What up Benches?

[Old Greenhorn]

Red  Oak legs Bill? Looks like a little bit of spalting in that slab too. I have not known you to be making these benches before. Good for you. Apparently you have the tenon cutter and the legs look nice and uniform. I can tell you cut those legs on the mill for sure. That should go well in the auction!

[TimW]

That is a very nice looking bench, Bill!
Wish we had Sycamore down here instead of Sweet Gum.

[SwampDonkey]

I'm going to make some benches, just to set out in the woods. Doesn't matter that they will only last so long, there are only spruce scraps I'm using from construction. There's a couple spots I'm always thinking I need a bench here.

Nice sycamore bench for your friend's auction and his son's memory. 

[JD Guy]

First time reading this thread! Some very nice work there fellas  I used to do some woodworking myself years ago. I may be motivated enough to try it again if I can carve out a shop space in my barn/equipment shed!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise 

[firefighter ontheside]

Thanks guys.  I do hope it makes some money for them.  The legs are white oak.  Tom, I've had the tenon cutter for a few years and made one bench back then.  For a while I didn't have a drill suitable, but last year I got a milwaukee in an auction for very little money, but then found out the chuck was broken and spent like $70 fixing it.  It cut the tenons very easily, so I will make more.  I just need to save some suitable slabs.  I did indeed cut the legs on the mill.  Its the best way.  Didn't even cut myself.

[WV Sawmiller]

   If I were building benches to put out in the weather I'd make them from locust or white oak or some other local durable wood but those 2 are the best here in WV.

[SwampDonkey]

Won't matter for these as there won't be a lot of time into them. Spruce will last about 4 or 5 years probably.   And the black bears will likely roll them around like a new play toy. Don't leave anything in my woods behind that you care much about. 

[SwampDonkey]

A bench I just built this morning from some scrap spruce. This is a bench I was talking about awhile back to take to the woods, so not a lot of time into the build. I'll slap a couple coats of Tremclad on it and see how long it holds together in the bush.

[gspren]

Request for our design comitee. Looking at SwampDonks bench how could you build it sturdy without the lower cross brace? Reason is to make a bench similar that had a pad affixed or loose that fit the underside of the seat for us older folks with ailing knees. When the bench is upside down you can kneel on the pad and use the legs to help get back upright. No need to be pretty, just sturdy.

[WV Sawmiller]

  My benches shown in reply #3 are plenty study as are the ones Doc makes of similar design in the reply before that.

[TreefarmerNN]

No worries. I was just glad I had not sent you to a dead end.  I work my last scheduled shift today at The Childrens Hospital E.D. (I can work as needed)  to be closer to home.  You do what ever you need to do, we are all here for you.

I kept asking questions about a meeting they wanted to have before my last shift, so I feel bad but figured out they are having a going away party.  It will be hard since we are like a family.

Congratulations on changing to a "closer to home" situation.  Since you can still work as much as you need or want to, that sounds like a great option.

I retired 3 years ago and since I had farm and forest things I wanted to do, the transition was easy. 

[Old Greenhorn]

My benches shown in reply #3 are plenty study as are the ones Doc makes of similar design in the reply before that.

And Mine aren't?

More to your question Gspern, To make something that looks like the desgin SD has made, but without the stretcher, you could use a blind spline joint. There may be other pictures of mine in this thread somewhere, but after a rough search (I have trouble finding anything in may gallery) I did find these two poor photos.



It is a plain butt joint with an ash spline 3/8 thick by about 5" long and 1-1/4 wide mortised halfway into each piece. I lather everything up with epoxy (you could use TB3) and clamp it together. No brackets, stringers, stretchers, or other support. It comes out rock solid and I have balanced these one one leg at a 45° angle and bounced my whole body weight on them.
This one is live edge and would be much easier to do  with rectangular materi and square edges.

[gspren]

My benches shown in reply #3 are plenty study as are the ones Doc makes of similar design in the reply before that.

The problem with 4 individual legs is when used upside down for kneeling theres nowhere near the center of the ends to push down on while getting up although I guess a piece could be added between the legs an inch or so from the ends.

[gspren]

 I should add that I don't have much of a shop, I have a radial arm saw that wil also rip, a drill press, and most normal hand power tools. I'm thinking functional not decorative, probably using store bought 2x12 pine.

[Old Greenhorn]

Do you have a router? With care and some setup you could drop those mortise slots in with a 3/8 plunge bit.

[WV Sawmiller]

My benches shown in reply #3 are plenty study as are the ones Doc makes of similar design in the reply before that.

And Mine aren't?

Boy! Who got your drawers in a wad?  I was just showing that simple can still be strong. I deeply apologize for any unintended offence I may have caused by not listing yours in the list of potential candidates. There. Does that help your feelings any?

[Old Greenhorn]

Well Howard, thank you for unwadding my drawers, next time I have a problem with that I'll give you a call.  But Gspren was looking for something that looked like SD's design and I wanted to remind him of those spline butt joints as an option.

[TimW]

Howard,
 You need to update your resume with "Drawer Unwadder" on it.

[WV Sawmiller]

Tim,

  My Resume already list me as Logisitician. That term includes drawer unwadder, moose herder, trash removal, sewage pumping, removal of feral animals, and just about any other job others don't want to do.

[TimW]

Oh, so your resume is actually a notebook.

[Kit B]

Thought I'd add my meager contributions to this fine collection of benches.  The larger of the 2 used repurposed supports from some old church pews

[beenthere]

Nothing meager about those benches. They look great.