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Custom freeform bench(Finished)

Started by T Welsh, October 08, 2011, 06:48:03 AM

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T Welsh

Had a friends father ask me to build a free form bench for his front porch at a birthday party the other day.built one for his son a year ago from a slab of Yew(another thread) so we talked and he said you pick the slab and you make all the call,s. asked him if he liked light or dark wood,what type of finish ect. he said I like dark woods and it will go outside so what every will hold up to the elements go with it. so here,s the slab that I picked 12/4 Walnut getting wire brushed so I can see whats there!! and chalk for lay out. will take picture of progress till completed. Tim








WDH

I love the wormy edges!  (I love walnut!)
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Banjo picker

I have a slab of white oak I am going to make one out of ...Chris suggested after I get the legs attatached...to put it back on the mill ,clamp it down and level the legs with the saw...sounds like that should work   8)  Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

zopi

I love those wormy edges...I have a little whack of pecan with wormy edges,  that blew down in isabel...been trying to decide what to male with it for a couple years...
How're you going to attatch the legs? Frame, and screwed down or mortise and tennon with wedges? I like the look of the endgrain with wedge in the top of the bench..
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

sparky1

looks like the makings of a very very nice bench!!
Shaun J

T Welsh

Phase#2 I got to playing with the chalk and came to the trimming stage. I felt like I needed to keep the side defect/knot in the slab. I,ll figure what to do with it down the road! its a little dotey on the bottom and is semi detached. but I came upon the form so far, will walk away from it for a couple of days and will come up with something! Tim








WDH

That thing is screaming to be a bench  :).
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

T Welsh

WDH, Its in a very rough form right now! just shaped,(chain saw) and roughed out with a belt sander. I did get it through the planner and got both sides flat. need to dig through my stock and come up with a simple trestle type base. but I want to use mortise and tenon joinery to fasten the base to slab and then wedge the tenons from the top. as for a finish,I will talk to the owner and find out his preference of oil or poly. Its going to sit outside and I will have to give him a quart of tung oil to keep it from drying out, if he goes with poly,I was thinking Helmsman by Minwax. I don,t know yet,its a long way to that stage, any suggestions! Tim

beenthere

T Welsh
What do you mean by "sit outside" ?

In the weather, rain, sun, and maybe snow?
Or just unheated but protected from weather as in a covered veranda or gazebo?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Lud

I'd suggest soaking in some thin Cyanoacrylate (CA) to toughen up that knot.   It suggested to me a bird's beak.  If you carved an eye and a hint of the head and body you could feather it.....maybe some woodburning like Jeff does.  Nothing really deep or overworked.   Could add a real personality to the bench.   Good Luck! 8)
Simplicity mill, Ford 1957 Golden Jubilee 841 Powermaster, 40x60 bankbarn, left-handed

T Welsh

Quote from: beenthere on October 09, 2011, 12:46:30 PM
T Welsh
What do you mean by "sit outside" ?

In the weather, rain, sun, and maybe snow?
Or just unheated but protected from weather as in a covered veranda or gazebo?
Yes the first! in the rain,sun,snow,uncovered and out in the nasty!!! I am not even concerned about it right now, early stages of the build, but I will have to confront it, and how to best protect it when it comes time.( I have no control what the owner will do with it after it leaves my hands) but I will do my best to pick the right finish and educate the effects of the outside to him before it goes bye bye. Tim

T Welsh

Had another rain day and got to do a little more work on the bench, cut out the trestle bottom and stretcher and cut mortise and tenons and I am now fitting the tenons. will upload pictures when I get a chance. Tim

T Welsh

Got to phase 3 and stared on the bottom of bench,wanted to stay with free form,dug around the shop and found some cut off ends that worked for me! layed them out and cut mortises in them for stretcher,dug around the thicker stock cut it out and then cut tenons on each end and then fitted then together, they came out good and tight. then cut mortises in stretcher for wooden keys to hold it tight. will start to attach the top to the base later,everything is sanded to 80 grit for now! Tim








metalspinner

That's gonna hold together no matter what the weather throws at it. 8)
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

