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A three-legged stool never wobbles the way a four-legged one can — three points always define a single plane, no matter how uneven the floor is, which is the real reason this old form persists. The center supports are the trickiest cut on the whole project, since each one gets a 10° miter on one end and a 30° miter on the other, offset from each other rather than parallel — cut the first one carefully as a reference and the rest follow more easily once you see how the angles relate.
The three supports interlock into a triangle beneath the seat, each attached 5" up from the bottom of its leg, which ties all three legs together structurally instead of leaving them to rely on the seat attachment alone.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x2 board, 8 ft | 1 each |
| 2x12 board scrap, 11" | 1 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 2-1/2" | 20 each |
| Wood glue | 2 oz |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Legs2x2Both ends cut at a 10° miter, parallel to each other. | 3 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 21" |
| Center supports2x2One end cut at a 10° miter, the other at a 30° miter, with the angles offset from each other — see your reference diagram. | 3 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 6" |
| Seat2x12 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 11 1/4" × 11" |
Buy 2 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Cut the three center supports first. These are a little tricky since the angles fall on different sides of the board, but once you have one cut correctly, the rest go quickly. Drill pocket holes on the underside of each with your pocket-hole jig set for 1-1/2" stock.
Drill 1-1/2" pocket holes facing upward on the inside of all three legs. Attach a center support 5" up from the bottom of each leg, on the inside, for all three legs. Use 2-1/2" pocket-hole screws and glue.
Attach the three center supports to each other on the underside, 1-1/2" in from the legs, forming a triangle. Use 2-1/2" pocket-hole screws and glue.
Attach all three legs to the stool seat with 2-1/2" pocket-hole screws.
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