Scavenger Chic

Industrial Stool Makeover

• By Joan
• July 22, 2018
• 2 Comments

Have you come across any old industrial stools?  They were often used in schools and labs because they were rugged and sturdy and built to last forever.

These would have originally had a hardboard top but it was covered up with a Star Wars motif. A lot of times you’ll see this style of stool much taller but the stools I have will fit a standard table.

To give these stools a fresh look I’m going to have to remove the old wooden seat.  No regular screws  to loosen here, the seats appear to be held on by a few rivets.

Out came my metal Angle Grinder which made short work of the rivets.  I also have a little Dremel  that would have cut the metal.

The grinder is put away and out comes the Random Orbit Sander to remove all the surface rust.

When the rust was gone and the stools were smooth, it was time for spray paint.

Make sure you tape off any areas you don’t want to get paint on…like the feet.

Use the old seat you removed as a pattern for the new. I’m using some thin oak slats from Home Depot.  These are the same slats I used for my file cabinet makeover.

Cut out with a scroll saw, jigsaw or bandsaw and sand the edges well.

Look how beautiful the oak grain is with just one coat of Walnut stain.

Because the metal seats aren’t quite as flat as I’d like them I’m using a lot of builders adhesive to have the oak slats contact  the metal as much as possible.

When I glued the file cabinet I made the mistake of using builders adhesive that was water based which warped my boards.  I’m not making that mistake again. If the glue says it’s water clean up, it doesn’t adhere as well.  If you get the glue on your hands and it won’t come off…that’s the good stuff.

The left  seat is being weighed down with heavy objects. On the right seat, I’m using the old wooden seat that I removed earlier and clamps to hold the oak slats down.

Let the glue dry completely.

The slats are secure but I didn’t like the gap around the edge of the seat.  Back to the store to get some black caulk.  This is roofers caulk which makes quite a mess but it does the trick.  If you use this stuff, have some paint thinner handy.

Final step was to finish the seats with a couple coats of varnish.

From kids room to industrial chic, happy hunting for your stools.

Stay inspired and have a great week.

Shared at Metamorphosis Monday,

Talk of the Town,

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