WDH

That is the way I have done it too.  Very strong and shows element of design.  Nice!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

T Welsh

Had another rain day and finished the bench. it is sanded to 220 grit all over and to 600 grit on top and end grain. will ask customer how he wants it finished. from what I know its going to sit outside and in the elements!!! yes,rain,snow,sun,fog. I have been thinking about this for a day or so and have come up with Helmsman by Minwax. tung oil will do also,but will have to be oiled every so often. I dont think shelac or varnish will hold up to the out side very well. any thoughts or suggestions would help. but it all boils down to what the customer wants. will upload the picture later today. Tim

WDH

Marine spar varnish like they use on the exposed wood on expensive yachts or boats would be my bet.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

T Welsh

Ok, Its assembled and sanded and now ready for finish! Tried something new this time with the slab attachment, drilled and installed pegs with wedges and glue. 







The grain started to come alive while sanding it and I normally stop at 180 max. but the more I went up in grit the prettier it got ,so I stopped at 600. Still waiting for choice of finish from customer, WDH, I will check out the marine spar varnishes while I wait for the answer. Tim

beenthere

The only one I'd recommend would be Watco Teak oil
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=51

If being outside, I wouldn't put on any varnish. An oil will allow for easy re-finishing. This one is for use on teak on boats. But that is just me. (and I might even consider not putting any finish on it at all)

It does look great.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

scsmith42

Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

WDH

Oil would be more maintenance, but the UV rays won't mess it up much, and it would be easy to do, and it won't flake or peel off.  Beenthere may have the best practical answer, although, no doubt the spar varnish would offer more protection, it but is so aggravating to mess with. 

It seems like that if it was oiled at least annually, it would probably hold up good given that it is walnut as long as the base is not in direct contact with the dirt.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Dale Hatfield

Spar varnish by anyone is junk . Turns yellow, Peels.
A log oil or any of the Cabbots products are my  choice.
If you use any products that have an oil base better stock up . They are slowly pulling from the shelf in a lot of states.
Game Of Logging trainer,  College instructor of logging/Tree Care
Chainsaw Carver

T Welsh

I am leaning towards tung oil if its going outside, I know it will need recoated every so often, but it will be better for the bench in the long run. varnishes and poly,s have a tendency to peel off after a couple of years in the elements, I refinished an oak door in helmsman by minwax and it held up pretty good. I have used cabbots products before and have been impressed by them. Tim

Marc Thornton

That is an awesome bench.  Very nice and natural feeling.  I love how you can see the one leg through the hole in the bench top. 

T Welsh

Marc, Thanks, I love to play with my wood. on you post of turning green waste into recycling. this is just another aspect of how you can do it! Am I a cabinet maker(NO) but I have ideas, and my father told me to follow my instincts and this is where 30+ years of doing that has lead me, do I make mistakes,YES, every so often! but its a great way to get that (added value) out of my profession. I will tell you what I quoted the customer $400 to $500. as it turned out from the out come I am short selling myself, but like I said I am not a cabinet maker. If I where to market this bench in the right area I am sure I could get thousands, but I would rather build and sell than play the starving artist game. hope this puts a real grasp  on life in the wood bizz in perpective for you ! Tim

Den Socling

I do hope the new owner reconsiders putting that bench outside. It belongs in a museum. When he asked for the bench, he probably expected a rough slab.

T Welsh

Den, Thank you for your compliment. I just got an e-mail from the owner and its going outside in front of his fish pond. he also asked me to install a hole in the leg that he can chain it down so it wont walk away :D. I am not going to put a hole in the leg. he can go around the stretcher if he wants to chain it up. Going to go with Helmsman 3 or 4 coats should do. I have used it before and I know what the results will look like. Tim

Roxie

That is beautiful!  Please be sure to post a picture after the finish.   :)
Say when

T Welsh

Will do Roxie, its the beauty of the wood and the free form that does it for me! when the poly goes on and dries it will look like a sheet of glass on it. Tim

