Building Furniture : Around the Coffee Table

michaels4gardens · Post Number:#1 by **michaels4gardens** » Tue May 15, 2018 7:19 am

Redesigning a bench .
Redesigned "the bench" and built another prototype with "Southern Yellow Pine" , -I increased the size of the legs, so the connecting tenons that support the seat could be 1 1/2 " instead of 1"- Now, the "safe working load" for one side of the bench is over 600 lbs- The "Girls" like the new design better than the first one...
It is harder to tell the difference from the pictures .... any-way.. I am very happy about the bench, it alleviates a worry ,- if I should make some, and sell them, no extra large person will break it down ,and then have to go into the hospital, and get lumber surgically removed . [The safe working load for one side of the first bench prototype was just over 300 lbs]...
I made a new shop drawing for the bench so i could reproduce it, if I want to, - I will need to get a price on "custom cut" thicker lumber for the bench legs [I laminated lumber together for the prototype pictured] , - I could also use the "custom cut" lumber for making other types of chairs... like the design in the picture , only they will be made from lumber instead of log.

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Zass

MaggieJ · Post Number:#2 by **MaggieJ** » Tue May 15, 2018 9:30 am

Wonderful benches -- and beautiful in their simplicity. :goodjob:

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michaels4gardens

Nymphadora · Post Number:#3 by **Nymphadora** » Tue May 15, 2018 9:46 am

MaggieJ wrote:Wonderful benches -- and beautiful in their simplicity.

They look beautiful, michaels4gardens! We built our dining room table last year, which I think I posted about in another thread, but our workmanship is nowhere near your level! That said, I'm kind of itching to build some patio furniture so we can do some big backyard BBQs this summer... :oops:

Thank you for sharing your wonderful benches!

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michaels4gardens

michaels4gardens · Post Number:#4 by **michaels4gardens** » Tue May 15, 2018 2:04 pm

I like to build another kind of chair, but log has been hard to find, so i may build one from lumber,,

alforddm · Post Number:#5 by **alforddm** » Tue May 15, 2018 2:24 pm

These are beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

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michaels4gardens

Shea · Post Number:#6 by **Shea** » Tue May 15, 2018 6:37 pm

I love the slant on the back. Was it tricky to do? Or did you make the back upright then tilt it to attach to the sides?

michaels4gardens · Post Number:#7 by **michaels4gardens** » Wed May 16, 2018 10:56 am

Shea wrote:I love the slant on the back. Was it tricky to do? Or did you make the back upright then tilt it to attach to the sides?

The "slant" of the back support is made by fastening the bottom back support piece into the horizontal pieces that hold up the seat. - so the top back support piece is fastened into the top of the back chair leg. the bottom piece is fastened 3 inches further forward . - this picture of a chair made the same way, shows the placement of the bottom back rest piece.
The measurements have to be precise, both for the length of the vertical back pieces, and the depth of the drilled hole they fit into.

Deer Heart · Post Number:#8 by **Deer Heart** » Fri May 18, 2018 10:26 pm

I want one.

Marinea · Post Number:#9 by **Marinea** » Sun May 20, 2018 8:15 am

Me too! That would love beautiful on my front porch.

Heck, it is just plain beautiful.

You are a talented man, Michael.

Shea · Post Number:**#10** by **Shea** » Mon May 21, 2018 8:34 am

Have you ever done a torch finish on them? With the way the grain looks on yellow pine it would show beautifully.

michaels4gardens · Post Number:**#11** by **michaels4gardens** » Tue May 22, 2018 5:24 am

Shea wrote:Have you ever done a torch finish on them? With the way the grain looks on yellow pine it would show beautifully.

actually I have,-- I think it looks good, - I personally think, a clear finish over torch work looks better than the darker stain , that some people seem to prefer. But- I suppose it depends on what you are trying to "match". Most of the "stuff" I have made for restaurants was dark... I also like using "blue" wood for the seats, and the back support pieces [when I can find it] - then a clear-coat over that...

Shea · Post Number:**#12** by **Shea** » Tue May 22, 2018 6:17 am

I agree, a nice coat of oil is all I tend to put on my torched pieces. And blued wood is fun to play with but I can never find enough consistent pieces to make something with. I did make a coffee table with blue legs but stain got spilled and tracked. . .so that piece ended up stained dark.

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michaels4gardens · Post Number:**#13** by **michaels4gardens** » Tue May 22, 2018 6:47 am

Shea wrote:I agree, a nice coat of oil is all I tend to put on my torched pieces. And blued wood is fun to play with but I can never find enough consistent pieces to make something with. I did make a coffee table with blue legs but stain got spilled and tracked. . .so that piece ended up stained dark.

I recently found a small sawmill that is easy to deal with, - I have seen some blue wood in their lumber- I don't know how much they get-- but it they get "beetle kill" logs, it often has a lot of "blue"...

LunarFantom · Post Number:**#14** by **LunarFantom** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:11 pm

Holy crap! I know who to call when I start working on new hutch designs now.

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michaels4gardens

michaels4gardens · Post Number:**#15** by **michaels4gardens** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:37 pm

my latest design project was for a very large man [6' 10", and 300 lbs] who had bad knees, he wanted a bench high enough that he would not have to use his knees much when he was trying to get up off the bench.. The bench seat is at 3 feet . -- [the family and I have to climb up the foot rests to get up on the seat]

Building Furniture : Around the Coffee Table

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