Scavenger Chic

Industrial Stool Makeover Version 2

• By Joan
• February 20, 2019
• 4 Comments

I have another thrift store find for you today, a pair of well used and well loved industrial metal stools.  I was on the hunt for a file cabinet but when I saw this pair I couldn’t resist, and besides, the thrift store didn’t have a file cabinet.  

The stools were two different heights, so in my mind I’m thinking of ways I could minimize the difference but at only $4 a piece, they had to go home with me.

These old stools are super sturdy and they last forever but they do tend to show wear.

You may remember this shorter trio of industrial stools I made over last July.  They got a new oak top. This pair is soon going to be sporting new padded seats. Good for the old tushy.

Start by getting rid of that existing, stained wooden seat.

Here I was using my grinder to get rid of the rivets holding the seat on when I noticed that there are 4 other holes which I can use to hold the new seat .  You can get rid of the rivets if you want or just leave them there.  They weren’t bothering me so I just pried off the existing seat (I just used a flat head screwdriver).

Use those newly pried off seats as your pattern to make new wooden seats.  This is a 1 inch thick piece of scrap plywood.  Cut with a jigsaw.

Sand off any rust, paint drips or other miscellaneous gook to get those stools ready for painting.

Use masking tape to cover any areas you don’t want painted.

I was able to take advantage of one of the beautiful days last week to spray paint the stools. That weather was a far cry from the snow we had today.  This is a semigloss black from Rustoleum.

Back to the seats…sand the edges of the wood seats.  Use the seat as a template to cut 1 inch foam for your seat padding. I cut the foam slightly larger than the wood so I didn’t feel that hard wooden edge.

Use the wood seat again as the pattern to cut both quilt batting and the fabric top, this time allowing about 2 inches on all sides. Give yourself plenty of fabric to cover the foam.

Start stapling with a heavy duty stapler. Pull tight and alternate sides as you go around the seat.

Did you notice I switched staplers?  This is a Pneumatic Staple Gun which makes stapling go sooo fast.  Keep stapling halfway in between each of your existing staples until you pretty much have a solid line of staples encircling the seat.

From the bottom, use wood screws to attach the seat to the stool.

I thought I had two different height stools not realizing these stools are totally adjustable with just one screw on the leg.

Keep an eye out for industrial stools, they can be painted to match any decor.  Even if you have no desire to do a makeover, they are still perfect in a workshop and they’ll last forever.

Until next time, stay inspired. 

Related posts:

Industrial Stool Makeover Heap of Change Challenge : Workbench Storage This End Up Loft Bed gets a Makeover Serving Cart with French Lettering