Lounge From 2x4s and Scrapwood

After building a big shed for firewood,

there was a lot of left over lumber and also the need for relaxing the tired muscles!

the idea for an outdoor lounge area was born!

it took only a couple of hours from idea to chill out

- an easy project that will please your BBQ-guests as well as yourself.

I built it for 3 people but it's even more comfy alone :D

Step 1: Find and Cut Your Pieces for the Frame

Tools and materials needed:

• miter saw or hand saw
• clawhammer
• nails with 6cm and 8cm length or skrews with 6 and 8cm length
• stain or paint in desired colour

prepare from 2x4s:

10 pieces with 25cm length - that is for the legs and adds height

6 pieces with 180cm length - for the square frame and one for the back rest

3 pieces with 85cm lenght and an 45 angle on one side, for the back rest

i used half round scrap wood (thats what's left when your sawing boards in a saw mill) for the coverage of the frame, but of course any other style is possible - maybe pallets?- you can cut them later

Step 2: Nail the Leg Pieces

nail or skrew 2 pieces of the 25cm legs together, to gain a more rustic look,

- nail it diagonally for more strentgh.

screw the frame together as shown in the pictures.

- predrill the holes and use skrews that are at least double the thickness of your 2x4s

The pictures show very good how to assemble the pieces!

Step 3: Bend the Nails and Add the Legs

i show you an easy technique i learned from an old swedish carpenter.

it makes nailing in angles much easier

the nail curves and will be almost impossible to remove - a incredibly strong connection.

The pictures show it all from bending to hammering.

Do so:

slightly bend the lower end of the nail between your hammers claw.

hammer the nail in with the bend part down - you start horizontally and the nail will move up by itself with every hit.

Add all 4 legs with this technique - two nails each.

if you have: add som roll roofing pieces under every leg, but its also ok if you have some gravel under each leg - it won't rott that fast if you do so.

(of course you can use skrews for that as well! )

Step 4: Back Rest

Assemble the pieces for the back rest as shown in the picture

cover it with the half round - scrap pieces, but leave the lower part free, otherwise you can't join it properly to the frame!

now add it to your frame:

nail it in the same technique as the legs were joined, with at least 2 nails

or skrew every part with at least two long skrews

Step 5: Cover All of It!

now cover the whole thing with your half-rounds or whatever you're using :)

there're two techniques:

cut all pieces in the correct length before joining them

or

add the pieces in random lentgh and use a circular saw to cut them all at once on place

both techniques will work fine!

Step 6: Sanding, Staining and Finishing Touches

while relaxing, splinters are not very welcome - so sand the rough edges

when that job is done it's time for the stain or paint of your choice.

last but not least - cover the frame with some of the half round pieces - that adds a nice finish!

paint that ones as well...

Step 7: Relax!

meanwhile the paint dried you may have found some nice big logs as tables for refreshing drinks and a good book.

you might have also captured some sun-lounge cushions on sale - to make it even more irresistible

- but a blanket will do as well!

enjoy the last days of summer!