Traditional Chinese Peasant's Stool 四腿八叉

I made 4 stools to furnish our kitchen. I decided to use the traditional Chinese peasant's stool as the model for my chairs. This style is called "4 leg 8 splay" (四腿八叉), it is always found among the poor; if you pay any attention to Chinese culture you'll notice this style of stool is not used by the aristocratic or the ruling class or the wealthy class. It is truly an utilitarian peasant's stool. The 四腿八叉 chair is extremely strong and durable, lasting for generations. So it shouldn't be surprising that those with little means would want the highest value for their hard earned silver.
These chairs are made from store bought yellow pine and mahogany.
I didn't want to get into the details of how to make one of these 四腿八叉 "4 leg 8 splay" stools in this video. Perhaps in the future, God willing, I will make an instructional video. Let me know if you have any questions; I make an effort to answer new questions. Below are links to may of the tools you see me using on this video. Please enjoy the process.
John Z Zhu
@polywright
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2020
How to make 7 traditional Chinese woodworking Tools:
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2. Chinese frame saw 锯 ( • Frame Saw 中国锯 - Tradit... )
3. Chinese dovetail Plane 燕尾刨 ( • Adjustable Sliding Dov... )
4. Chinese Knife Saw 刀锯 ( • Knife Saw 刀锯 - Traditi... )
5. Chinese cutting gauge 勒刀子 ( • Cutting Gauge 勒刀子 - Tr... )
6. Chinese bevel gauge 活尺 ( • Bevel Gauge 活尺 - Tradi... )
7. Chinese styled half moon marking gauge 线勒子 ( • Half Moon Marking Gaug... )
7b. Offset plate for easy layout of mortise and tenon ( • Offset Plate - Angled ... )
7c. Foolproof Angled mortise and tenon with the half moon Chinese marking gauge and Offset Plate ( • Foolproof Angled Morti... )
Make a Japanese Woodworking Hammer w/o a Forge:
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DIY Carcass saw for a $5 saw:
• Western Handsaw

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Cool project. I wouldn't mind having that on my balcony. Thanks for sharing!

[@johnzzhu]

That would be a great place too.

[@h10aus]

Yes instructional video would be really good mate....if thats too much maybe just a pdf plan would do...im interested in the measurements and angles used in particular....cheers

[@bbbbbdddbbbbbdb]

very cool! love these compound splayed joints. a video walking through the geometry would be legendary as there arent many resources for compound and foot corrected stools in english. it was very hard to study them at first.

[@johnhannon]

Excellent John! I would love to see an instructional video some time.

[@johnzzhu]

It's a big task, takes a lot of time, and probably won't generate much views. So economically it's not worth it for me do make one. But I plan to make one because I think it's important for instructions to be available for English speaking viewers who care.

[@benchjoinerystudentliz]

I agree! I want to see an instructional video too!

[@inorthwoods1330]

Yellow Pine is a great choice for strength and Looks Thanks..

[@johnzzhu]

Good eye, construction grade yellow pine is under appreciated.

[@coldwoodcowboy4525]

That turned out awesome! I love the look of that stool. Fantastic work, as always. Thanks for sharing that.

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@rollingstone3017]

Great job. I know from experience that splaying the legs like that makes getting the stretchers to fit a real challenge. Well done 👍

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks. Glad people are still challenging their woodworking skills.

[@flashwashington2735]

Thanks. Just enough video to inspire me to go farther.

[@johnzzhu]

keep going toward, try to ignore the haters.

[@yuzhang1713]

Very impressive. Thanks for sharing! An excellent how-to video on youtube.

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@nicolamullings7993]

Nice simple woodworking, such a breath of fresh air after all those Epoxy tables....

[@johnzzhu]

@nicolamullings7993 thank you. I'm glad to provide that air for you.

[@dahljerald2934]

John, that's a damn nice stool. Well done!!!

[@amezcuaist]

This video is good for my soul.

[@QuadDoc]

Freakin Brilliant, John! Absolutely beautiful!! Great work!! Keep it up, please! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us! 🙏🏼👍🏼🥰

[@duginashashlyk4598]

Great stool, I had a neighbor who hoarded these and the narrow Jiangnan style of bench/stool that could double as a work surface. The ones I saw while living in China looked to be poplar or willow and had zero embellishments typically.

[@johnzzhu]

For peasant, no back. Peasants don't get to lean back.

[@hemeryperez8260]

The work you did, I think is very beautiful, I like woodwork that is very handcrafted like the one you did. It is clear that you are a great master of carpentry.

[@DraganIlich-r1s]

Thank you Sir.🎉

[@MultiTom1956]

Beautiful stool! Love it 😊

[@johnzzhu]

Appreciate the kind words.

[@annarboriter]

Watching you pound in the legs reminds me of the most distinctive feature of these stools, I have not yet found one that was wedged, pegged, or even glued. Most often there is a single short stretcher between the legs. For the longest time, I didn't understand why a stretcher was not placed along the long distance where it might offer more stability. I finally understand that the stretcher keeps the legs in the mortises by creating a triangle that would have to be pounded out in all directions to withdraw the tenons from the sockets. This keeps even the ricketiest and loosest fitting stools still useful even with the sloppiest of joinery.

