What up Benches?

[Wlmedley]

Tom,haven't had anyone look at shed yet. I live back away from the main road and don't get many visitors.I guess I need to advertise somehow but going to wait till I get battens on.Wood has dried quite a bit and cracks are opening up on poplar siding.I know that would be a good thing for a woodshed but a lot of people go on looks and I think battens will give it a more finished look. I cut battens today.Getting spring weather up here.You're right on bench. I might cut a little bit off of ends.I built a picnic table once that if everyone got off one side it would upset 😠 

[doc henderson]

you could move towards the ends, but could also splay out towards the end as well.  I do 13° in both directions.  I like the through tenons and the wedges.  as it dries, they may swell up proud of the seat top.  see how you like it.  I think it is fine to trim the legs on the sawmill, just please do not tell Howard!!!   :D :D :D  I tend to orient the bench seat the other way with the live edge down.  that gives a bigger purchase for the big boned gal as sang by KD Lange.  any who, lots of ways to skin the cat, and it is all personal preference.  Just do not tell Howard, if you like his way more!!!

Big Boned Gal - YouTube

the lateral splay will stop any side to side wobble like a triangle.  looks great!  the wedge and contrary grain will pop with finish.

[Wlmedley]

Doc,it doesn't look it but I made a jig that should get me 10 degrees both ways.Also I usually put wide side up but the wood grain was better looking on the narrow side so I thought I would try it on this one. I think slab is pretty dry.Legs maybe not so much.By the way I like that set up you bought. I'm still having pretty good luck with Dewalt battery drill although it's hard to hold straight.If the occasional big boned woman has a little hangover on the seat so be it.Can't please everyone  :laugh:

[WV Sawmiller]

Bill.

   Good looking bench. I like to see those wedges placed as shown. I have found if I run them in line with the bench they tend to want to split the wood more. I usually try to put the narrow side up to display the rounded edge especially with wood like ash where the borer tracks add character. In some cases I have to turn the wide side up. Every case is different and you have to evaluate and adjust accordingly.

   On the shed you can leave the battens off and just tell the customers the seams are for air flow to help air dry the firewood stored inside.

[Wlmedley]

Got a red oak and a pine bench finished today.Found out finishing work is more time consuming than the actual build.Made a three legged bench out of walnut I salvaged last summer.Still need to do more sanding on legs and a little epoxy work.Found a good use for my woodshed for now  :laugh:

 

  

[doc henderson]

I like the legs closer to the ends.  this makes them less likely to tip with a single sitter.  I am having trouble seeing the lateral splay but trust it is there.  The lateral splay stabilizes against lateral wiggles.  nice concept of the 3 legged bench.  comment:  they are more stable (three legs) on uneven ground, but Auntie Bertha need set her buttock on the end with two legs.   8)     ;)

the "not through" tenon is easier to finish as it is all side grain.  Did it start out to be a three legged bench or did you trim the legs on the mill, and one just went flying?   Run Forest Run!  ;D ;D ;D  the through tenon and contrasting wedge does add visual interest.

the shed makes it a shed/bench art exhibit.

"and that is all I have to say about benches"  Forest Forest Gump!

[WV Sawmiller]

   I have not tried the 3 legged bench. I tried a stool or two but was not excited about it. I made a long bench one time and added a single center leg in the middle for extra weight support but I did not like the way it turned out or looked. If I make long benches that need extra legs I will just add them in pairs. That is no problem with the "toss them on the mill and saw all the legs at the same time" technique popular here in WV. :D

[Wlmedley]

Surprisingly three legged bench is pretty stable .I put back legs at 10 degrees in both directions and single leg at 10 degrees one direction.Wood is really light weight so bench fills kind of tipsy when you grab it but when setting on it it's pretty solid.Thought I would try something different.Also I got a 1 7/16"bit to bore holes and now tenons fit really good.Wish I had a drill press setup like Docs but I'll just use what I have.I did use the WV method to level legs :laugh:

[Wlmedley]

Doc,this picture shows angles on legs better.Maybe not enough but should be close to 10 degrees.