T Welsh

Job got canceled because of snow, went to woodshop and it was 42 degrees in there! Grabbed the bench and brought it inside to apply the first coat of Helmsman spar urethane. I love this part of the build as soon as penetrates the wood grain comes alive. here,s a couple of pictures







I am thinking its going to need about 3 to 4 coats to be finished the way I like it. I just finished a table top for wifey,s coffee table and I wasnt happy until the sixth coat. She bought it and called me a said its real wood honey,well when she had me unload it out of the truck,I pointed out to her,yes honey it,s real wood over partical board. we let it go for a couple of years and she said why dont you make a real top for it ;D. (she knows just how to say things to me!) Tim



It turned out like glass :)

blaze83



Tim,

very, very nice, love the walnut bench.....  what kind of wood is in your coffee table top? walnut around the edge, and character white oak?  not 100% sure, very nice work though  8)

steve
I'm always amazed that no matter how bad i screw up Jesus still loves me

T Welsh

Steve, Your guess is very close,its red oak with a walnut wrap. I want to thank you guy,s for all the compliments so far, it really means a lot to me! I am a self taught woodworker,I make mistakes all along the process of builds and projects and have leaned from my mistakes. it truly means that I have started to progress when my peers compliment my work. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to anything I get into, my favorite quote is ( perfect is good) came from a brother of my best friend while sawing and building a timber frame barn for his wood shop, I have always had a great respect for his work and when we finally got it under roof and had a few beers to honor all the hard work that went into the barn and one of his friends asked how he think it turned out and he said that quote. and he was right. Tim

WDH

It is amazing how walnut transforms when you put a coat of finish on it.  Truly one of the miracles of the woodworking world.  I want to make one of those ofter seeing yours!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

shelbycharger400

i learned the hard way..with that helmsman... it will show 400 sanding grit, it did on my table
i know that picture dosn't even begin to show the grain/ detail and color

did you experience the first one or 2 coats just suck'd right in, almost had to pour it on, then the 3rd seem to want to sag real easy?

Nice job on the bench!

T Welsh

shelbycharger400, It drank the first coat like a cold beer on a hot day. Tim

metalspinner

Lookin' good. ;)

Since you mentioned this will end up outside by a pond, some extra protection at ground level would be marine epoxy scraped into the endgrain on the leg bottoms. That should keep moisture from wicking up into the leg.


Quotehe also asked me to install a hole in the leg

How do you install a hole? :D
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

PC-Urban-Sawyer

Quote from: metalspinner on November 01, 2011, 08:50:00 AM

Quotehe also asked me to install a hole in the leg

How do you install a hole? :D

MetalSpinner,

Well, first you cut out a hole with a holesaw...  < GRIN >

Herb

T Welsh

metalspinner, Good idea with the end seal on the bottoms of legs!! But when I brought it into the house I noticed a little wobble in the bench and I started to finish it already, will sand and put another coat on tonight. How am I going to get a straight and level cut off a finished bench :o put it on the woodmizer upside down and make a small adjustment cut 8). What ya all think of that brainy idea! some times I get ahead of my self and I get in trouble. you guy kill me with the install hole thing. I just repeated what the customer asked and didnt even think. I got a good laugh. Tim

beenthere

When you flip it over to put the finish on the bottom side, do it on the WM and level the legs at the same time.

Doesn't mean they won't need it again when the top moves some more, but can hope. :)

For the hole, first make the cutout and then install the hole after. ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

T Welsh

(quote)Doesn't mean they won't need it again when the top moves some more, but can hope.
beenthere, you have done this before havent you! I know that when I cut the base out and put it together it was dead on. now a week later its not level. slabs of wood move big time. It hit me as soon as I read your post, I brought the bench in from an unheated shop into a woodstove heated house ;D Tim

Banjo picker

Quote from: Banjo picker on October 08, 2011, 08:20:07 AM
I have a slab of white oak I am going to make one out of ...Chris suggested after I get the legs attatached...to put it back on the mill ,clamp it down and level the legs with the saw...sounds like that should work   8)  Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

WDH

Make the hole a little larger that you need because the hole will shrink with the legs  :D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

PC-Urban-Sawyer

The thing about a hole, there ain't nuthing to it...

