My old garden stool works well enough, but its construction is not sturdy enough and the legs are becoming wonky. (Alternative version: its user needs to lose 20 pounds). Today I cut wood. I used the dimensions of the old stool, but added 2 inches to the height, to match my legs better, and two inches to the width for stability. It will have 6" castor wheels, which add 7" to the height, so I subtracted that. Here it is so far. The wood is stuff I found in the shed, mostly a 3/4 inch thick plank, and some 3/4 inch plywood. The supporting members are 2 x 2 bundled for something and stored in the shed. Back view, not assembled. The extra 2x2s are for the top. Front view, not assembled. I see I need to cut a different 2x2 to fit the back more snugly. I want one side open, to hold garden tools. The back is closed to add rigidity. There will be 2x2's for the top, as for the bottom. I think I'll use up my tube of liquid nails as well as deck screws. To decrease the weight a little, I'll cut circular openings in the ends using my handy 4" hole saw. Maybe the back, too, but I should test it on some scrap plywood first. Might splinter too much. It doesn't look like much yet but we are getting there. It will need sanding and I think I'll use deck stain from the garage, plus it gets the casters, a pull rope, and a pad to sit on. More to follow. (oops, I see I posted my original plans already. My apologies for posting this separately).
What I'm now going to suggest, may not apply for you. But if this was something I'd make in my area. I'll put a screen in the 4 inch holes you'll be cutting. Because over here, critters will get into it. Like a lizard, centipedes, spiders, or worse - A snake... Otherwise everything looks fantastic!
Here's the completed project. I'm pretty happy with it. Compared to the old tubular steel bench, it's sturdier. I also made it wider for more stability, and a little taller to suit my leg length. The casters are heavy duty, 4" wheel rated for 2200 pounds. They have brakes for safety. I debated wheel size, big enough to roll over irregular ground but not so big they raise the height and make it less stable. The pull rope easily stashes into the side port so it's not a tripping hazard. Compared to the old garden stool. I added the casters because this bench is much heavier than the steel one. Now that I've tried it, it's nice having them so I can scoot around and putter in the raised beds without getting up each time to move it. There is a lot of usable space in the lower shelf for garden tools and stuff. I couldn't find a pad to fit the entire length but I think it's handy to have some flat space within the rim to set eyeglasses and cellphone, or a coffee mug. Except for the casters and pad, all of the parts were upcycled, or rescued from the garage or shed.
Perfect for use in your garden. Great idea. I’ve used old yoga mats for use outdoors. They are easy to cut to size. Your cart will be perfect for working in the garden and organizing tools and such. Good job.
Daniel perfection … to nice to get dirty. A lot of planning went into the design and heavy duty casters with breaks.
