Bench Project

[BaileyNo5]

Working on a Brent Comber - inspired bench for the front porch.  I've always admired his work, but never had the material to work with.  But after clearing a few dozen trees for a garage build and hiring a portable sawmill, I was able to come up with a chunk of Doug Fir that is 14" high x 11" deep.  Not quite as big as I would like, but plenty big enough to be a challenge.  The original chunk was 7' long, and the sawyer estimated weight around 280 pounds.  We used his excavator to get it as close to the front porch as we could, then muscled it on a dolly and moved it the rest of the way.

I marked the dimensions I wanted - about 5' long, with 15 degree angles on the end, and went to work.  Track saw was used to score as deep as I could, then a Japanese pullsaw to finish the cuts on the ends.  Then marked the arcs on the top and bottom and scored again with the track saw.  Chipped waste out with a chisel, flattened with a jack plane, and finished up with a Rotex sander with 40 grit.  Tearout is always an issue with Doug Fir, and this was no exception, but the sander took care of most of it.

Finished up the bottom of it today, and will try to finish the top tomorrow.

[EatenByLimestone]

I think you need a longer plane to flatten that out. It’s looking dished in the middle.



(Just kidding!). I can’t wait to see the progress!

[BaileyNo5]

Dangit!  I knew something was wrong, but couldn't put my finger on it!
  Thanks for pointing that out, I'll see if I can scrounge up the Stanley Battle Axe #8.

Got all the chiseling and planing done today, and will finish up with the sander tomorrow.  Picked up a Osmo Polyx UV oil finish for it, natural satin.

[stav]

I'm not familiar with Brent Comber but I like the way this is coming out so far.

[BaileyNo5]

Finished 'er up today, here are a few pictures. The front of the bench is shown in the first picture, and the second picture shows the back.

I'm still trying to decide what I want for feet.  Roughed out some triangles, not sure if I like them.  Might try some different shapes.

[Steve Hamlin]

I like. Need's a stone garden to contemplate

Triangles the other way up, following the end angle? Fuzzy morning eyes registered them that way up at first in the front pic. Ovoids perhaps? Using card shapes over the triangles to test the different looks?

[Joe Bailey]

Triangles the other way up, following the end angle? Fuzzy morning eyes registered them that way up at first in the front pic. Ovoids perhaps? Using card shapes over the triangles to test the different looks?

I will second the idea of mounting the triangular feet with the point down.

I too, through a trick of the light, momentarily perceived them as being mounted that way in an earlier photo.

I'd also make them black

[BaileyNo5]

Great looking bench.

Hope it doesn't blow away.

Oddly, that had not occurred to me as I nudged it around with my 30 lb pry bar and the Persuader.  But if it gets windy, I've got some hurricane straps. 

[Bill Holt]

Great looking bench.

Hope it doesn't blow away.

[stav]

I agree that it looks better with the upside down triangles.  I think it depends on the look you want.