Bought a new shop stool today---

[Brian Rupnow]

For the last few years, I have used a wooden stool to set on when I run my lathe or mill. (Damned arthritis). The poor old wooden stool has had it. All of the glue joints have been re-glued numerous times and one of the rungs is missing. Last week I began doing some research on the cost of a new stool. Man, those things are expensive. I checked many different places, and $200 seemed to be the starting point, and then they went up to $300 or even $400 from there. No way I was going to pay that, so I turned the project over to my good wife to check the "buy and sell" newspapers and web pages. Once again my good wife came thru for me. She found one for $5 about 35 miles from where I live. This morning her and I took a tour--got lost once, but eventually got to the place, a farm way out in the middle of nowhere. Great stool---Needs a new upholstery job (Something I can do). Height seems just about right, but if it's too tall I can shorten up the legs if I have to. The legs are tubes with end-caps pushed into them, so it's not a big deal to cut 2 or 3" off the legs, then reinsert the caps. That's the first good deal I've got this winter!!!

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Shop stool is evolving--Took the seat from the old wooden chair and scrapped the rest of it. Ultimately I want the new chair to be the same height as the old chair was. I want the footrail to be the same distance from the ground as the old one had. To achieve this, I will weld on "risers" that raise the seat up 3" higher than the original wooden chair. Then I will cut 2" off the bottom of the legs. This will end up with the original wooden seat at the same height as the old chair and the footrail the same distance from the ground----and no upholstering!!

 

[Brian Rupnow]

And there we have my finished shop stool. Right height and right foot-rung height. Only problem I had was running out of mig wire half way thru welding the extensions on. Had to finish it up with my old A.C. Welder. So, for $5 I've got a pretty new stool that doesn't feel like it may collapse every time I move around on it. Dang, I wish all my projects went that well!!!

 

[ajoeiam]

And there we have my finished shop stool. Right height and right foot-rung height. Only problem I had was running out of mig wire half way thru welding the extensions on. Had to finish it up with my old A.C. Welder. So, for $5 I've got a pretty new stool that doesn't feel like it may collapse every time I move around on it. Dang, I wish all my projects went that well!!!

Grin - - - - I might have just used some heavy wire and put in some corner tensioners (cross the corners) on my favorite - - - - but then I'm real cheap and a little flexing on a stool - - - - just part of the joy - - - yes?

Good job - - - - may your new stool out last you!

 

[ChazzC]

And there we have my finished shop stool. Right height and right foot-rung height. Only problem I had was running out of mig wire half way thru welding the extensions on. Had to finish it up with my old A.C. Welder. So, for $5 I've got a pretty new stool that doesn't feel like it may collapse every time I move around on it. Dang, I wish all my projects went that well!!!

Very nice, Brian. I always have problems with 4-footed furniture in getting the legs in a single plain (in factories where they work in wood they have special horizontal saws).

 

[MRA]

Very nice, Brian. I always have problems with 4-footed furniture in getting the legs in a single plain (in factories where they work in wood they have special horizontal saws).

I don't often go to too much trouble about that. If I did, the non-plane nature of most of the floors around here would start to irritate me

 

[Gordon]

Brian: I am not sure what is going on in Canada but the stool that you got used is $57 US on Amazon. Amazon does not even show stools in the $300 range. I never use a stool so I have not really looked. I have one in the corner which I never use except as a place to set stuff on.

 

[lathe nut]

Brain, like you after a while of standing my legs need some rest, I was at a lawn mower shop the other day and she just got some with the Briggs&Stratton fancy padded seats, she offered me one, heck yes, that old wood one was like you talking about had been glued, nailed and harder on my rear end, just finished machining a part of an antique John Deere tractor 16 hours that helped being able to set a while, the fellow said I am going to let the club know where they can get parts machined, hope not soon I am burnt out for a few days.

 

[Shopgeezer]

Brian I watch the sales at Princess Auto. As you say regular prices for a simple stool are ridiculous. But in their weekly sales stools sometimes pop up. I got one similar to yours for about $50. It sits by the lathe or gets taken to the chain saw sharpener during wood cutting season. I got a fancier one for $70 that has a back on it. I use that at the soldering station for RC airplanes. It is very nice but since the top swivels I have to make sure that the back support is actually behind me before leaning back. Several close calls on that one.