Shinto Bar Stool
Build this elegant Shinto Bar Stool with lathe-turned legs, a shaped seat, and rock-solid joinery. A stylish, sturdy addition to any kitchen or bar.
Bring elegance and craftsmanship into your home with this Shinto Bar Stool woodworking plan, inspired by the clean lines and graceful curves of traditional Japanese Torii gates. This bar stool features a shapely contoured seat and tapered, lathe-turned legs that give it a distinctive yet minimalist profile. Strong mortise and tenon joinery combined with compound angles for rake and splay provide a solid, tip-resistant structure. The design balances visual appeal with functionality, making it a standout piece at a kitchen island, home bar, or counter-height table.
The plan walks you through every step — from milling the 8/4 seat blank to turning the legs, cutting precise mortises, and fitting the stretchers at compound angles. Thoughtful details like wedged tenons and a flush-trimmed seat surface elevate this from a basic build to a refined woodworking project. Use poplar, red oak, or any stable hardwood of your choice, then finish it with oil, paint, or wax to complement your home’s style. Whether you're looking for a modern DIY bar stool or a custom woodworking project with Japanese design influence, this plan delivers comfort, durability, and timeless style.
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What You Get:
- 9 pages (digital) pages of step-by-step instructions
- 23 full-color photos and illustrations and explosed views
- Materials list and retail hardware sources
Product Recommendations
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Imperial Plans
The United States Customary System of Units (USCS or USC), more commonly referred to as the English or Imperial system, is the standard set of units for our plans. It uses inches and feet for measurement. This is the one you probably want if you are in the United States, and it is the one we have traditionally offered on this website.

Metric Plans
The International System of Units (SI), more commonly referred to as the metric system, is the alternative set of units that we have available for some of our plans. It uses millimeters, centimeters, and meters for measurement. This is the one you probably want if you are outside the United States. These plans are provided by our business partner, Australian Woodsmith, and are based on the original Woodsmith plan. However, dimensions and other elements of the plan may vary between the metric and standard versions. Be sure to double-check the plan before building.


Premium Plans
All of the information that you need to build our plans can be found in the standard plan. However, if you want even more granular detail to make your job easier, you should consider our premium plans. These come with additional shop diagrams that we drew when creating the prototypes. Shop drawings are not available for every plan.

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