[@johnzzhu]

Yes, and by wedging and gluing it ahould add another 100 yr of stability.

[@muddyfences5559]

Always a pleasure to watch you build John.

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@waynekitt6770]

Nice work, John. I was looking around for a build of the Japanese-style tool box and I remembered you had done one so I searched and found it. The bonus was that I also found this video on the stool. You now have a new subscriber. Thank you for your perseverance and excellence.

[@andrewooddotcom]

Nice! thanks for the video!

[@johnzzhu]

No problem!

[@jimcooney9019]

thanks for the video! Beautiful work John.

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@brianlasch144]

Beautiful work John.

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@FishingHam]

Excellent Video John I made one myself in the beginning of this year not as fancy as yours more like a piece for practicing and it turned out pretty ok. Going to make another one soon with Oak with 雙榫. I haven't seen many Western wood workers taking on this 四腿八叉 project yet.

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words. I actually think my design is very basic and joinery is very basic. I made one with "frog points" on the cross beam for my shop bench. I am always searching for something new/different/better; I think for a Western woodworker the 四腿八叉 fits all three. God willing, for a few this is going to inspire them to become better.

[@FishingHam]

@@johnzzhu Yup In China if anyone can make the 四腿八叉 they will be qualified as 3rd level woodworker out of the 9 level system. Mine was using simpler single tenons, construction lumbers are not very easy to work with lol

[@johnzzhu]

I 辛师父 say one like this would be a grade 5, but he didn't really define each of the grade. This one made from construction lumber, the key is to select the best wide board (ie 12x8s) then use the clearest parts.

[@badmiro]

Wow! Very nice.☆

[@johnzzhu]

Glad you liked it.

[@krtwood]

Pretty fancy peasants.

[@BeserkBomb]

Beautiful work

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@RafaelHe]

Very nice construction John. Just one thought, the glue was probably unnecessary, maybe even a hindrance, the wedged tenons will not come appart.

[@shaunbarrickman6339]

Very nice work!

[@mictheflash]

Really good job 👍 they look great ♥️

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@garagemonkeysan]

Nice video, the stool is awesome. Cool build. Mahalo for sharing! : )

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate the kind words.

[@amyholderness8142]

It's gorgeous. I would love to give this a go. Any plans on making instructional video? Love this.

[@johnzzhu]

I am glad you liked it. I don't have concrete plans to make an instructional video.

[@carlopieracci2828]

Its amazing the way you chop out angled mortises!! by the way : yout tennons are cut laying the stock orizzontally in a saw horse. I saw this on the chinese master video. My question is how it performs compared to western way on holding stock on a face vise? I think Chinese way is brillant because you should judge better thye line and the plumb of cut. Last but not least gravity is working for you!

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words. If you look into my older videos you'll notice they are always in a face vice. Since I've made the traditional Chinese frame saw and gave it a fair chance against the Western saws I've been using my whole life, the Chinese frame saw quickly became my preferred saw. Laying the tenon on the saw horse and using my foot/body weight as vice is freeing because I am not constantly adjusting the vice. I actually cut all 4 legs / 16 cuts half way on one side then flip it over to cut the other half; it is so efficient. The Chinese frame saw (all frame saws) has a thinner and narrower blade compared to the standard English plate saw. So it has a feel that's different, and using gravity as your friend is definitely a perk, once you get the feel of the line. I can go into lot of details the technical advantages of each type of saw, but I won't. Suffice to say, to use the Chinese frame saw method one has two physical obstacles to over come. First, even bad frame saws are difficult to find. Second, there are physical limitations such as the size of the belly and flexibility of the leg.

[@MRrwmac]

John, That may be called a peasants stool but it looks a lot more intricate than one. I think I remember in the country farms in Korea, most still with thatched roof houses in 1969, the stools they had were either three round legs or 4 legs both with wedges or old square nails. Either way, they were worn and cracked and chipped showing their age (like me now - haha). Very Good to see you again John! Hope your family is well and happy!

[@johnzzhu]

Well it's the style of a peasant's stool. And I am calling it a peasant's stool because I've never seen an aristocrats/wealthy sit one of these in painting, drawing, movies, vases, etc. I've only seen street corner restaurants have these, woodworker use these as saw horses, and they are often used in Kungfu movies as props. When I lived in rural China I've seen these used as well. They come in different iterations, but the basic 8 splay and through tenons are defining characteristics. Always appreciate your kind words. And Happy Thanksgiving.

[@MRrwmac]

@@johnzzhu Through split tenons in a small stool common in rural China. Very interesting. I think the name “Peasants Stool” was a good one. I like how you said no rich people sit on them - haha. I’ll have to pay closer attention to the props in Kungfu movies (which I use to watch a lot - I say use to watch but sneak one in every now and then).

[@omabluevenice]

@@MRrwmac Yes John is right. I have seen it in Jacky Chan movies in his younger days.