 

[doc henderson]

I have made a few 3 legged benches.  I took one to a campout, and my friend Mr. Fee (as young men refer to him as) and scoutmaster at the time, kept making fun of me that the bench looked unstable and I was sure to fall over.  It is actually better for potentially uneven, lumpy or unlevel ground.  Mine have had two legs on the back and one on the font center.  I pictured two folks on your bench so rather than weight distributed on 3 legs, was joking about a larger person driving that single leg into the ground.  I also orient my live edge down like in one of your benches, but many like to see it more and put it up.  I should picture my first bench and things have evolved to a posh rustic.  As you know or are figuring out, I like to have a little fun in addition to providing commentary.  good luck figuring it out sometimes.   .


 



I may or may not of gotten carried away posting a few other mean of sittin in my search for the scout leader bench

 



above is actually a dog step for elder dogs to get on the bed with our pediatric surgeon at Wesley, and a good friend.





a cookie bench made for an auction that raises money for and EMS/biker club for charity.

 

 

A bench for one of my NPs for her wedding.  as we worked a few shifts in the Wesley Pediatric ED, we figured out I was good friends with her mom in High School back in Concordia, Ks.  grad. 1978.  And my cousin married her uncle so we were related. 8)



 

a bench for my cousin Jim's Daughter's wedding.  my most beautiful bench I ever made.  but looking at it now, I would have made the sqaure legs a quarter inch smaller.





another bench another year for the fire and iron club.

 



This was my original way of trying to level the legs in one plane.  compared to this, even I would choose the sawmill deep south method. :D :D :D

 

 

My sons eagle scout project.  at his former middle school.





an ERC bench bark on.

 



Jeff's favorite bar stool engraving on leather Stihl calendar girl.  I tell everyone it is my wife.

 




benches for a former colleague's daughters

 

 

a rocker made for my first great niece.  used legacy oak from my wife's grandmothers front yard.  I was asked to cut down the standing dead oak by my wife's aunt the week she died in hospice.  so it spans 5 generations.





Pilot to bombardier two seater at Philmont scout ranch.   I did not make this but used it once.

 



Oak bench for a Doc I respect and admire.  the first and last bench I applied stain to.  all other have natural finish.

 



raw version of a blue stain pine bench.

 



a second dog step for Dr. Mollic so she had one at her home in another town as well.  she was taking the first one back and forth.

 

 

Chillaxing at work one eve.  it was tough, but they wanted to see if they could lift me.  I am such a good sport. ;)



 

a rocker made into a planter on it's last legs.



 

A step for one of my PA's son (adopted grandson),  He cuts the ERC trees for me.





one of my few 3 legged benches.
a sister to a larger one I took on the campout.

 



under belly.  on shorter benches I go 13° and especially for children for a wider purchase so they do not tip, when stood on, and you know they will be stood on.

 
<br

And finally, the bench that started me on this rant, for Dan our former scoutmaster, Jet blue pilot, former Navy pilot.





scout law, before I had the engraver, hand wood burned.  the extra legs allow me the 12 points.

 



very stable on flat surfaces, not as much on irregular terrain, thus making my point to Dan at a court of honor for eagle scouts as an honor for his service.

 

 

It is walnut, but from the outer part of log and with sapwood.

now coffee.  so you can see I have evolved.  and have tried a few things.  some better some not.  I now have a standard 4 legged bench I can create in less than an hour.  most are gifts.  good use for the outer wood removed making a cant.  I make much of it into firewood, but when I see some symmetric stuff, I cut and set it aside for later benches.  I like the sawmill option for the leg trim.  I have done it once.  I do not want to damage the bench sides with the clamp is the only reason I do not do it, or for benches less than 3 feet.  I could do it more, but may not post it as Howard and I have this thing.   ;)

[Walnut Beast]

Nice benches Doc and a bunch of hotties holding you 😂

[doc henderson]

The one in the middle is onery.  pottie mouth if we go drinking after work, and not sure I see her hands.  she may or may not be grabbing my asthma!. ;)   (she was not).

[Wlmedley]

Had some small white oak logs I cut out of a tree top a while back thinking I would use for legs on a shaving horse.Shaving horse may never get built so decided to use on a bench.Used a pine slab for seat.Not sure I really like the look but it sets good and is solid.Still need to sand some more and finish.Pretty sure I'll at least be able to give it away  :laugh:

 

[Old Greenhorn]

I like the legs. The lines just strike me as 'sexy' but I can't say why. A finish of some sort would really make that pop nicely.

[Wlmedley]

Added another bench to my collection.After I got soft epoxy cleaned out of bad end and sanded it turned out pretty good.Used hickory legs and they almost match sapwood.Going to start getting rid of some of them.Problem is I have so much time in building one I hate to part with them.

