This Chair Took Adam Savage Two Years To Make!

Adam Savage spent nearly two years gutting a classic Emeco Navy Chair—originally designed for WWII battleships—to see just how much weight he could shave off by drilling thousands of holes into its welded-aluminum frame. What started as a straightforward lightening hack turned into a precision puzzle, as laying out and machining every single hole proved way more complicated (and time-consuming) than he ever expected.

Along the way, Adam documented the whole process for Tested, showing off his shop techniques, epic drill setups, and plenty of trial-and-error. The result? A uniquely perforated, feather-light chair that’s as much a feat of engineering persistence as it is a nod to industrial design history.

Watch on YouTube