Herb

jamesamd

All that is gold does not glitter,not all those that wander are lost.....

T Welsh

Quote from: Banjo picker on November 01, 2011, 08:46:50 PM
Quote from: Banjo picker on October 08, 2011, 08:20:07 AM
I have a slab of white oak I am going to make one out of ...Chris suggested after I get the legs attatached...to put it back on the mill ,clamp it down and level the legs with the saw...sounds like that should work   8)  Tim
Tim,I can see I,m in with the right crowd,seems we all think alike. I could put the bench on a level surface and scribe and cut with a circular saw,but thats how everyone else would do it. I have bigger tools! Tim

Sprucegum

I doubt the ground out by the pond will be perfectly level - your bench is already perfect as is.

And you can tell him the hole is already there; you just left the wood in it  ::)  ;)

T Welsh

Sprucegum, Your right,but I,m anal. prefects good. I wont let it go until I am pleased with it. I keep pushing my limits to see if I can make it perfect. You guys and the hole thing. You all have failed to notice that I already (installed) the hole. Its on the slab,mother nature helped! :D. 2nd coat went on last night,and its twice as clear and really is starting to fill all the grain and look like glass,I wont stop until a good solid finish is on. I,ll get pic,s later tonight,before 3rd coat on. Tim

Marc Thornton

Quote from: T Welsh on October 30, 2011, 02:39:33 AM
Marc, Thanks, I love to play with my wood. on you post of turning green waste into recycling. this is just another aspect of how you can do it! Am I a cabinet maker(NO) but I have ideas, and my father told me to follow my instincts and this is where 30+ years of doing that has lead me, do I make mistakes,YES, every so often! but its a great way to get that (added value) out of my profession. I will tell you what I quoted the customer $400 to $500. as it turned out from the out come I am short selling myself, but like I said I am not a cabinet maker. If I where to market this bench in the right area I am sure I could get thousands, but I would rather build and sell than play the starving artist game. hope this puts a real grasp  on life in the wood bizz in perpective for you ! Tim
Tim,

I totally understand where you are coming from.  The further you can get down the value chain, the more little pieces of the pie.  Your take on that piece is much better than starving.  I also bet your customer will talk it up and show it off which will come back three fold.

T Welsh

Marc, I like pie :) pieces heck,I want the whole pie! and your right about coming back three fold,that is the way I do everything,I try no to gouge,but I do want to be paid well for my efforts. I always give the customer a little extra and it has paid off in spades over the years. 2nd coat sanded to 600 grit and 3rd coat just went on! here,s a couple of pictures. Tim






beenthere

You are not gonna wanna let that beauty outta the house. Just looks too good to sit outside by a pond. IMO
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

DanG

"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

limbrat

Man i like that walnut, i have never worked with it. Most of the durable wood that i find is red, i like the red but that walnut is just gorgous. Im looking forward to finding a log of it.
ben

T Welsh

beenthere, I was thinking that after the 3rd coat went on and was still wet. if I kept all the stuff that I make I would have to build a bigger house ;D. the fish (pond) area has a concrete walkway around it inside a back yard just ten minute from Philly. I guess thats why the hole in the leg so it doesnt walk away. I just turned the lights on in dinning room and looked at the top and there are a couple of blemishes on it, so it will get one more coat, but I only have 1 coat on the bottom,I have to turn it upside down to do bottom. so now is the time to throw the bugger on the woodmizer and get the base level and then do the bottom and last coat on top,that way if it gets a couple of scratches on top I can sand them out. 

3rd coat of minwax,I had a couple of drips on the end that I had to sand out and it will need another coat. Tim

PC-Urban-Sawyer

Quote from: T Welsh on November 02, 2011, 05:07:53 PM
... You guys and the hole thing. You all have failed to notice that I already (installed) the hole. Its on the slab,mother nature helped! :D....Tim

Tim,

Well all I can say is "Holey Moley! That's a beautiful slab..."

The perfect bench for a James Bond movie. Already has a hidey hole to leave secret messages in...

Keep up the great work.

