I just moved to Chicago, and, while I look for full time work, I have started volunteering at the ReBuilding Exchange ( http://www.rebuildingexchange.org.) They are an salvage warehouse, selling architectural elements from demolished houses, furniture made from reclaimed lumber, and old, but still useable appliances. RX also trains ex-offenders in job skills, including woodworking. I've written some more about their work and my participation in it on my new blog, found here: http://www.objectguerilla.blogspot.com.
Their furniture line, RX Made, concentrates on fairly simple furniture pieces that can be built from what they have available in the warehouse. Complicated cuts, fancy joinery, and fine finishing are outside the skill level of the job trainees and the tools available in their still-new workshop.
Their current bench design is simple and straightforward, but relies on end-grain joints of questionable strength. I prototyped some new benches for them, three in all, in an attempt to reduce the amount of materials, store-bought fasteners, and time needed to make each one. You can knock these out in an afternoon, providing some solid seating for your mudroom or deck. They are a great beginner's project that will acquaint you with a few common power tools and give you a dose of confidence so you can move on to something more complex. Even if you buy the materials off-the-shelf, each one of these benches is super-cheap so you don't have to worry about messing up. Lastly, don't be intimidated by the tools list: you can build all three of these with nothing more than a drill and a circular saw if that's all you have available.
These directions concentrate on the two benches that utilize grooves to hold the legs in place; the lag-bolted version is fairly self-explanatory from the pictures. Just cut some slanted legs and shoot it through with big fasteners.
You will need these materials:
1 2" x 10" x 8' board per bench
1 2" x 4" x 4' board per bench
A handful of 2-1/2" drywall or deck screws
A handful of 3/8" x 5" lag bolts and washers
Some thin scrap wood
You will need these tools:
Chop saw or circular saw
Drill/driver
Router with flush trim bit
Power sander
Assorted bits appropriate to your fasteners
Mallet
Clamps
Tape measure
Square
Pencil
Their furniture line, RX Made, concentrates on fairly simple furniture pieces that can be built from what they have available in the warehouse. Complicated cuts, fancy joinery, and fine finishing are outside the skill level of the job trainees and the tools available in their still-new workshop.
Their current bench design is simple and straightforward, but relies on end-grain joints of questionable strength. I prototyped some new benches for them, three in all, in an attempt to reduce the amount of materials, store-bought fasteners, and time needed to make each one. You can knock these out in an afternoon, providing some solid seating for your mudroom or deck. They are a great beginner's project that will acquaint you with a few common power tools and give you a dose of confidence so you can move on to something more complex. Even if you buy the materials off-the-shelf, each one of these benches is super-cheap so you don't have to worry about messing up. Lastly, don't be intimidated by the tools list: you can build all three of these with nothing more than a drill and a circular saw if that's all you have available.
These directions concentrate on the two benches that utilize grooves to hold the legs in place; the lag-bolted version is fairly self-explanatory from the pictures. Just cut some slanted legs and shoot it through with big fasteners.
You will need these materials:
1 2" x 10" x 8' board per bench
1 2" x 4" x 4' board per bench
A handful of 2-1/2" drywall or deck screws
A handful of 3/8" x 5" lag bolts and washers
Some thin scrap wood
You will need these tools:
Chop saw or circular saw
Drill/driver
Router with flush trim bit
Power sander
Assorted bits appropriate to your fasteners
Mallet
Clamps
Tape measure
Square
Pencil
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Signing UpStep 1: Cutting and Sanding
First, cut the tops for your benches. These are 48" long. That length makes space for a few people to sit on them, and also allows you to get both the top and two legs out of one eight-foot board.
Use a chop saw, if you have one, for a nice square cut. I take an inch or two off the factory ends to re-square and clean up the board, as those ends can often be rather rough.
Take a sander to the tops with 60, 80, or 100 grit paper, depending on the condition of the lumber. If you are planning to finish the wood
-- if the benches are for outdoor use, for instance -- work your way up to a 120 grit for a super-smooth surface. The screwdriver in the second picture was used to lever out old staples, a hazard of using reclaimed wood.
Use a chop saw, if you have one, for a nice square cut. I take an inch or two off the factory ends to re-square and clean up the board, as those ends can often be rather rough.
Take a sander to the tops with 60, 80, or 100 grit paper, depending on the condition of the lumber. If you are planning to finish the wood
-- if the benches are for outdoor use, for instance -- work your way up to a 120 grit for a super-smooth surface. The screwdriver in the second picture was used to lever out old staples, a hazard of using reclaimed wood.
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Here's my solution to the lag-bolt counterbore problem: I used a 3/4" speedbore spade bit for the hole, and drilled it to 1/4". Insert the lagbolt with glue in the dadoes, and tighten up the lags . THEN I used the end of a broomstick I had hanging around for a plug. Sawed it off with a dozuki, though a regular saw would work if you were careful, and sanded it flush. Looks great too. When I did it on a smaller scale to build a stepstool, people ask me if I put the whole thing together with pins. I'll see if I can post a pic.
I love the look of finished old red pine. Beautiful with a coat of linseed oil.
Thanks!