Make a Bench from a Board

comments (11) October 17th, 2011 in blogs

jtetreault John Tetreault, Associate Art Director
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Here Im removing the saw marks and getting the board flat.
In this photo, the parts have been cut to length with a hand saw (not with the little dovetail saw in the picture), the tails have been laid out, and Im getting ready to start the joinery.
I first cut the tails in the top board...
and then cut the pins in the sides.
A final smoothing of the parts.
Ready for glue-up.
After the glue-up I planed the dovetails smooth.
I then added a contour to the edges. A slight taper down to the bottom of the sides and a rounding to the top of the dovetails and all inside edges.
Heres a detail of the taper at the bottom of the sides. I used a flat chisel, block plane and rasp to add the contours.
Heres the finished bench.
A detail of the contoured edges. I rounded over the dovetails more at the sides and less in the center to give the edge a curve when looking down from the top.
I left the bit of bark that was still attached to an edge. This let the bench be as wide as possible, and I liked the natural look.
Here Im removing the saw marks and getting the board flat. - CLICK TO ENLARGE

Here I'm removing the saw marks and getting the board flat.

Photo: John Tetreault
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A fellow co-worker had some beautiful pine boards milled up recently. Most boards were a woodworker's dream - wide, thick and clear. And the best part - he offered them at cost. Just enough per board foot to cover milling and kiln drying. (Thanks again Dan!)

Here's a quick step-by-step, showing a simple design for a bench, that lets the lumber be the star.

And check out this post to see how I cut out the waste between pins with a reciprocating saw.


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posted in: blogs, dovetails, pine, bench, natural edge
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Comments (11)

revriles revriles writes: John, I love the look of your bench. Can you tell me its finished dimensions? Thanks
Posted: 7:28 am on February 24th

NeilsenHandMade NeilsenHandMade writes: hi John. i've been admiring your work for the last year or so. i really like your approach to materials and design. my ideal is to never even pay for materials (though i'm not completely opposed to it). i use reclaimed old growth 2x4's, old pine shelves, doors, windows, plywood and/or flooring i find in the trash bin. and i've recently started exploring the woods around my in-laws home in big bear, CA. i found a cool piece of oak burl attached to a fallen tree, borrowed a chain saw and went to work. (btw, i was super stoked to see your cherry burl bowl you turned.) is it possible to contact you directly through email? i have a bunch of questions about working with reclaimed materials. if so, my email is josh@joshneilsen.com.

if not, i'll try and post the questions here.

thanks.

josh.


Posted: 9:45 am on November 19th

BioBill BioBill writes: For pieces that are going to be outside, you might consider zinc naphthenate to extend their life. I made a smaller scale bench for holding plant pots on a small covered deck in Seattle decades ago which have weathered but are still holding up mechanically.
Posted: 9:51 am on October 23rd

jtetreault jtetreault writes: Thanks slowman,
I think the 3" thickness (my bench was only 2in.) with finger joints would be plenty strong. You could always add a stretcher like OuGrysie suggested if you're worried about the strength of the finger joints. The cyprus would be a great choice for an outdoor bench too, just make sure to use waterproof glue, and it should be around for a long time.
John
Posted: 3:31 pm on October 22nd

jtetreault jtetreault writes: Racecar99,
I'm leaving it outdoors until it turns gray, and then I'm thinking of bringing it inside to use on our front porch. I want it to have a weathered look and feel worn-in. I might carve out the seat a bit to add more comfort, but either way, I think it will be a nice place to sit in the morning with a cup of coffee. Thanks,
John
Posted: 3:27 pm on October 22nd

jtetreault jtetreault writes: Hi OuGrysie,
I was wondering about a stretcher also, but after the dry assembly, I decided against it. I liked the clean look without the stretcher and I felt that the 2in. thick dovetails added an awful lot of long grain glue surface. It wouldn't hurt to have the added strength of the stretcher for sure, but I think it will last for years without it. Thanks,
John
Posted: 3:22 pm on October 22nd

slowman slowman writes: Thank you for sharing, the bench is a beauty! I have some 3 inch thick slab of eucaliptus or cypress (I think). would the extra thickness allow me to use finger joints for a bench of the same basic construction, or the dovetails are still a must?
Posted: 3:06 pm on October 22nd

Racecar99 Racecar99 writes: You indicate the bench will be outdoors. What will you use for a protective finish??

Posted: 11:12 am on October 22nd

OuGrysie OuGrysie writes: Nice bench! I was wondering, though, with no cross-braces between the two side pieces, will the bench not become wobbly after some use? Or am I under-estimating the strength of the dovetail joinery? Would you like to comment, John?
Posted: 5:01 am on October 22nd

jtetreault jtetreault writes: Thanks Mike,
I'm letting the bench stay outside and weather a while in front of the rock wall in the photo. I thought the rounded edges would make it fit into it's "organic" setting a little more comfortably.
John
Posted: 3:21 pm on October 20th

Mikecorwin Mikecorwin writes: Beautiful bench John, really dig the roundover and taper on the dovetails. Great work!
Posted: 1:09 am on October 20th

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