How to Make Your Own Stepladder

Stand each of the four 8 feet long 2-by-4 rails against a wall at the angle you want for you stepladder. These four 2-by-4 rails will form the height of your ladder. Using a level, make horizontal marks along the top and bottom of each plank so that the rails will lie flat against the ground when the cuts are made. Cut each 2-by-4 along these marks with a chainsaw.

Mark the location of the ladder treads. The twelve 1-by-4 rails will form the treads on either side, so mark six evenly spaced treads. Measure one foot of distance between each tread. Lay each tread across either side of the ladder and connect the marks with a pencil line across the the face of the pine rails. If your treads are one inch thick, make another mark parallel to the first, but one inch higher or lower. Repeat for all tread locations.

Measure and mark off locations two inches apart, starting from the bottom of each rail. The marks only need to be pencil dots along the center line of the rail. Drill a 1/4-inch hole through the rail at each mark.

Mark and drill the four 2-by-4, 1 foot long pine rails the same way as the rails in the tep above. Attach these lengths to the inside of the pine rails using bolts and wingnuts. Make sure the bolts will move in and out of the holes easily. These horizontal rails form the leveling strips of the stepladder and will allow you to adjust it for stability.

Make a rabbet cut between the tread marks for each tread. The cuts should be at least 1/4-inch deep. The ends of the treads will slide into these notches so that they cannot slip out and cause an accident.

Lay 4-foot sections of 2-by-4 pine rails and drill holes at the top and bottom of each section and rail. Drill a hole every foot along the 4-foot rails so that you can extend the ladder 1 foot at a time.

Cut the oak treads. The first step should be at least 15 inches long, the second 14 inches long, the third 13 inches, and so on to the top of the ladder. Install treads using screws driven through the outside of the rail and into the end of the tread.

Cut a top cap for the ladder from the 1-by-6 pine rail. The cap should cover the entire surface of the top of the ladder. Drill pilot holes and install long wood screws to keep the cap in place.