Herb

limbrat

Why would you wont to put any kind of sealer on the bottom? Expecially something that is going outside. Its going to get moisture in it if you leave it a way out there is no problem if you seal it up your inviting problems.
ben

T Welsh

limbrat, the reasoning behind the sealer is because of contact point is the first place moisture with get to it and its end grain to boot. think of a bunch of straws and how fast it will wick up moisture, so if I seal it, it can only help but slow the moisture intake down. ever wonder why the posts on a porch always rot from the bottom!! I know I can only slow the degradation from the elements down,but I can not stop it. The whole bench is sealed with 3 coats of helmsman,I am just trying to give it a rain coat. and like I said,I have no control what the customer does after the purchase. It kill,s me that it is going to live outside,but hey it is what is! Tim

SwampDonkey

Your bench looks wonderful as does the table top.

I have one observation and something to offer about the table top though. It's not to be critical or anything. But I see potential trouble with separation when the wood dries further in a heated room or takes on moisture in summer humidity. The problem is going to show up with the walnut edge on the ends of the oak boards. Your corners won't slide past one another when the main body of oak moves in width. Your oak may separate in the middle when shrinking (or along either side where the walnut it molded on the long side) or the walnut will pull apart at the corners when expanding. The end grain placed walnut, if attached with square ends on dovetails, on the table width, the table top can move without pulling something apart. Or place the walnut on the two ends and one long side on dove tails with the 45's on the corners and edge the other long side like another piece of oak but with square ends that but the end grain walnut pieces. So now the main carcass is oak with a strip of walnut on one long side before you apply the sliding dovetailed ends and the other long side.

Similar to this, walnut on ash. The top is only edged three sides and is free to move, 45's on the front. The shelf is not boxed in like it appears. The ends of ash are on dovetails the width of the walnut. The shelf is then installed to the legs at the squared section. The sides of the shelf (length-wise grain) are applied last, edge glued the length of the walnut. The legs at the attachment points are grooved 1/4" and glued to the ends of the ash shelf edges as they are installed. It's like putting a puzzle together, it only fits one way. :D



Keep busy. :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

T Welsh

SwampDonkey, Thats the frustrating part about playing with hardwoods they will contract and expand over there life time. this is still bugging me about how I attached the slab to the base with pegs, will the slab expand and blow the base apart? I have to try it. I will let you know when the coffee table top pops, I know it will at some point. Its 4 foot away from the wood stove :D Tim

SwampDonkey

Quote from: T Welsh on November 03, 2011, 09:19:08 PM
This is still bugging me about how I attached the slab to the base with pegs, will the slab expand and blow the base apart? I have to try it.

The bench seat shouldn't bust unless it gets water soaked outside (it would have to be sitting in water pretty much) then dries again and checks on the ends. End grain will break down quicker than side grain, so keep that in mind. The way you have it the legs and the seat have grain in the same direction. If the leg grain where 90° to the seat then yes, troubles. Lets just say, the design is sound. Lets see what the elements do to it. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

T Welsh

SwampDonkey, The first bench I ever made 30+ years ago cracked and split down the middle when I brought it inside. No one ever told me wood has to be dry when you work with it :D never thought about the red oak expanding  and the walnut wrap not. but if it does blow apart, I,ll take it into the shop and do something else with it. for 30+ years I have not had the time to play with the wood that I get from work, now I have time and the machines to do it and I am having fun learning at my own expense along the way. thanks for the heads up about movement over the seasons. Tim

SwampDonkey

Tim the walnut is going to move to, but the trouble is the pieces on the end won't stretch and shrink end-wise as the oak swells and shrinks across the grain. So you have to design it for the oak and walnut (with the same grain direction) will move/slide across those end pieces, such as sliding dovetails.

White ash, for a wood that doesn't hold much water to begin with, compared to the oaks, sure will move a lot.

