Mechanic's Seat

I recently replaced many of the front suspension components on my old truck without a vehicle lift and came to the realization that a bucket is not an adequate replacement for a rolling mechanic’s stool. A quick search gave me numerous options in the $40 price range but those didn’t seem to have much utility beyond a rolling stool. To earn a place in my small shop, especially one that uses up precious floor space, a tool needs to have greater utility. Fancy mechanic’s stools added height adjustability or some on-board tool storage but at a much higher cost and still used up too much floorspace.

I’ve set myself a goal with this project to build my own rolling stool with on-board tool storage that will not take up significant floorspace and cost less than $40. Additionally, as I am currently cleaning out all of the clutter that has accumulated in my shop, I will try to use up as much scrap materials and items that I already have on hand as possible. As this is a shop tool, I will be aiming for function over form and minimal effort for looks will be made, although I will allow myself to use whatever paint I have on hand.

I'm starting with a scrap of 3/8-inch builder-grade plywood, approximately 48 x 18 inch, one of 5/8-inch plywood about 30 x 30 inch, two 15-inch sections of 3/4-inch shelving (painted beige), an a few 48 x 12-inch strips of 1/4-inch luan plywood (not shown), and a few other small odds and ends of lumber.

Other Supplies

swiveling 2-inch casters (1 pair)

rigid 2-inch casters (1 pair)

1 3/4-inch wood screws (about 20-30)

PVA wood glue

Painter's Caulk

Paint

Tools

bandsaw and tablesaw (or jigsaw)

straight edge or carpenter's square

tape measure

nail gun and 1-inch brad or pin nails

random orbit sander or sanding block

painting supplies

Begin by trimming stool sides to desired height. I opted for 15 inches to give a total seat height under 17 inches (~43cm). The 3/4-inch shelf offcuts will serve as side panels and the 3/8-inch plywood will serve as the back panel.

Since this is a one-off project and I am using scraps with alot of imperfections, I did all design work directly on the materials. Without plans or a 3D model, I was forced to be mindful of the joinery between panels, but fortunately, its really just a box. I was (mostly) able to proceed through the build without hiccups. Here you can see one of the casters I used as a reference for establishing the cutout for the casters under the wing trays. The 2 1/2-inch height and 3-inch width will leave the bottom of the seat approximately 1/2-inch from the ground. The hole in the bottom right corner was a mockup of how I intended to make a smooth transition that I later realized would need to be square. Fortunately, this mistake was easily fixed.

After the cutlines were all laid out, I cut them with my bandsaw, using the fence to make the wing tray cuts identical. Since these support the casters, misalignment could cause an annoying rocking. The rectangular offcut was also cut into several 1 1/2-inch wide strips that were used to aid in assembly.

Assembly of the main carcass was by PVA glue and pin nails. Wings for the front of the stool were attached to the existing shelf lip after the paint was scrapped off using a 10mm chisel held at an oblique angle to the surface of the paint (no pics). Note the lip was trimmed back to provide relief for the caster to swivel. This was done with a hand held pull saw and I cut too much on one side which will become apparent later.

To ensure correct alignment of the sides, strips were temporarily pinned to the top, front, and bottem edges of the side panels. Once secured, glue was added to the back panel and the assembly was flipped over with 1 3/4-inch screws were driven through the back panel into the side panels.

With the carcass partially assembled, the wings came next. Each side needed a bottom panel to connect the wings and allow for mounting the casters. I chose to use 3/4-inch plywood 3 inches wide running the whole length of the side. The first assembled quickly with screws and glue, but on the second, I discovered my previous mistake of cutting the caster relief too high. As the wing had been glued in place, I was not able to shift it down. I opted to add a spacer and sandwich it on both sides with repair panels. Following my repair to the wing, I fastened the bottom of the wing with woodscrews through the side panel and attached the casters with panhead screws. I also added a 1 1/2-inch lip from 3/8=inch scraps to the outer edge of the wings with glue and pin nails. This strengthens the wing bottoms and creates a nice cubby to place spray cans and other large tools.

