Looks solid as a rock!!
DIY Shop Stool
I have been wanting a shop stool but all the ones sold at retail suffer from the same problem..., the seats are made for leprechauns, not husky people like myself.
Since being out and about is not advisable, I took the time to build this. (It has kept my mind off the current crisis)
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I started out just wanting a stool which I built from two 2x4s. I discovered Lowe's sells 2 different kinds of 2x4s. There is the usual stud lumber which is often full of knots and chip outs. But they have another section of 2x4s which have fewer knots or almost knot free and is more finished. The second is only a few cents more expensive than the former.
After cutting all the pieces to length, I ripped a 1/4" off one side to square them up and then ripped them all to 3-inches wide. I used wood glue and pocket screw joinery along with pocket screw plugs.
After finishing the initial stool, I decided to refine it a bit. Using pieces from my scrap bin, I made the seat back supports and the seat back itself. The supports are secured with wood glue and two 3" screws counter-sunk and plugged on each side.
After sanding, I applied a coat of Minwax Pre-Stain and two coats of Minwax Classic Oak Polyshade which I had leftover from my workbench rebuild project.
I am still trying to finish the seat. It is a piece 17" x 15" x 3/4" plywood on which I applied a layer of foam and covering in vinyl upholstery. My first attempt at covering the seat was an utter disaster. The numerous YouTube videos I watched made it look a lot easier than it actually is.
In hindsight, I could have ripped everything to 2" and still have a sturdy shop stool. Oh well, these are the lessons we learn.
The bottom line is once I get the seat finished, I will have a shop stool comfortable for my me.
Since being out and about is not advisable, I took the time to build this. (It has kept my mind off the current crisis)
I started out just wanting a stool which I built from two 2x4s. I discovered Lowe's sells 2 different kinds of 2x4s. There is the usual stud lumber which is often full of knots and chip outs. But they have another section of 2x4s which have fewer knots or almost knot free and is more finished. The second is only a few cents more expensive than the former.
After cutting all the pieces to length, I ripped a 1/4" off one side to square them up and then ripped them all to 3-inches wide. I used wood glue and pocket screw joinery along with pocket screw plugs.
After finishing the initial stool, I decided to refine it a bit. Using pieces from my scrap bin, I made the seat back supports and the seat back itself. The supports are secured with wood glue and two 3" screws counter-sunk and plugged on each side.
After sanding, I applied a coat of Minwax Pre-Stain and two coats of Minwax Classic Oak Polyshade which I had leftover from my workbench rebuild project.
I am still trying to finish the seat. It is a piece 17" x 15" x 3/4" plywood on which I applied a layer of foam and covering in vinyl upholstery. My first attempt at covering the seat was an utter disaster. The numerous YouTube videos I watched made it look a lot easier than it actually is.
In hindsight, I could have ripped everything to 2" and still have a sturdy shop stool. Oh well, these are the lessons we learn.
The bottom line is once I get the seat finished, I will have a shop stool comfortable for my me.
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Challenge accepted... :biggrin2:
Five gallon bucket would not fit so I had to improvise.
Attachments
I was depending on the wife to help me up off the floor but she was ROTF too. But all is well now that we've caught our breath.
GREAT JOB
But ya better guard that full roll of T P.
Attachments
I finally finished the seat.
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I figured out why I was having so much trouble with it.
I initially used a 3-inch thick piece of foam but could not get the corners smooth. I know this is just a shop stool but this really bothered me (I can be somewhat OCD sometimes).
I went back to YouTube and after watching videos again found my mistake, the foam was to thick.
I pulled off all the staples (there was a lot of them) and removed the cover. Using a bread knife, I sliced 1.5-inches off the thickness. Using the corner technique in the following video, I tried again and this time got the corners perfectly smoothed.
Some advice based on my experience.
If you try this, be careful with the heat gun. Use a low setting or do not hold it to close to the material, the vinyl gets very hot very fast.
A manual staple gun will not penetrate plywood. I initially tried using my Arrow T50 PowerShot. The staples barely went in and hammering them caused them to bend.
I realized I needed to try something else. I thought of using nails or tacks but decided it would be more difficult in trying to hold the material taut and drive the nails at the same time.
I bit the bullet and bought an inexpensive pneumatic staple gun which made a world of difference.
Overall I am rather pleased with the result.
By the way, the fact that it is color coordinated with the bench is no coincidence. :biggrin2:
I figured out why I was having so much trouble with it.
I initially used a 3-inch thick piece of foam but could not get the corners smooth. I know this is just a shop stool but this really bothered me (I can be somewhat OCD sometimes).
I went back to YouTube and after watching videos again found my mistake, the foam was to thick.
I pulled off all the staples (there was a lot of them) and removed the cover. Using a bread knife, I sliced 1.5-inches off the thickness. Using the corner technique in the following video, I tried again and this time got the corners perfectly smoothed.
Some advice based on my experience.
If you try this, be careful with the heat gun. Use a low setting or do not hold it to close to the material, the vinyl gets very hot very fast.
A manual staple gun will not penetrate plywood. I initially tried using my Arrow T50 PowerShot. The staples barely went in and hammering them caused them to bend.
I realized I needed to try something else. I thought of using nails or tacks but decided it would be more difficult in trying to hold the material taut and drive the nails at the same time.
I bit the bullet and bought an inexpensive pneumatic staple gun which made a world of difference.
Overall I am rather pleased with the result.
By the way, the fact that it is color coordinated with the bench is no coincidence. :biggrin2:
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