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Dodgy Loner

T Welsh,

Great job on the bench. It's beautiful :)

Also, SD is right on about the construction of your coffee table, but don't worry about it too much . I'm convinced that everyone makes the exact same mistake when they start woodworking :D. My first real piece of furniture was a coffee table, and I made the mistake of gluing strips of cherry and maple to a piece of plywood to make the top. Of course, the hardwood expands and contracts with the seasons, and the plywood does not, so the joints are gappy most of the time, and the mitered banding around the top hasn't lined up in years. It drives me crazy to even look at it, but my wife still likes the table so much she refuses to let me get rid of it ::)

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

WDH

Maybe you can convince her to let you use it as a diaper changing table  ;D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

T Welsh

Dodgy Loner, From the picture it looks great,I like the contrast. working with hardwoods is a lessen in life that you never forget,spend all the time and effort in making a project and then it moves somewhere that you didnt intend it too. as I said before (I am not a cabinet maker) I simply play with and teach myself how to do things on my journey through life. I am the type of person that when someone says that wont work,I take it as a challenge and run it through my thick head to see if I can do it.The great this about it is,while going at these types of projects I get to meet and talk to people that think as I do. Thanks for all the advise ;) Going to put the bench on the mizer today and saw its base level and get this project done so I can go on to another one. Tim

T Welsh

OK Guys, got the bench in the truck and took it to the mill to level the base. laid down a blanket so not to scratch to surface and then cut 2 pieces to clamp it in.



Then put a new blade on the mill and ran it over top of the base to see how much it needed to make it level on each end of the base

Front was out about a heavy1/8"

Back was about the same,which makes sense,the slab moved and tweaked when I brought it inside to finish. when I made the base and put it together I used a level to get it right before final assembly.

The finished cut was dead on. it worked out great,with very little tear out from the cut. 8) Now for the final finish coat and it will be done! Tim

T Welsh

Base and bottom are finished,now its time for the final coat! Tim

T Welsh

Its finally done, 4 coats on top and sides and 2 on the bottom. the wife said that my buddy and his dad,stopped over to look at it while I was out riding my motorcycle yesterday afternoon. (He still wants a hole installed) :D The wife said they stayed about an hour or so just talking about it and touching it. It must of gone over well. Will get it outside and take some pretty picture,s of it in the sun light when I get a chance. Tim

SwampDonkey

Tim, are they going to install an umbrella on it in that hole?. It might go sailing in the right wind. Wax it good and they can go wind surfing. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

T Welsh

SwampDonkey, I dont have any surf shops around here to buy wax. But can do the umbrella in a hearbeat,it came from the factory with a umbrella hole :D Tim

T Welsh

The bench is going bye,bye today. Will get some pictures of the bench in a nice setting and back drop and maybe the new owner,he still wants a hole in it!!! Will stop at hardware store and buy a eye lag for him to screw into the base so he can run a cable through it and lock it down. Tim

CHARLIE

Tim, that is an absolutely beautiful bench! I also enjoyed watching the progress of its becoming a bench.  This idea might not have worked in this application but I'll share it just in case you might find a use for it later.  Years ago I had a request to make a 9 1/2 inch wooden button for a shop sign in New York.  Because I knew it was going to be in the weather, I wanted to soak some kind of protectant from water into the wood. What I did was dilute Titebond III waterproof glue with equal amounts of water and just kept applying it until refusal. Then I let it dry and sanded smooth.  The lady told me the button is holding up fine.  I also do the same thing for endgrain that will be in contact with the ground. I think it helps. Anyway, for what its worth, you might give it a try. 
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

T Welsh

CHARLIE, an absolutely great Idea! the area around the knot/crotch area was a little rotten on the bottom of the slab. I went to the hardware store and bought a 3 oz. bottle of crazy glue and saturated the rot area. It actually smoked when I poured it in,but after drying it solidified the area and was clear,with was the look I was going for. here are a couple of pictures of the final product.