After the casters were installed, I attached an 18-inch section of the 1/4-inch luan plywood on the bottom with glue and pin nails. This bottom will not carry any weight, its just intended to enclose the bottom and provide dimensional strength. A solid pine strip (approximately 1/4 x 3/4) was added to reinforce the front edge.

The top was cut out of the 5/8-inch plywood on the table saw with enough extra to give a 3/8-inch (10mm) overhang on all four sides. The carcass was placed on the top upside-down so it could be exactly positioned and traced on the top. Holes for woodscrews were then predrilled into the top to ensure the screws were aligned.

With the top installed, the stool just needs a quick sanding to smooth all of the rough edges and maybe a little finish if that is your preference. I had half a tube of painters caulk that was getting old, so I smeared it into the worst of the holes, knots, cracks, and just plain cheap wood with a plastic putty knife, then sanded that once dry. With the surface prep done, I gave everything a couple coats with a half can of gray spray paint. One thing to consider is visibility. I often find myself working on a car well into dusk and then need to finish cleaning up in the dark, so the low visibility gray may prove to make the stool a tripping hazard. I will be using a bright yellow for accent.

I don't have an exact idea of which tools I will want onboard so I intend to approach the accessories with the idea they can be easily replaced at a future date. I did not cut dados for drawers and shelves directly into the seat sides, I will be relying on runners screwed into the sides from the inside. I opted to try one drawer, one sliding shelf, and one non-moving shelf.

For the shelves, I was aiming for light, but strong. I used more of the 3/8-inch plywood. I cut two 1 1/2-inch strips to serve as stiffeners on the front an back and ran a shallow dado through the middle of each to accept the 3/8-inch plywood shelf, fastened with glue and pin nails. This also helped to remove the slight warping in the scrap. Once the glue was dry, I brushed on several coats of the yellow Rustoleum on the front face of each shelf.

For the drawer, I utilized two 2-inch tall scraps of the 5/8-inch plywood for the front and back and some 1/4-inch plywood for the sides and bottom. Nothing fancy, here, just glue and pin nails. Both the shelves and drawer ended up about 12 inches deep and 16 1/2 inches wide.

Runners were cut from solid pine scraps to the correct length and fastened into place with screws through pre-drilled pilot holes. No glue was used as I expect I will be changing them after I use them a bit. I found that by flipping the whole stool over and placing a spacer under the inverted drawer, I could locate the runners for the drawer. I ensured the runners were square to the face, then drove in the middle and rear screws. Then, by placing the items I planned to store on the next shelf and an additional spacer on the drawer, I could located the next shelf runners. As the items have a nice handle that just stick out, this shelf will not move. The bottom shelf will sit directly on the bottom panel and needs no runners.

I used a piece of rubber mat to serve as a cushion. The nibs on the underside do give a little cushion and I really don't see the need for something softer (yet). I loaded up the drawer with various small automotive tools, placed the socket sets on the middle shelf, and the large ball-joint press and spring compressors on the bottom shelf. On the outside, I fastened a disposable glove box, rattle gun holder, a rack for small hand tools, and I put various automotive sprays in the side bins. I will want some kind of parts bins for the screws and nuts, but I haven't decided on that yet.

Now, originally I stated that I wanted it to have multiple uses and to use as little floor space as possible. One extra use is to hold an existing rack of fasteners and parts (the yellow box). This box is constantly getting moved from place to place in my shop and doesn't have a home, but needs one. As a bonus, I realized that when stacked, they make a pretty good seat for my bench. This stool does take up about 2 square feet but I am able to place the stool where I have previously stored my jacks and jack stands by placing them on top. I intend to make a box to hold all of these loose items that fits on the stool so I can just roll it all out to my vehicles.

I am very pleased that I managed to hit all of my goals. The stool ended up just under 15 inches high which is perfect for tire and suspension work. I had everything need to make the stool and didn't need to spend any money while also cleaning out a pile of scraps. The 2-inch casters are plenty capable of handling smooth concrete surfaces and I intend to place a shallow wedge of wood under each side just to be sure the wheels don't flatten from sitting when I'm not using it.

Thanks for checking out my build!