Pony is a stool that honors the effort of 
whittling by collecting wood shavings.







Pony


A stool made for whittling, hand-made from Cherry, Eucalyptus, and Walnut.



Duration:
9 Weeks, Spring 2025

Course:
Furniture II




Wood working
Solidworks
Keyshot, Blender




























As wood shavings fall, the ramp beneath collects them — gradually forming a visible record of the time and care invested.


















Two through-tenons provide structural support while indicating elbow placement along the handlebar while carving.






















The handlebar is the only curved element, conforming to the motion of the elbows during whittling.





















Seat pans are slotted to break up the form and provide visibility to the wood shavings underneath.




 


Designing





1SketchingDrawing inspiration from the shaving horse, initial sketches explore a long bench form with an integrated flap to catch wood shavings and a channel to collect scraps.











2 Scale model (1/4 & 1/8)Building foam and paper models to consider joinery, stability, and refine form.









3CAD Model RefinementUsing SolidWorks for precision modeling and consideration for joinery. Blender for quick iterations and exploring form under lighting.











4Full-scale rapid prototypingPracticing whittling on a lo-fi mock up to assess proportions and evaluate the collection of shavings.











5Color, Material, and FinishUsing KeyShot to explore CMF options. // 3 types of Hard wood: Walnut for side bars, Cherry for side panels, and a visually lighter wood for the funneling and seating bars.












6Technical DrawingPrecise dimension to guide wood purchase and fabrication, making informed decisions on size, grain direction, and possible wood species.




Manufacturing






1Jointing / planing wood, allowing wood to rest overtime before trimming it down to final dimension.









2Table saw / track saw to make angled cuts, and laser cut templates to guide shaping round corners.









3 Hand Router (with guided templates) and drill press to make grooves and holes.









4Chiseling and clamping components for assembly, with a redesign to reduce flush joints to account for assembly errors.







5Sand and drill before assembling with 3” #8 wood screws, covered by plugs. 









6Final assembly with fitted through-tenon on the handlebar, bandsawed, then hand-sanded for curvature.










7Finish with 3 coats of boiled linseed oil, lightly sanded inbetween









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