Intro

The Barbershop I frequent Stag's Barbershop Eastwood has its own aestetic. Old skateboards, stag skulls and classic tools donned the walls. The music is chilled hip hop or some uber cheesy sing along song. The owner Kye is a cross between cleetus from the Simpsons and the coolest cat you know.

Over the years I have become good friends with Kye and he commented that he had a supply of old skateboards if I wanted them to knock something up for the barbershop.

I hope you will join me on building this at times tricky project, which came out better than I could have visioned. I suggest you start by watching the video above to see the process.

Supplies:

Below are tools and materials I used in this article.

- Pressure Treated or Cedar Lumber (or anything else suitable to the outdoors) 4x2 in this case.

- Table Saw

- Mitre Saw

- Deck screws

- Drill

- Impact Driver

- Band Saw

- A selection of old skateboards

- Carpenter's pencil

- Square

- Workshop Dog (Jethro is available for stunt work at decent rates if you do not have your own shop dog)

Step 1: Design Ideas

After lots of discussions with Kye on the bench and how he wanted it to look like. I searched for standard garden bench designs and for skate seat ideas. The more photos i gave him of other benches the more he said yes. I purchased a batch of finger boards on ebay(the skateboards you ride with your fingers) and made a prototype with the toys and some small wood stock.

Putting this mock up in front of Kye had him slightly giddy with excitment.

Step 2: Basic Frame

For the Basic frame I used some basic bench plans found here https://www.construct101.com/2x4-bench-plans-step-...

I only used steps steps up until the picture here.

for the 4x2's in the project I followed this cutting list:

A – A – 4 – 2×4 – 2′ 3/16″ (15-degree angle cut on both ends in same direction)

B – 2 – 2×4 – 1′ 6 1/2″ (ripped to 1 1/2″ – 15-degree angle cut on one end) C – C – 2 – 2×4 – 1′ 7 1/16″ (15-degree angle cut on both end in same direction)

D – 2 -2×4 – 1′ 8 1/8″

E – 2 – 2×4 – 1′ 11 1/8″ (15-degree angle cut on one end) F – 1 – 2×4 – 3′ 9″ (15-degree bevel cut)

G – 1 – 2×4 – 3′ 9″

I won't repeate the actual plans from Contruct101 they are all available for free.

Step 3: Preparing the Skateboards

I decided to keep the skatboards as in tact as possible(something I would later think about) At this point I should have looked to remove the grip tape from each of the boards. By not removing the grip tape cutting the boards eas lets say entertaining. Saw blades against what is essentially sandpaper causes alot of gritty dust.

I mocked up the baords on to the frame to confirm how many boards would be used and in what configuration. The seat section would require 5 and 1/2 boards, with 4 showing complete in the centre and 2 cut length ways to but into the ends of the bench.

The back rest was alot easier to spread out 6 comeplete board widths across.

Cutting the boards should be a simple process but because of their curves both length and width, I attempted the band saw but it was when using a table saw sledge I felt the most stable and effective way of repeated cuts.

Step 4: Finishing

Finishing the frame itself I used a slate grey exterior wood stain to match some of the decorating in the barbershop.

For the skateboards I used a tin of Yatch Varnish to seal the edges and screw holes.

Step 5: Installation

On the day of installation I decided if the seat is to be sat outside it could possibly be sat in water if it rains, to ensure this didn't happen I decided it needed some feet. I popped to the local sakte shop and purchased a set of 4 polyurethene wheels. I secured these to bottom of each leg as a final touch.

I installed the bench into the barbers where it sits pride of place in the shop.