woodworkin' pt.3

Well, the time has come.  Day 3 of the course was glue-up day.  A pretty exciting prospect seeing the components all coming together.  First step was to check that the legs all fit and the angles were all OK.

Then flip her over ...

Wow.  Seeing the stool at this stage was a real motivator - it's actually going to come together.
From here we had to take a breath and get precise again - measure and mark the placement of the stretchers (that's them sitting by the stool on the bench - crucial elements).  Once their positions were marked, some very cautious drilling was called for - I was so paranoid about the possibility of wrecking it now I was almost happy to stop here and call it an ornament.
Anyway, it all went fine.
Once the stretchers were glued in, we put kerfs into the tops of the legs, glued and hammered (!) them into the top and then whacked in walnut wedges to tighten everything up.  A quick saw, a slow and gentle trim with a chisel and ta-da ...

After a little more refinement of the seat surface with a scraper it was home time.  We decided to use a Danish oil to finish the stool for a bit of surface protection and durability - last coat is drying now, so will take a snap once that's done. 
Suffice to say it is a VERY comfortable piece, supportive and stable, and you can feel your posture improving the longer you sit (or perch, as it were).
Amazing ... I made a piece of furniture!  Stay tuned for the next one ...

So there you go - if you have an interest in fine woodworking (or need a perching stool), get in touch with the guys at Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking - you'll be glad you did.  Thanks Alastair for the tutelage, and Peter Galbert for a really nice design.