This is my version of a bench I saw a picture of on pinterest by Nigel Alcorn. I changed up the joinery and the seat but stayed with his lines and leg/arm design.
I bought two very rough 4/4 big leaf maple slabs 7 years ago on kjiji and have been trying to find the right project for them ever since. They required some hole filling and strengthening with epoxy and eventually I had to say “flat enough” or risk having nothin left. I went with quarter sawn cherry for the frame which I cut from two large 8/4 rift sawn boards from the same tree.
The angled bridle joints were made using a tenon jig on the table saw. On Nigel’s bench he joined the stretchers with half laps to the sides. It broke up the flowing grain so I decided to go with dual dominos at those joints instead. This was my first project dealing with angles. I made a full size drawing of the leg/arm which really helped avoid mistakes. I was a bit worried about the strength of that arm but it turned out rock solid. Can't flex it even with full weight on the back corner.
I joined the seat to the bench frame with oversized screw holes then slotted them to allow for wood movement in the slab. The back rest is joined by a few dominos down the centre. It will be able to move away from the midline.
Finished it with 7 coats of super blonde shellac then steel wool and wax.
Everyone in the family has sat on it and no one has yet got there butt stuck in the seat crack!
I bought two very rough 4/4 big leaf maple slabs 7 years ago on kjiji and have been trying to find the right project for them ever since. They required some hole filling and strengthening with epoxy and eventually I had to say “flat enough” or risk having nothin left. I went with quarter sawn cherry for the frame which I cut from two large 8/4 rift sawn boards from the same tree.
The angled bridle joints were made using a tenon jig on the table saw. On Nigel’s bench he joined the stretchers with half laps to the sides. It broke up the flowing grain so I decided to go with dual dominos at those joints instead. This was my first project dealing with angles. I made a full size drawing of the leg/arm which really helped avoid mistakes. I was a bit worried about the strength of that arm but it turned out rock solid. Can't flex it even with full weight on the back corner.
I joined the seat to the bench frame with oversized screw holes then slotted them to allow for wood movement in the slab. The back rest is joined by a few dominos down the centre. It will be able to move away from the midline.
Finished it with 7 coats of super blonde shellac then steel wool and wax.
Everyone in the family has sat on it and no one has yet got there butt stuck in the seat crack!
