Weeble Wobble Stool Made With a Gas Tank

I have in my garden some discarded gas tanks, that were given to me or even found in the trash. I already made an Instructable on a light made out of a gas tank.

Gas bottle lamp

What else can you do with a discarded tank? A stool that rocks and turns! You seat on it like on the pilatus balls. The base is heavy and if you gently move it when nobody is seated, it rocks like the weeble wobble toys (I looked for the word in English, in French it is called a Culbuto).

I originally published this instructable on my blog Olivierbricole, you can visit it, I have a lot more articles... but in French

Siege culbuto

I use a 13 kg gas bottle which is very common in France. The first thing to do is to empty the bottle. I improved the process compared to the gas bottle lamp, now I simply seat on the bottle laid down, and I remove the valve with a solid wrench, hitting with a hammer. My weight (76 kg) allows to block the bottle that doesn't turn.

I do it outside to be sure that the remaining gas goes away without danger.

Once the valve is removed, I fill the tank totally with water to be sure that there is no gas anymore in the bottle.

I grinded the welds that allow to attach the base to the bottle, Your bottle starts to rock but is not so stable.

To give stability to the bottle, so that it becomes like a weeble wobble toy, I poured some concrete in the bottom of the bottle. This additional weight in the bottom allows to lower the center of gravity, which creates a righting moment if the tank is inclined.

The opening of the bottle is a bit small and the concrete was not enough liquid, so it took some time and made the bottle dirty, but it is still manageable.

To attach the seat pan to the bottle, I first made 4 holes, where I installed 4 studs, that I welded to the bottle. Don't look the welds too close, they are not very nice...but solid enough, and not visible at the end.

The seat pan is made out of a thick laminated wood, cut with the scrall saw.I smoothed the edges with the oscillating drum sander.

I made an additional wood ring which allows to hide the thread of the gas bottle.

The wood pan is attached with nuts to the studs of the bottle, recesses allow to avoid that they protude (now you understand why the wood must be thick). I don't remember exactly how I succeeded to drill holes so that the 4 studs go through the 4 holes, but I think I enlarged the holes.

My wife selected the purple color since she is the final customer of the seat.

At this stage, the seat can already be used, and as a matter of fact, it stayed like that for a long period.

After some weeks (monthes?) I finally decided to bond a foam on the pan, the foam is cut in a gym mat, with a nice silver color.

I used neoprene spray adhesive applied on the wood and the foam.

I cut the excess material with a cutter. Done!

The seat is quite unusual, you can move forward / aft, you can turn on the spot. But you need your legs to stabilize you when seated, and you also need to have your back straight not to move back and be surprised.

I submit this instructable to the Trash to treasure contest, if you like it, don't forget to vote for me!