Stormin 9,976 #1 Posted May 17, 2019 (edited) In the back of the workshop I've had some iron garden seat ends, that I painted a few years ago. Finally decided to do something with them. So some beech beams from a ship I've also had lying around, (The beams not the ship), found their way to a neighbours who's a joiner. There they were cut into strips to make seat slats. I then gave them three coats of yacht varnish. Today I put everything to gether. Carol is well pleased as she likes a variety of places to sit. Next on the list was the bench we have out on the green. It was an old park bench that was given to us some years back. About 20 I think. I'd done it up then, but the years have taken their toll. That soon ended up like below with the aid of the chainsaw. So it looked like this. After a couple of hours it is now ready for some paint. To be continued. Edited May 17, 2019 by Stormin 7 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,332 #2 Posted May 17, 2019 Nice job Storm! What l want to know is how did you just HAPPEN to have ship beams laying around? Must be hard to come by . Beech is stable and hard . Ive turned a few bowls from it and it does turn well. I have a cast iron bench at my shop l saved out of a dumpster. Im just waiting for the right wood to put on it! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,976 #3 Posted May 17, 2019 (edited) 39 minutes ago, The Tool Crib said: Nice job Storm! What l want to know is how did you just HAPPEN to have ship beams laying around? Must be hard to come by . Beech is stable and hard . Ive turned a few bowls from it and it does turn well. I have a cast iron bench at my shop l saved out of a dumpster. Im just waiting for the right wood to put on it! Right place at the right time for a change. I was helping a friend clear some rubbish from where he was building his new house about 11yrs ago. They were there and he didn't want them. Most likely off a trawler for holding the nets. Edited May 17, 2019 by Stormin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 63,609 #4 Posted May 17, 2019 Nice-looking work there Norm. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,332 #5 Posted May 17, 2019 1 hour ago, Stormin said: Right place at the right time for a change. I was helping a friend clear some rubbish from where he was building his new house about 11yrs ago. They were there and he didn't want them. Most likely off a trawler for holding the nets. Reminds me of myself ill hang on to a piece of wood until l find that right project to use it on! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 63,609 #6 Posted May 17, 2019 1 hour ago, The Tool Crib said: Reminds me of myself ill hang on to a piece of wood until l find that right project to use it on! Yeah. Trina is kind of funny about that. We are not anything to do with the remotest possibility of finish carpenters. We both know that we need to cull off some of the spare wheel horse parts but neither one of us will throw away a piece of scrap wood for most any reason. A lot of the things that she has made or done to the house have been from repurposed materials. Things we've taken apart. Old pallets are what built the stairway. I replaced pieces of the doorway trim on the first floor a couple years ago... and even just yesterday we used a couple of those as pieces of trim in the chicken coop. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,332 #7 Posted May 17, 2019 My father came up in the depression era.He never threw anything away. We would straighten nails and reuse them 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,902 #8 Posted May 17, 2019 (edited) Nice bench. Great job and good color choice.Beech is not abundant here.That is something that I find myself doing frequently here for people, since they are mostly maple and rot with in a couple of years. I usually make them out of left over mahogany from other projects. Very nice. I like the second bench design. Different than most. Edited May 17, 2019 by formariz 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,902 #9 Posted May 17, 2019 51 minutes ago, The Tool Crib said: My father came up in the depression era.He never threw anything away. We would straighten nails and reuse them LOL. My oldest son still does that. Funny he has actually already embedded that mentality into my oldest grandson(6). As we take walks through the woods in the back of property he finds all kinds of old stuff on ground and brings it home saying that it may be useful one day. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,332 #10 Posted May 17, 2019 Thats great. The world we live in is such a disposable world. We need to teach our young to rebuild rather than replace! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Digger 66 3,477 #11 Posted May 17, 2019 6 hours ago, Stormin said: beech beams from a ship I've also had lying around ...and I thought I saved everything . Kidding aside , that bench is absolutely beautiful . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 63,609 #12 Posted May 17, 2019 1 hour ago, formariz said: .Beech is not abundant here Our forest is approximately 70 percent beech. Great firewood. Come on over and get a few sticks.... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,902 #13 Posted May 18, 2019 @StorminNot criticizing but curious why you left the last board out in front. I think I might know the reason. Will tell you after you answer. We might have run across the same obstacle or rather annoyance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,332 #14 Posted May 18, 2019 13 hours ago, formariz said: @StorminNot criticizing but curious why you left the last board out in front. I think I might know the reason. Will tell you after you answer. We might have run across the same obstacle or rather annoyance. I didn’t notice that until you said something That might be s little uncomfortable! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,976 #15 Posted May 18, 2019 (edited) 18 hours ago, formariz said: @StorminNot criticizing but curious why you left the last board out in front. I think I might know the reason. Will tell you after you answer. We might have run across the same obstacle or rather annoyance. Though the beams were big, 2"x 5"x 8' not quite big enough. Ergo short of one slat. Not uncomfortable at all. We have another single seat like that. You may have noticed that the second slat down on the back is at a slant. That's due to the hole on the left not being just right. 1/4" to high. That got put right today with the aid of a round file. Edited May 18, 2019 by Stormin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,902 #16 Posted May 19, 2019 Thought you left it out on purpose.I found that some of these seats are a little too deep so ones inside of leg is always putting too much pressure on that board making it uncomfortable. I have resorted in the latest ones to shape that board so it is comfortable and does not dig in to leg. I also found that in many it is best that boards are not all same width, so now I just customize them according to bench so they have a smooth contour without edges protruding from adjacent board. Here is the latest batch. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,976 #17 Posted May 19, 2019 (edited) We have one like those type of benches. Same pattern. That's due for a rebuild one day. I like the way you've done the seat. Edited May 19, 2019 by Stormin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,976 #18 Posted May 20, 2019 Park bench is now finished and back in it's place on the green. It could do with three more slats in the seat, but that was all the wood I had. One day it may get some if I come across some suitable wood. 1 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,902 #19 Posted May 20, 2019 Nice. I really like that one. Simple elegance. Nice clean lines. I may have a metal guy duplicate that one. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,976 #20 Posted May 20, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, formariz said: Nice. I really like that one. Simple elegance. Nice clean lines. I may have a metal guy duplicate that one. Cost you. I've got it patented world wide. Edited May 20, 2019 by Stormin 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites