I’ve been pulled in to the wonderful world of leatherworking, and to accommodate it in my workshop I’ve made some changes. The most important change is the introduction of a new chair! I’m usually not sitting down while working, but now it is much more important to be comfortable while sewing or tooling leather.
I had the seat left over from the mobility scooter that I used for the Mesla project, so it was obvious to use it for this. I mean, the seat is literally made to be sat on the whole day! The chair ended up being super comfortable, and it’s frame works well with the industrial vibe of my table. You can slide it under the table when it’s not used, and it can be swivelled around on a large bearing to reach the second table behind it.
I marked this project as a “large project” as I’ve been thinking about it for a year already. The design also took a long time as I was indecisive about what I actually wanted the chair to be; a simple furniture to be sat on, or a more complex design with storage space under it.
Super comfort! If my wife would allow me, I’d bring it to the living room!The frame fits under the table so it can be pushed all the way next to it when not in use.My fly press also got a permanent spot on the end of the table.
Build Log:
After deciding that I want to have the possibility of adding storage under the chair, I added space for three Nato ammo boxes. I also made two versions of the supports so I could decide what suited me the best. (Here one version on the right, other on the left)The frame would be able to slide under the table frame when it is not used. The brown boxes represent my very old cast iron casters that I will use for the project.While I still hadn’t decided which support version I will use, I could already start with the base. It’s made out of 40mm x 20mm square profile with 1.5mm wall thickness. Simple, 45 degree cuts all around.The casters are supported by rectangles on the inside corners.All the parts are tacked in place.An additional support is added to the center.All the holes are added with a step drill: the only correct way of drilling thin metal.I’m only using stuff that I have in the workshop, so the bolts ended up being countersunk. These worked fine after adding a spacer under them.The caster wheels are ancient. I’d guess close to 80 years old. I’ve had these in the workshop for years, waiting for the right project to come up.Ok, time to cut the vertical supports. I wouldn’t have been able to calculate the tricky composite angles if I hadn’t modelled them first.This is much trickier than the base. The first parts are tacked on place.I went for the version which has one less part. It also suits the chair’s armrest design better in my opinion.Sanity check – Does it fit under the table? (Yes it does!)The last part is tiny, but necessary. Without it the composite angle for the chair’s support becomes too wide.The chair’s attachment points are made out of solid flat profile. The bearing is attached to a cross support.All looks good. Time to Tig it all around.I could have managed the heat a bit better, but in the end it’s just a workshop chair…The correct spacing is found for the holes of a large bearing that sits under the chair so it can swivel.Sanity check – Does the chair fit? (Yes it does!)The bearing can hold a weight of 250kg, so it should be pretty solid for this use.It’s starting to look like a chair!Sanity check – Does the chair fit under the table? (Yes it does!)Pretty damn good fit. I modelled the size correctly.As a finishing touch I’m adding perforated sheet metal on the bottom. I know that it looks great as I already used it for the Silfer Works Soapbox Car -project.
The perforated sheet is Mig welded in place. Tiny plug welds all around.Almost done, it just needs paint! Starting with gray primer.It will be of course orange!This is a first – I apparently hadn’t cleaned the frame well enough and the whole left side had to be re-painted. Done! It looks and feels great if you ask from me. The bearing also works great and the chair turns around easily. The height is good as well. Now I’m able to sit comfortably while tooling leather.I need to have a think about what I want to have under the table. Right now it’s just a random selection of machines. The fly press takes away some of the workspace, but it is so much easier to use it on top of the table.This is going to be the third version of the workshop, and it feels already now so much better than before.I’m very happy how it turned out. Now I’ll do a deep dive to tooling leather while sitting very comfortably.
