Over the past several months, I have created a total of six benches for family. Each bench was a wee bit different from its predecessor.
The six benches I’ve built.
Bench #1
This is the first bench I built. I found a design that I sort of liked on the internet and modified them to my liking. I needed some lumber to build the bench and I had this unused strawberry bed that I had built two years ago. I cut the 2×6, 2×8 and 2x10s down into 2x4s to use for the bench. It was plain with a straight back. The seat slats weren’t planed down and were a bit splintery. When we sit on it, we use a cushion so, it isn’t so bad. Eventually this bench ended up in the side yard as a resting place as my wife and I walk around the Maidon Ponderosa, and I need to rest my back quite often as I have severe spinal stenosis.
Bench #2
I built this bench for my mom, Rudine Maidon. It was given to her on her 90th birthday. It was placed originally on the front porch but was moved shortly thereafter to her rear enclosed patio. It also had a straight back but this time I planed down the seat slats and used the router to round-over the seat edges and to remove the splinters.
Bench #3
This bench got a bit more interesting. Instead of a single 2×4 leg, I made them 4×4 so that they would not sink into the ground. I didn’t know if the bench would end up around their firepit ot front porch. My wife and I gave it to our oldest daughter on her 50th birthday. Whew, am I really that old? Her last name was also router into the seat top bar and filled with maroon paint. All the seat slats were routed on the edges and run through the planer to remove splinters.
My son-in-law had my granddaughter take her mom shopping for the afternoon. He had planned a huge surprise party with 75-80 guests and a live band. Everyone was waiting for her when she arrived home. She was overwhelmed by all the happenings. I then took her to the front porch where her bench had been placed.
Bench #4
This bench was built for my youngest daughter. It was given as a birthday present but, it was not her birthday. Since sister had gotten her bench, I went ahead and built her bench and gave it to her for a very early birthday present. The handle was cut at a 45° angle instead of being rounded over like the first three benches. The seat slats were also routed and planed to remove splinters. The seat back also reclined at a 5° angle.
Bench #5
Bench # 5 is my front porch perch. I wasn’t satisfied with my original bench for the front porch so, I decided to build another and incorporate some of the ides I had used on some of my other benches. I used KDAT1 lumber since I could start immediately on the construction of the bench. I had been getting my lumber of the big box store but, it took several weeks for the wet lumber to dry sufficiently before I could work with it. I started on this bench the day I brought the lumber home.
The seat back was reclined at 5° and the arm rest ends were cut at a 45° angle. I glued the top and bottom of the back post together with TotalBoat Thixo Thickened Epoxy. The two pieces were also joined with pocket hole screws, 3-inch deck screws and a 5 1/4 GRK RSS Rugged Structural Screw. The seat top rail had “MAIDON” routed into it and then filled with epoxy. Two hearts were also routed into the top and filled with red epoxy. The seat slats and other parts of the bench that a person will come into contact with were planed to remove splinters. After filling the screw holes in the seat and arm rest, the holes were filled with epoxy and left to cure. After the curing process, a thorough sanding was given to the bench to smooth the surface out and prepare it for stain.
The entire bench was stained with two coats of Natural Pine by Defy Ultra Semi-transparent stain.
The bench was placed on the front porch. Brenda and I spend quite a bit of time sitting on the porch watching the world roll by. We have a bird and squirrel feeder in the front yard, and we enjoy watching them eat and play.
Bench #6
And finally, the pièce de résistance2. I’m not going into the story behind this one because the recipient has not received the bench yet. For this bench, I bought KDAT lumber from Capital City Lumber in Raleigh, North Carolina. The seat was slanted at 10° instead of the usual 5°. This allowed for a more comfortable recline while seated. I’m going with that degree of recline from now on. The grip end on the handles were cut at a 45° angle.
Every board was planed to remove splinters and edges of all surfaces where a person might touch while seated, were routed with a round-over bit. The front legs had the couples names routed into them. The seat top rail was routed with “Always & Forever” and the seat front rail had “January 5, 2019” carved into it. The routed-out letters and number were then filled with epoxy and left to cure overnight. The screw holes in the seat and handle were filled with epoxy to match the lettering.
Several hours was spent sanding the seat and all exposed surfaces smooth to remove any splinters and to prepare the surface for stain.
The bench was stained Natural Pine by Defy Ultra Semi-transparent stain.
Final Notes:
This is how I space the seat and back slats. There are five seat slats and seven back slats. I put the first slat in the exact middle of the space.
║_____________|_____________║ ║|_______________|║
I then put a slat in the middle of the two spaces created.
║______|_______|_______|______║ ║|_______|_______|║
I now have four spaces and the remaining slats go in the exact center of those spaces.
║___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___║ ║|___|____|____|___|║
I follow the same procedure for the seat slats except, I install the front and back slats first. I then install the middle slat and follow up with the remaining two.
Dimensions:
Length: 54 inches
Height: 36 inches
Depth: 24 inches
Height to top of arm rest: 26 inches.
Materials needed:
- 10 – 2x4x8 Treated SYP
- 1 – 5 1/4x6x8 treated decking board
- 3 – 1x4x3/4-inch treated lumber
- Screws
- 1 1/4-inch decking screws
- 2 1/2-inch decking
- 3-inch decking
- 2 – 5 1/4-inch GRK RSS Rugged Structural Screws
- 2 1/4-inch coated pocket hole screws
- TiteBond III Ultimate glue
- 1 – cartridge Total Boat Thixo thickened epoxy
- Sandpaper (various grits)
Cut List:
- 2×4
- 7 – 54-inches (Seat slats & seat frame front & back)
- 2 – 20 inches (seat frame ends
- 2 – 24 inches (front legs)
- 4 – 13 inches (frame rests)
- 2 – 17 inches (back legs – bottom)
- 2 – 19 inches (back legs – top)
- 2 – 23 1/2-inches (arm rests)
- 3 – 18-inches (seat slat supports)
- 7 – 1x4x19.5-inches (back frame slats)
- 1 – 5/4x6x56-inches (back frame top rail)
With the KDAT lumber and the glues, screws, sandpaper and electricity, there is between $175 and $200 in materials in the last two benches. The first four benches are a bit cheaper because I used big box store lumber. There was also a 2-3 week waiting period for the lumber to dry sufficiently to use.
Below are pictures from the construction of the various benches. You will also see my lovely assistant in some of the pictures. She seems to do quite a bit of sitting though. ?
"Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends."
- Kiln Dried After Treatment Lumber (KDAT) ↩︎
- Especially with reference to creative work or a meal, the most important or remarkable feature ↩︎
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