The Bench Story

I really like making benches and I'm not sure exactly why.  Don't get me wrong, I love making anything but I especially enjoy benches.  I love how the piece of wood sets the tone for the entire design and then all the pieces seem to fall into place.  If the bench were a story then the piece of wood chosen for the bench is like the introduction.  It sets the mood that leads to the next chapter which then in turn leads to the chapter after that. 

This Bench was one such story.  I saw the piece of wood and could see the story all of a sudden start coming together in my head.  

This particular bench was made for a customer who had an idea of what he wanted but wasn't 100% sure so he gave me a lot of creative license, which I love.  I built around the outline that he gave and this was what we ended up with, awesomeness :)

The main piece of wood used for this bench is a solid 2 inch piece of Ash that has a beautiful rustic live edge.  The other edge of this bench is bare and gives a totally different look. (I really like making benches with multiple personalities, depending on which side your looking at).  The wood used for this bench tapers at the one end, which gives it a super unique look.  The top and bottom of the bench got a generous sanding but not enough to remove some of the fun textures left from the planer.  After the hight of the bench was marked I then cut the one side on a 45 and then joined it back together making it one of the legs.  The two 4 inch bolts were ordered especially for this project and are not only for design purposes but they are also functional, adding stability.  I gave the bench a coat of walnut stain and 2 nice coats of satin finish varnish.  For the other leg of this bench I ordered a 6 ft length 3/8 thick piece of steel that I cut to size and bent into the shape that I wanted.  Working with steel that thick and bending it can be quite a mission but it is such satisfaction seeing it all together.  

If this bench really were a story then the steel leg would be the conclusion.  It finishes everything off and balances the design creating the perfect ending. 

The End.