddy, petite!

I recommend you should try and make it a wide box that gains weight when filled. A step-stool can wobble, particularly when used while half-asleep, and the first time she stumbles is the last time she'd want to use it.

Or you could secure it to the floor, which might not be what you intended to begin with.

If I read your post right, you better not give her anything wobbly to step on .

[dbhost]

Nope, wobbly bad... Very bad...
Stable good...

I like the box idea... I figure deep enough, a box / step would also make for an excellent storage space for spare blankets... She gets cold in the winter...

Mabye a box, say 12x12x36, splay the ends out a bit for stability, and give it a good solid piano hinge lid... I can do this...

[LarryG]

A 12" high step is TOO high, especially for a petite woman, double especially a petite woman who may be in the condition you suspect. Stepping up that far is a stretch but the real risk is when stepping down, in the dark. Keep the height to around 7" - 8", preferably the former. (This doesn't provide much storage space inside, I realize.)

[shoottx]

Nope, wobbly bad... Very bad...
Stable good...

I like the box idea... I figure deep enough, a box / step would also make for an excellent storage space for spare blankets... She gets cold in the winter...

Mabye a box, say 12x12x36, splay the ends out a bit for stability, and give it a good solid piano hinge lid... I can do this...

If you make the box too tall yo will need another step to get to the step.

I make the following comment with trepidation. You might think about a box that clears the bed frame and extends under the bed with a pull out drawer for storage. With the added depth of the box you achieve stability. The idea of adding extra storage in our house means it will be filled with ahm! Treasures

[JR]

For a long, flowing curve, you can cut a narrow strip (1" wide, say) of something flexible like tempered hardboard or 1/4" MDF, drill a hole in each end, connect the holes with a piece of string, and tension the string until you get the curve you want. Lay your homemade "bow" on the workpiece and trace along it with a pencil.

I use 1/8" mdf in the 1" strip that Larry describes. It's easy and makes for a very pleasing curve. Cut and sand as you mentioned and you're good to go.

You may all laugh at my geekiness, when I'm doing curve work, I typically lay it out on the computer, using either Bezier curves, or NURBS curves, or simple cubic curves. I then print this out, cut it out, and use it to trace onto 1/4" ply or MDF, cut out just over 1/2 the curve and smooth it. This is then the template that I use to make the actual curve by bandsawing the stock close to the line, and using a flush trim router bit (sometimes spiral).

Yep, laughing out loud.

[dbhost]

Yeah, I kind of broke out the tape measure at lunch... 12" is kind of tall, even for me...

Still making the thinker work overtime on this one...

[pelligrini]

Mike's (shoottx) idea sounds good. It doesn't nessarily have to have a drawer. The tread could be a fold up lid and blankets could slide back into it, say 36x36 and 8" or so tall. That would still give you 6 1/2" clear height inside using 3/4" material.

[dbhost]

I plan on using pine, to attempt to match the bed...

I am not sure 3/4" with a 36" square surface would suffice for rigidity, even with a petite woman on it, let alone... (NOT gonna say it, not sure, don't want to screw it up!)...

BUT... 36" w X 24" d x 8" h with a separator / stiffener at the midway point would give her storage for her no longer with us Mom's treasures, as well as a separate compartment for her favorite shoes and such...

I like this...

Now the big trouble begins. Do I build with ply, and edge it, or ??

The style of the furniture is kind of like this night stand from directfrommexico.com



I figure I can replicate the trim pretty easy, and it looks like it is ply with edge banding butt jointed on, and mitered in the corners... Pretty easy construction it looks like...