Woodnet Forums - Show Me Your Slab Bench

Hi Folks,

For once in my life, I successfully flattened a pear wood slab. Originally, the tree was blown down by Hurricane Ike. Myself and a friend harvested several of these trees. Over the years, this particular slab bent along the middle, with a fair amount of warping thrown in for good measure. I sawed down the middle with a circ saw, jointed each of the two halves, and then glued it back together. It's very flat and will be ready to go with just a bit of touch up. The results are shown in the pictures.

I'd like to make a bench, and would be grateful for advice and suggestions.

Side A or B?
With a back, or not?
What style? Can you show a picture of a similar one that you made?

Thanks,
Mark

Side A
[attachment=44821]

Side B
[attachment=44822]

Original slab
[attachment=44820]

Edge View
[attachment=44819]

It occurred to me that "bench" is too generic. I meant a bench to sit on.

Mark

Here's one I did. Cherry slab with a walnut base (before the finish went on) I don't have a better picture of it right now.

I used these plans for the base.

https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/garden-bench/

[attachment=44839]

(10-25-2022, 06:57 AM)atgcpaul Wrote: [ -> ]Here's one I did. Cherry slab with a walnut base (before the finish went on) I don't have a better picture of it right now.

I used these plans for the base.

https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/garden-bench/

Thanks. It helps me a lot to see a finished product.

For example, yours looks much better than the woodcraft picture; their's looks too heavy in the base to my mind. And, it looks like you took a different approach to fastening the top to the legs?

Mark

(10-25-2022, 04:25 PM)MarkSLSmith Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks. It helps me a lot to see a finished product.

For example, yours looks much better than the woodcraft picture; their's looks too heavy in the base to my mind. And, it looks like you took a different approach to fastening the top to the legs?

Mark

Thanks.

I just used figure 8 fasteners.

There were some cracks in the slab I secured and accented with some bowties.

[attachment=44878]