Ben Franklin stepstool/chair design

[Greg Fisher]

I am looking for plans or a drawing of a stepstool/chair combo that is
attributed to Ben Franklin. Due to his short stature,he wanted a singular
piece of furniture to be used in his narrow library to retrive books from a
second or third shelf. When the chair back was folded down from a sitting
position, a three-or-four step-stool was formed.I have seen 2 or 3 variations
on this theme and they each had a nice economy of size and motion. Any help
with this design twould be gratefully appreciated.

[Brian Ehrler]

The official name for this piece of furniture is a library chair. There
was one in FWW some time back 2yrs or so. You might start there.

--
Brian Ehrler
E-mail: mailto:lbeh...@airmail.net
Home Page: http://web2.airmail.net/~lbehrler
Construction and Woodworking Questions
http://web2.airmail.net/~lbehrler/netquest.htm

[Allen May]

I just bought a house. I want to add a reading seat where the bay windows
are. The window caseings come pretty close to the floor. Any suggestions
on design, and/or how to get around how low the windows are?

Please mail any reply..

Thanks

-Allen

---

_____ Allen H. May
__...---'-----`---...__ LEXIS-NEXIS
_=============================== all...@lexis-nexis.com
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'--------_ - - - - _/ Galaxy Class: USS Enterprise NCC1701-D
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[Michael Stephenson]

>Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 20:58:53 -0500
>From: Brian Ehrler <lbeh...@AIRMAIL.NET>
>Sender: Woodworking Discussions <WOOD...@VMB.IPFW.INDIANA.EDU>
>To: Multiple recipients of list WOODWORK
> <WOOD...@VMB.IPFW.INDIANA.EDU>
>Subject: Re: Ben Franklin stepstool/chair design

>
>Greg Fisher wrote:
>>
>> I am looking for plans or a drawing of a stepstool/chair combo that is
>> attributed to Ben Franklin. Due to his short stature,he wanted a
singular
>> piece of furniture to be used in his narrow library to retrive books
> from a
>> second or third shelf. When the chair back was folded down from a
sitting
>> position, a three-or-four step-stool was formed.I have seen 2 or 3
> variations
>> on this theme and they each had a nice economy of size and motion. Any
> help
>> with this design twould be gratefully appreciated.

The Woodworker's Journal has a similar plan that they call a 19th Century
Step Chair. The plan is based on a chair made in Denmark around 1890. The
chair converts to a 4 step stool. I don't know the original date published
but they included the plan in "Projects for Woodworkers Volume 2" on page
48. The publisher is Madrigal Publishing Company in New Milford CT.

[ANNE B. WATSON]

I have made 10 or 12 of these step/stools and though I got the plans from
Fine Woodworking. I did a search of my index and came up empty. Next time
I am over at my shop I will see if I can find a copy of the article.
--
This Q@A has been sent to http://www.aye.net/~hbk and http://
www.cnl.com.au/~hbk for inclusion in one of a host of FAQ's being
compiled on most every woodworking topic discussed here and in the
real world as I & the 11 other contributing pro's encounter them.

[Richard Grimlund]

On 15 May 1996, ANNE B. WATSON wrote:
> >>Greg Fisher wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I am looking for plans or a drawing of a stepstool/chair combo that is
> >>> attributed to Ben Franklin. Due to his short stature,he wanted a
> >singular
> >>> piece of furniture to be used in his narrow library to retrive books
> >> from a
> >>> second or third shelf. When the chair back was folded down from a
> >sitting
> >>> position, a three-or-four step-stool was formed.I have seen 2 or 3
> >> variations
> >>> on this theme and they each had a nice economy of size and motion. Any
> >> help
> >>> with this design twould be gratefully appreciated.
> >
> >The Woodworker's Journal has a similar plan that they call a 19th Century
> >Step Chair. The plan is based on a chair made in Denmark around 1890. The
> >chair converts to a 4 step stool. I don't know the original date published
> >but they included the plan in "Projects for Woodworkers Volume 2" on page
> >48. The publisher is Madrigal Publishing Company in New Milford CT.
> >
>
> I have made 10 or 12 of these step/stools and though I got the plans from
> Fine Woodworking. I did a search of my index and came up empty. Next time
> I am over at my shop I will see if I can find a copy of the article.
> --

It's listed on p. 168 of the FWW Issues 1-100 index: "Stools- library
step, student design vol 76 (May/June 1989) pp.80-81. My folks had one
years ago. It's real handy. Been thinking about making one for some time
now. Thanks for the tip on the FWW plans. Richard Grimlund

[ANNE B. WATSON]

In a previous article, MSTEP...@GNN.COM (Michael Stephenson) says:

>>Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 20:58:53 -0500
>>From: Brian Ehrler <lbeh...@AIRMAIL.NET>
>>Sender: Woodworking Discussions <WOOD...@VMB.IPFW.INDIANA.EDU>
>>To: Multiple recipients of list WOODWORK
>> <WOOD...@VMB.IPFW.INDIANA.EDU>
>>Subject: Re: Ben Franklin stepstool/chair design
>>

>>Greg Fisher wrote:
>>>
>>> I am looking for plans or a drawing of a stepstool/chair combo that is
>>> attributed to Ben Franklin. Due to his short stature,he wanted a
>singular
>>> piece of furniture to be used in his narrow library to retrive books
>> from a
>>> second or third shelf. When the chair back was folded down from a
>sitting
>>> position, a three-or-four step-stool was formed.I have seen 2 or 3
>> variations
>>> on this theme and they each had a nice economy of size and motion. Any
>> help
>>> with this design twould be gratefully appreciated.
>
>The Woodworker's Journal has a similar plan that they call a 19th Century
>Step Chair. The plan is based on a chair made in Denmark around 1890. The
>chair converts to a 4 step stool. I don't know the original date published
>but they included the plan in "Projects for Woodworkers Volume 2" on page
>48. The publisher is Madrigal Publishing Company in New Milford CT.
>

Found a copy of the plan for the library chair. February 1988.

I had the origional enlarged so I could make a pattern.