 

  

[WV Sawmiller]

Bill,

   That's a good looking bench! What kind of finish did you use on it?

[Wlmedley]

Howard,I put spar urethane on it.Two coats so far and went over it with fine steel wool between coats.Probably will give it one more coat.May be my last one for awhile.To much grass and weeds to keep cut around here.

[tule peak timber]

Cooking up a batch.

 

[caveman]

Nice benches, everyone.  JMoore and I are working on some Indiain rosewood benches between getting logs, sawing, working our day jobs and family obligations.

Doc, that drill of yours looks like the one Poston suggested getting several years ago when we were buying tenon cutters and bits to enable us to start more efficiently making benches.  I still have not bought one and routinely stall my 1/2" Milwaukee hole shooter when cutting 2" tenons (most of our benches have 2" tenons cut on 3" octagon legs).

The rosewood benches we are working on now are not the usual 2" or 2 3/8" slabs but considerably thinner.  We are attaching another piece of wood beneath the benches to allow a deeper mortise.  Leveling on the mill is the quickest and easiest method to level, in my opinion.  I have had a leg get violently snatched out of a cedar bench with 1" tenons several years ago.  We also use Forschner  bits to cut the mortises but the Porter Cable bits from a set I have actually cut faster and better than the ones that came with the Lumberjock kits.  


  

[doc henderson]

I am surprised that the hole hog gets bogged down.  I have the new setup cause it was on sale, and I liked leaving it set up.  I have still not made a single bench with it.  i made all the tenons of the benches you see, with my tenon cutters in an 18V dewalt battery drill.  It still works.  I could do it on the drill press you saw, but have to spin the head on the radial press around.  and then reset it.  I prefer to leave it set up for the mortices.  I think the sawmill works great for the legs.  In addition to vibrated a bench loose and wrecking a blade, or guide roller bracket, I do not want my clamp to dent or damage the sides of the bench.  Also the short benches do not span my bunks at 3 feet apart.  I have made steps for dogs to get on beds, and used thinner stock with a board on the bottom to give the tenon more purchase.  the setup was on sale around Christmas time and I get money in a check from a bit of money left by my parents and I get myself a gift.  I also thought I already had the perfect drill, but it was the wrong model.  I like the Lee Valley veritus cutters better than the lumber jack ones.  I have the stake pointer and I still am trying to fine tune it.  

[bigblockyeti]

I have a couple 1/2" Milwaukee hole shooters and they're great for what they are but they don't particularly shine in the torque department.  They will suffer abuse quite well to a point.  When I was fixing power tools professionally I saw many a hole shooter where the plastic had melted holding the field windings which necessitated a new field because they were bogged down too much generating a bunch of heat and limiting air flow from the now slow spinning cooling fan. I have a bit of a drill addition to the tune of couple dozen old monsters so I have my pick of drills that would sooner fling me through a wall than slow down more than 1%, this can be a blessing or a curse depending on whether or not the bit catches.  A hole hawg would be better suited for high torque applications like tenon cutting.

[tule peak timber]

And delivered. ;D

 

[Old Greenhorn]

Beauties Rob! Can you share more details? Species (something exotic or weird I expect  :D ), joint types, what's underneath?

 They look a lot like my Cherry benches I do with blind splines either in waterfall, or square such as yours.

 

[tule peak timber]

The delivered benches are old Franquette English walnut 4 inches thick on Redwood legs. The walnut is from old nut bearing orchards in central Ca., also known as gunstock walnut. I slightly sculpted the inside edge to form a rough semicircle around the firepit where they will rest. The legs are blind doweled with 1 inch white oak timber pegs and gorilla glue. After the glue set, I grouted the leg joints with epoxy and wood flour for a smooth transition. Rough sanded and oiled with Messmer's log home oil. 
  Quick, cheap, good looking  

[Old Greenhorn]

Thanks for the description (and the PM). I never would have guessed they were 4" thick. They must also be longer than they look. The timber pegs are a neat idea, do you use 2 or three per leg? I am guessing about 3" in on each end? I might just give that a try, it's a new method. In fact, I just realized I have a think ash slab that might be perfect for it.

 I also do that epoxy transition, but the only way I can get it smooth and even is to put the bench upside down at a 45°, put a tape dam at each end and let it settle. That means 4 pours per leg and several days spent curing between pours. Do you have a faster WOC (tm) method?