Handed it over to the customers wife,(husband is going through chemotherapy treatments right now and wasnt at the birthday party) She said to me,I dont want to put that bench outside its to pretty. Thats a good compliment! I told her do what you want with it, but if you want me to make a more rustic nonfinished version let me know.I can do it,she asked about the finish and I told her it will fail over the years,I expect 2 to 3 max. before it starts to peel,and when it does you bring it back to me and I will refinish it for free! The customer is one of my best friends dad, and he has cancer. I just lost my dad 3 years ago and I felt I needed to do whats needed to be done in this situation. thanks for all the great compliments on this project. Tim

sparky1

very nice bench, and very nice thing for you to do for the that family!! Best of luck to that family too!!
Shaun J

CHARLIE

Tim, that's one purty bench! I'm glad the wife thinks it should be inside. Maybe it will.

I use CA Glue a lot in my woodturning to stablize cracks, toughen up soft spots and sometimes as a finish. It works great but I burn my fingers at times. It really hurts when the glue sticks to your finger and it starts smoking and is hot! :o  I buy Starbond CA Glue from here:  http://www.ptscoshop.com/starbond_cyanoacrylate_(super_glue).htm  It's cheaper to buy the big bottle and keep in a fridge than to buy those little ones at the store.  I always get one bottle of Very Thin viscosity (Which I use the most 'cause it is like water and soaks deep into the wood and flows down into cracks) and one bottle of Medium viscosity.

Another thing you can buy is a MinWax product made to repair rotted wood. Part of the repair is a can of some kind of resin that you brush onto the rotted wood and it hardens in about 2 minutes. No mixing.  I sometimes use it to harden up soft wood that I'm turning.
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

T Welsh

Thanks Guys, I was happy with the turn out of the bench. my wife asked me what I thought on the out come of the finished product,I told her its the best one yet,and I would rate it at about 90% perfect,there where a couple of things I could have done better, but its a learning process we all go through,I am my own worst critic ;D. The glue trick to solidify rotten areas turned out well,CA glue is fast and easy. I pushed this bench a little farther than normal,because I knew what was going on with my friends dad,he is battling cancer and is doing a good job of it and he sits at his fish pond a lot. he just had it re landscaped and now has a bench that is worthy. He called me at home last night as soon as he got to see the bench to thank me personally and said he was blown away by how nice it turned out,he said the same thing his wife said its to nice to go outside, I told him use it,I built it for you to use and enjoy. I feel very good about the outcome of this project. Tim

Roxie

It's absolutely beautiful, and thank you for sharing the journey and the story.  He is really going to enjoy that bench!   :)
Say when

T Welsh

Thanks Roxie, It,s the wood itself that sells the benches and coffee tables I have made,all I do is see it first in the logs that I am sawing,then I cut a slab out of it and set it aside to dry. I have found that 2 years inside will bring them done to about 15% moisture  content. then a little cutting and sanding,well you get the picture ;) Tim

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Your bench is outta this world!

GREAT job.

David
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

T Welsh


SwampDonkey

Tim, maybe a couple of flat stones like shale under the end grain of the legs will help preserve the legs a bit longer. I made a two seat swing with wooden floor over 20 years ago and used Tremcad paint over a stain and set it on brick at the corners. It's still sound as a nut. It was just spruce boards from the local sawmill. It sits in under some big white spruce (25-30" dbh) in the back yard. Spruce wood will usually stand more weather than most hardwood species.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

T Welsh

SwampDonkey, If it does end up outside,which I hope it does,knowing the circumstances involved with the owners health condition. it will sit on a concrete walkway,better than dirt,but it will wick up moisture. I like CHARLIE,s suggestion of diluting glue and letting it soak up in the end grain,its always in the shop and so simple and I know it will work. Thats the great thing about this forum,you get to pick peoples brain for free 8) Tim

AK Newbie

Tim,
A beautiful job on the bench!  Thanks for sharing!  Another tip for the legs if it does end up outside is to use the rubber dip you can buy at the big box stores for dipping tool handles in to make them non-slip.  You could tape off the legs and paint or dip a uniform coating of the rubber onto the legs and they will not soak up any water in the end grain.  Thanks for sharing the journey!
Kevin
LT28, Logosol M7, Husky 385XP, Stihl MS 250, Echo

beenthere

Kevin
How would you keep the rain water out of the rubber cups formed around the legs? Seems they would have no way to dry out and rot quickly. ??
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

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