[@hansmatzweissefeder]

wunderschöne feine arbeit - 🤘😎👍💚🍺🖖

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@matthewbrady5214]

What do you use for research on Chinese woodworking? I’d like to learn more

[@Ham68229]

Great build, enjoy your channel. Cheers :)

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words.

[@Panther_heart]

Hi John, as helpe, would you share at what degrees the angles of the legs are made please ? (edit: I found it in one of your videos....) I'm pretty amaized by chinese woodworking, I started with hand tools in the chinese way but it's very hard to find informations in English compared to Japanese WW. Thanks for your nice work on this channel :)

[@dpmeyer4867]

nice

[@BeachBoi1000]

Nice. How to chisel the compound angle freehand?

[@johnzzhu]

Same as a 90 degree angle, but leaned in 2 directions, takes practice.

[@BeachBoi1000]

@@johnzzhu Thanks man!

[@AeonCatalyst]

I'm a bit confused...are the legs completely square or have they been planed into a diamond shape to keep all faces lined up?

[@johnzzhu]

The legs are square, the diamond happens when you splay the leg, but the top is a horizontal plane.

[@sunwilson3966]

漂亮

[@josephKEOarthur]

John. Can ya do a martial arts wu shu dummy. Practice target?

[@johnzzhu]

It's on a list of project. But it's not priority for me.

[@elmohead]

Our ancestors are geniuses.

[@glenmatthewwilson]

Do you have any tips on chopping out the angled mortises accurately?

[@johnzzhu]

Not being sarcastic: Practice. Also focus, feel, and hand strength. There are no short cuts, and nothing can overcome a lack of hand strength, and one cannot get better splitting focus, and if one is not focus, one cannot feel the feed back, therefore one cannot form muscle and coordination memory.

[@glenmatthewwilson]

@@johnzzhu Thanks for the advice. I have to just start making some benches and stools then!

[@TheAnalogKid2]

Those are high class peasants.

[@johnzzhu]

Nope, just nowadays people can't recognize quality vs. quantity. These illiterate peasants knew better.

[@didanoff]

What will happens with stool legs joint because of season temperature changes? I mean top of the stool will change it size.

[@johnzzhu]

Anything natural will expand and contract with the season. The best one can do is to season the wood, select the most stable wood one can afford and suits the application, and orient the wood to mitigate movement. Lastly, to accept that wood is a perfected material turned into things by humans with varied level of ignorance; accept that wood is a material that is alive and wants to move and learn to appreciate this amazing material.

[@derjman]

​@@johnzzhu Good points, but does the seat ever cup to a degree that is problematic? I used through tenons on my first self-built table to attach the tabletop, which consequently became convex. The legs on my table have no lower stretchers, so they can take up the movement by splaying, but I would not expect the same of this stool since the construction is so sturdy. I am thinking to build a similar stool, so I would like to understand that aspect before I go ahead and ruin it because I overlooked something. My biggest worry is that the seasonal movement could snap off the through tenons. But I suppose it is hard to argue with an ancient, proven and beautiful design :D Always a pleasure to watch your videos!

[@johnzzhu]

@@derjman how much force is in cupping depends on the thickness, seasoning, and size of the top. Thick and wide boards will cup but mostly it's twisting that's likely the problem. Wet wood will more more, hard wood generally moves more than soft wood. But there are things that can be done to reduce cupping. Tight joinery is most important. Look at the grain of the wood, if it's constantly changing in a diagonal direction then it's probably going to twist. A twist is more noticeable as the piece of wood gets bigger. The other is when laminating, have all the grain facing the same direction, this will give a more predictable direction for the cupping. For me the grain is always up, so the two ends are expected to cup upwards. To compensate this predictable cupping, I like to control the direction of the grain. For example, all the legs face outwards, so they should all cup outwards. The stretchers' grain all face outwords. This applies the force of cupping against eachother. Anyways that's my working hypothesis, and it's logical to me. You should think about it, and see if it works for you. Good luck on your project.

[@derjman]

@@johnzzhu Thanks for the comprehensive explanation!

[@Kobe29261]

Problem with screws is you can often end up getting screwed!

[@markdixon3915]

…bellissimo…

[@lurkingcorsa10]

6:22. Hmm.. nice saw

[@johnzzhu]

Glad you liked it.

[@lurkingcorsa10]

@@johnzzhu dovetail saw?

[@ethanli2117]

好久不见

[@johnzzhu]

事多，时少。

[@flashthander]

凳子腿的斜度（和垂直相对的角度）是多少？

[@johnzzhu]

8

[@williamwoo1437]

王世襄老先生寫作四腿八挓。後人多改寫成叉字，但是讀音仍然應當為zha

[@leonpse]

Why is the top flat and the underside curved?

[@johnzzhu]

lessen's weight, aesthetically pleasing, and makes the top look flatter.

[@leonpse]

@@johnzzhu Thanks

[@kupro3738]

I remember Uncle Amu.

[@MRrwmac]

I still watch his videos as they come out.

[@비오냐밖에]

天安门消失的声音，你也可以成为其中的一部分。