Work Shop Stools

A friend of mine gave me two work shop stools to use in my shop. These stools are probably 30 years old. Obsolete? I don’t think so. Can they be shined up and updated? Yes they can!

The first step was to decide the purpose of the stools and my design.

·         Will I use the stools at the work bench or at a project on the garage floor?

·         Do I need comfort or durability?

·         Do I strip and sand the frames for painting?

·         What color should I use and what kind of paint?

·         Padded seat or no?

The decision was made to strip the stools to bare metal and remove the molded fiberglass seats. I primed the metal frames and selected some red farm implement paint for durability. I used scrap ¾ “ plywood to make a round base for the seats. My mother was kind enough to make a padded cushion out of black vinyl from some of her upholstery supplies.  I mounted a swivel under the seat cushion which allows me to sit on the padded stool from any direction. This keeps the pad from wearing down on one side.

Total expenses to redo both stools amounted to approximately $20.00. To purchase one comparable stool you will pay $60.00 or more.

New is not always better. Here we have renewed our resources, saved a bunch of money doing it and have the satisfaction and joy of creating attractive and useable tools.

Did you Know? - WD-40 can be use to protect silver from tarnishing?

Exciting restorations are ahead!

Ron

Happy New Year!

Each of us have new goals and aspirations for the coming year.  I am excited to share my talents and time with you through this blog.  Many of us have children still at home or we are empty nesters who are still giving our older children help when needed.

I have found it is not the new things that always give me pleasure or the most use.  Instead, I find tools or machines I already have often provide comfort or ease of use and only need a little help to become productive once more.  When I refurbish a tool or product to that "like new" condition there are several advantages.  1) It saves me time and money.  2) I already know how to put the item to use.  3) I have the joy and satisfaction of recreating a dependable and useful device or machine.

My father was an Iowa farmer.  It was at his side that I learned the pride of taking care of what I had.  I still remember his instructions, "Always maintain the machinery and it will last a long time.  Use the tools for the purpose they were designed and don't ram around."  My favorite personal quote is, "If you take care of it, it will take care of you."

As the year unfolds we each are looking for ways to draw in our belts and cut our costs.  We can use the tools and resources which God has given us to make our lives exciting and fulfilling.  That involves taking care of what we have.

This blog is dedicated to show how you can use your talents and tools to make a difference in your home and life.  I plan to walk you through different project I have completed and start you on your own projects.  I have had fun completing my own projects and I've learned a lot along the way.  I hope you can use my experiences and that we will both enjoy happy and productive days ahead!

Exciting restorations are ahead!

Ron