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Here's my contribution to the Garden Bench show. I based this from a design in Fine Wood Working Magazine, August 2000 edition. I used all white oak saved from a work bench at the back of an old barn we cleaned out last summer. Everything in the bench (except the hardware), came from three 2" x 8" x 8' Oak bench top pieces. After I got the back rest drawn out from the pattern I transferred to full size paper. I say based, because I made a couple of minor changes to the back lattice pattern, to use the lumber I had available.

This has lived on my porch, and has been fantastic for everything from a Beer Summit with my neighbors, shoe changing station, and place for the mailman to leave packages.

I assembled the back first, and learned that if a little Gorilla Glue is good, then a little more is a major cleanup waiting to get on everything. Spent lots of time with a sharp chisel and sandpaper to finally clean that up, but the bench is rock solid, weighs in at about 100 pounds. Light oil finish at this point, letting it weather for another year or two before I polyurethane the finish.

About 16 hours in the project.

Q

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Comments

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19,753 Posts
Great bench and pretty quickly built
 

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465 Posts
Very good, I want to build one if I can ever find the time.
 

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67 Posts
Wow!! Lovely bench! Even more amazing that you built it from those three pieces of white oak.
 

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Always though these were the nicest benches. Excellent job. I have had the Gorilla Glue experience too, and I know it got a bad rep in the FWW glue shoot-out, but all the outdoor things I've used it on have held up well for over a decade, without metal fasteners of any kind.
 

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Very well done! I really like your modifications and an excellent use of the reclaimed oak. Thanks for posting.
 

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237 Posts
Great job. I showed the pics to my wife, and now I have to make one.
 

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Very nice looking bench.
 

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MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM beer ! summit ! With some padding I could sleep on it, after the summit ! great bench. OH ! when is the summit !
 

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Hi Q;

Great looking bench. You did a vey good job with it.

Might be a little tough to get on or off the porch though, with it in that spot. LOL

Lee
 

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Nicely done … 16 hours ? that is amazing
 

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Looks like a winner to me Quixote. Nice job.
 

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Thanks guys,
Dan, Jim and Jim
16 hours 'hands on' this project is about right, that doesn't include glue setup time, or the planning stage. A few hours an evening for about a week. I have about two hours in full size drawing and cutting the templates, ( I didn't count, because I wanted to make a couple of these) but I took some liberty in the planning stage to make the plans fit the lumber, and set my drill points for pinning the dowels. That nice round ends on the back and the armrest - front leg are mysteriously like a large coffee can…

Lee, I laughed at the placement too, but it was the only way I could get a decent full picture. I like the blackout background with the photo flash, I'll keep that in mind for my other pics too.

Douglas, I love the Gorilla glue for this type of project, because it bonds and fills my "precision" cuts. After I did the Lutyens signature backrest, and front legs, I realized that I might have a material shortage, so I started placing the back pieces in a trim to fit method that went very quickly. I have to confess, my plane collection stayed mostly on the wall for this one, but the belt sander did get a workout.

Brad I have to admit the reclaimed oak is harder to work with, I don't know if it gets denser with age,(according to my wife that is how it works with men, but I don't understand what she's talking about) but I have some other stuff from the dame barn, (at least 60 years aged), that is near impossible to drive nails into. I liked that I got it to fit the 2"x8" dimensional, because I was planning to build a couple of more with this as a proto type.

Q
 

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4,691 Posts
Congratulations Quixote.

Enjoy your prize.
 

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A great looking bench. I've got one of these is my future. I've drawn the plans but was on the lookout for 2 X 8 Cypress wood to make it from.

Congratulations on the contest.
 

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243 Posts
that is one nice bench.

As a lumber recycler myself I applaud your thrify use of materials
 
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