BUILD THIS "STEP SAVER" FOR YOUR CHILD!

(Page 2 of 2)

January/February 1979
 
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Now place the back of the stool upright on a flat surface, and position the two side sections next to It so that the edges of the 11" X 13" boards are flush with the back of the 10-1/4" X 16" piece. Drill three 7/64" pilot holes (about 5 inches apart) through each side board and Into the edge of the back piece, then use a 6/32" bit and enlarge the holes In the side boards to accommodate the screw shoulders. Finally, countersink these enlarged holes on the outer surface ... so the screws will be recessed when they're Installed.

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At this point you should temporarily fasten the back and side pieces together, then take your two 3/4" X 5" X 10-1/4" boards and place them in position ... with the top of the lower stop five Inches above the bottom of the stool and its forward edge about one and a half Inches behind the stool's front edge. The upper stop should be flush against the back of the stool with Its top surface five Inches above the top of the lower step.

When the stop boards have been positioned correctly, drill your 7/64" "pilot" holes through the stool sides and Into the steps ... two (about four Inches apart) in the and of each stop board should be fine. Then, enlarge the holes In the stool sides with a 5/32" bit as before, and countersink the outer surfaces of the holes.

Remove the screws that hold the stool's back and sides together and smooth all of the surfaces of the wood with some fine sandpaper. Then, run a bead of glue along all the screw-fastened surfaces where wood meets wood and assemble the stool with your No. 8 X 1 1/4 wood screws.

Finally, fill all the screwhead holes with some wood putty, and the filler smooth, and cover the entire stop saver with the polyurethane or shellac of your choice. Let the sealant dry, and your tyke's now "toy" Is ready for use.

Yap, Gall couldn't be happier with her little stepstool ... and no wonder. "It saves a lot of wear and tear on us big folks, and at the same time gives our daughter a chance to learn ... believe me, that youngster could barely wait for the shellac to dry and her world to grow!"

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