A Joint Stool, Ruhlmann Style &#8211

For your viewing pleasure: Steve Schafer sent along this photo of a joint stool that he built after asking himself the following question: “What would Ruhlmann do had he lived during the American Federal Period?”

The stool is made from curly cherry, holly and Texas ebony. The checkerboard inlay design was inserted using a technique from Rutager West. Rutager’s method will be shown in an upcoming article in Popular Woodworking Magazine.

It will be interesting to see how the authors of “Make a Joint Stool from a Tree” will react to this piece. Horror? Amusement? Something that involves a hatchet?

Steve asked me to point out one thing about the project:  “Boys and girls, this is NOT how you make a joint stool.”

I think it looks kinda cool.

— Christopher Schwarz

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