Step 1: Lay out the pieces

lay out the pieces for building a step stool
Photo: Wendell T. Webber
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Using a tape measure and combination square, mark up a piece of 1x12 oak or maple (which is actually 11¼ inches wide) to make an 11¼-inch square and another piece 14 inches long.

Draw a line to divide the second piece in half to create the two 14-inch-long crisscross legs. 
At the center of each of the divided pieces, mark out a rectangle that is 1 inch wide and extends halfway into each leg.
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    Shopping List

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    1. 3-foot piece of 1x12 oak or maple

    2. 1⅝-inch finish screws

    3. 60-grit sandpaper

    4. 120-grit sandpaper

    5. Stainable wood glue 6. Stainable wood putty

    7. Water-based stain or latex paint

    8. Nonskid tape

    9. Nail-on furniture glides