Woodworker's Journal 2004-28-4, страница 24
efbre this garden bench came along, our patio seating amounted to a couple of Adirondack chairs and some fairly uncomfortable picnic benches. Relaxing was easy for two people but not for more. Now, thanks to this bench, even I get a good seat during outdoor entertaining. I could've simplified the project's design by incorporating fewer curves, but a curvy bench seems to harmonize well with the irregular shapes of our patio and flowerbeds. The armrests and crest rail, in particular, rr.ake the bench feel more organic, informal and inviting. A weather-resistant wood species is a must for this project. I used reclaimed sinker cypress (see the sidebar at right). Krantz Recoverd Woods in New Orleans supplied the lumber for this project, and it was a pleasure to build with. If you've never tried it, cypress cuts, routs and sands similar to cedar or redwood. It's not oily has a pleasant odor and glr.es up without issue. Take the usual precautions when cutting or routing to minimize end grain learoul and splintering. The author fixed a leg template to each leg bleak and left it there for the entire machining process. Drill the mortise lor the seat rsll before ysu cut the back leg out of its blank. Templates and More Templates laying out and assembling this bench will go much easier if you start with some full-size patterns and templates. I made a full-size gridded pattern of the bench's end view — a real help for positioning the armrests and setting up the nil angles. I also fabricated hardboard templates for the crest rail, back leg, armrest (both side and top views), seat rail and front rail. 'Hie templates were handy for locating mortises and for template routing the rough parts to filial shape. Use the Pullout Pattern (between pages 47 and 54) and the Drawings on p<tge 40 to make these shop aids. It's sure worth the effort. Making the End Frames Gel rolling on this project }y building the end frames, which consist of the front aad back legs and the seat and lewer rails (pieces 1 through 4). Start with the back legs. Use your hark leg template to draw the leg shapes on some 8W wide stock. Orient the leg shapes so the longest flat edges of the legs line up with a stork pdgp. At this time. I suggest you stick the template to each leg blank with hot-melt glue or carpet tape. Mark and cut the scat rail mortises using whatever machining method you prefer {seephoto, at left). I drilled mine out. Cut out the leg shapes, and refine them with a piloted, flush-trim bit in the router table. It will save you loads of sanding time. Cut the lower rail mortises with a routei, 3/4" straight bit and edge guide. Both rail mortises are offset on the legs to create 1/4" shadow lines between these parts. Lowdown on Sinker Cypress" During the late 1300s and early 1900s. loggers used rive's for transporting logs to lumber mills. In Southern states much of this timber was virgin cypress, ranging in age from 300 to 1,200 years eld. Some logs sank while in transit, where they've remained iaigely preserved under layers of mud and silt Kran:? Recovered Wood? ha-vests these "sinker" logs from Louisiana lakes and rivers. The logs are sawn into boards and beams, then thorougily air-dried before they're sold. ' Recovered 'sinker" cypress lofs renamed largely preserved under layers of oxygen-poor mod and silt far over a cantury. Virgin cypress t ees matured slowly in dense ancient forests. Recovered logs exhibit a whopping 30 to 50 annual growth rings per inch! Today's second growth fees average only five to 10 rings per inch Higher ring counts make antique cypress exceptionally stable, fine-grained, largely free of krots and naturally insect- and rut-resistant. Krantz offers sinker cypress in 4'4,8/4 and bearr thicknesses in widths up to 12" and in lergths up to 30'. P'ices range from $4 to $8 per BF, plus shipping. To learn more or receive a price quote on lumber, call Krantz Recovered Woods at 888-242-1050, or vsit them on the web at: www.KrantzRccyvertdWoods.com. Woodworker's Juu mat A ugust 2004 39 |
