# Office Chair Assembly

Assemble a swivel office chair from its flat\-pack parts, step by step

By Thomas B

Topic: Home & DIY

[Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/aSK3Ovni09lu)

## Transcript

### 1. Office Chair Assembly

Here is everything from the box: a star\-shaped base, five wheels called casters, a gas lift, the seat and the parts that bolt to it\. All it takes is one small hex key\.

Drag to turn the scene\. Work on a clear floor with a friend nearby\.

### 2. 1 · Casters into the Base

Turn the base upside down\. Push each caster's metal stem into a socket at the end of an arm until it clicks\. Then stand the base on its five wheels\.

No screws here: a springy ring on each stem holds it tight\.

### 3. 2 · Gas Lift into the Base

The gas lift is a sealed tube of squeezed nitrogen gas that pushes the seat up\. Put its tapered end into the hole in the middle of the base and push down\.

The taper is a cone that wedges tighter the more weight it carries\.

### 4. 3 · Mechanism under the Seat

Lay the seat upside down\. Set the mechanism on it with the lever on the right, then drive in four bolts with the hex key, turning clockwise\.

Start every bolt by hand first, then tighten them all\.

### 5. 4 · Seat onto the Gas Lift

Turn the seat the right way up\. Lower the round socket under the mechanism straight onto the shiny piston at the top of the gas lift\.

### 6. 5 · Fit the Armrests

Slide each armrest's flat plate under the side of the seat\. Fix it from below with two bolts, turning clockwise until snug\.

Snug is enough: overtightening can strip the threads in the seat\.

### 7. 6 · Fit the Backrest

Slide the backrest's steel bar under the rear of the seat\. Fix it from below with the last two bolts\.

### 8. 7 · Lock and Try the Lever

Sit down firmly once: your weight presses the cones tight\. Lift the lever and stand up, and the gas pushes the seat up\. Lift it again while sitting to lower it\.

Never carry the chair by its seat: the cones are held by weight, not screws\.

### 9. Ready to Roll

Your chair is built: ten bolts, five clicks and two push\-fit cones\. Check every bolt again after a week of use\.