Bench build

[Skinnygoomba]

Skinny, that looks similar to Amish wood joinery methods. I have seen unfinished white oak benches, tables and stools etc. in old farms that were 30 to 70 years old in use outside the whole time in a farm environment. I have seen barns over 200 years old with these methods and wood pin fastened framing standing still and in use. I admire your effort and commend your craftsmanship.

ed

Thanks ed! That's accurate, there is a lot of shared methods for woodworking east and west and between timber framing and furniture making.

Nice shoulder plane. I need to get one of those... Did you make the handles on your saws? Looks like curly maple on one of them.

I like the direction this is going. Looking forward to the finished product.

Thanks! The plane and saws are all by Lie Nielsen, I believe the saw handles are cherry wood. There is one chisel floating around in one of the pictures with an African blackwood handle that is part of a set I had made. The mortise chisels are Lie Nielsen and they have hornbeam handles.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Little bit of progress today, mostly finished on the trestle support for the base.

Mortising for the center support:

Cutting back detail with rasp then chamfering with spokeshave

Installed.

I didn't take detailed pics of the wedged side of this, but it's very similar except that I cut it past the thickness of the center leg so it can do it's job unhindered.

This will also allow me to tighten up the center leg without disturbing the outside legs.

I will probably also pin the fixed support.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I may be a general contractors wife...but until you show the entire bench...I have no idea where this final look is going.

Manual tools...WOW! Impressed. The other day my husband needed a drill. All were on the job site. Then he had a lightbulb go off over his head. When he remembered he had electric drills. I thought that was pretty...prehistoric of his now used tools. Something about building it from hand tools must also be quite rewarding...

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Thanks! I think most will be surprised at how simple the end result will look.

Hand tools can be very efficient and have a tangible benefit, which is precision. When I used to use a plunge router for mortising the cut was either too big or too small. This approach allows me to narrow down to a piston fit, and quite rapidly. Some people will drill out the waste first and use a chisel to get the edges. I don't find that necessary and I've cut some huge mortises.

I use a handful of machine tools, but only when they are truly an advantage.

 

[sherwoodschwartz]

i have investigated this type of joinery before

and came away impressed and, frankly, awestruck at the level of accuracy that some builders are capable of achieving.

it looks lovely. can't wait to see the final product.

it sort of amazes me that anyone would have anything remotely negative to say about someone taking the time to build something beautiful on a bonsai forum. if ease, convenience and inexpense were the important factors of our lives, then why the hell are you training bonsai to begin with?

can they not see that the tenets of this art form extend to other things? hell, all things?

 

[reefed419]

I am sure this will be a sweet looking bench when complete, when is that date? I come from a line of furniture builders and cabinet makers, so I understand the mentality of making it last forever. My grandfather actually harvested and processed all his own wood for many, many years on a 150 acre plot he had full or red and white oaks. Some of the pieces he built fully by hand are amazing! Complete bedroom sets with nothing but wood and glue. I commend your efforts and look forward to seeing this beauty when it is complete, when is that gonna be?

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Thanks gents!

and came away impressed and, frankly, awestruck at the level of accuracy that some builders are capable of achieving.

it looks lovely. can't wait to see the final product.

it sort of amazes me that anyone would have anything remotely negative to say about someone taking the time to build something beautiful on a bonsai forum. if ease, convenience and inexpense were the important factors of our lives, then why the hell are you training bonsai to begin with?

can they not see that the tenets of this art form extend to other things? hell, all things?

I appreciate the sentiment. When I think about what drew me into bonsai my first thoughts were of a very detailed Japanese garden with a pavilion specially dedicated to bonsai. A place to relax, contemplate and enjoy life. I don't have room for a Japanese garden, so instead I can have a few well trained plants and a few bonsai.

I knew when I decided to take up bonsai that it would be a significant part of my life, and since they are a significant part, I thought it best to dedicate some considerable efforts to them.

I am sure this will be a sweet looking bench when complete, when is that date? I come from a line of furniture builders and cabinet makers, so I understand the mentality of making it last forever. My grandfather actually harvested and processed all his own wood for many, many years on a 150 acre plot he had full or red and white oaks. Some of the pieces he built fully by hand are amazing! Complete bedroom sets with nothing but wood and glue. I commend your efforts and look forward to seeing this beauty when it is complete, when is that gonna be?

Very cool! I completely understand your grandfathers reasoning, sometimes the more of a process that you can control the better the result.

I'm not on a schedule for this project, but I expect it will be complete in less than two months.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

It should start becoming clear what my design looks like in this post. The dovetailed key through tenon is completed in both sides;

Please note that the top is just resting on the base at this point, I'll be cutting joinery for that as well.

The center upright support is complete;

This is the side with a wedged support which is removable.

And here is the fixed side, and you can see I cut a groove to clock the support at 90 degrees.

The top is next and I'll be starting with the wedged through tenons very soon;

 

[Vin]

Nice work! Seems too nice to put outside.

 

[Cadillactaste]

What will be the final detentions? Definitely something to be proud of when showing your bonsai on display in the backyard.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Thanks! Overall it will be 72" x 12"D x 17.5"H.

 

[wireme]

Looks like fun! I have never made any nice furniture but I have built a couple large timber frame buildings starting from dead standing trees to finished buildings. All traditional pegged joinery, mortis and tenon, scarf joints, dovetails etc, with a mix of hand tools, small electric hand held tools, axes, chainsaws and a small band saw mill.

I really like and appreciate this type of joinery, looking forward to seeing the completed project!

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Thanks! That's awesome, I love timber framed houses, especially those done with traditional joinery methods. There is a fallow in Southern California that runs a class on traditional japanese timber frame, I've been tempted to take the series even though I have no purpose for the expertise (at the moment).

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Cruising right along, this part becomes a bit difficult as the top must have everything fitted before it's applied, and since I'm splitting the tenons to wedge them I'll have to prepare that first as well. The glue up is going to be quite tricky.

These are not bad to create, I saw the sides then use two chisels for the waste, a wide one to cut the end grain and a mortising chisel to split away the waste.

These are fun...

Test fitting the tenons.

Hehehe. My wife rolls her eyes when she sees all those tools.

 

[Vin]

Are we going to have a reveal soon then? That's some very impressive work.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I wouldn't have the balls to make something so nice... and then put it out in the rain.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Hah, thanks BN.

Should be pretty soon vin, I'll reveal it before I put time into varnishing. Basically once the top is complete I have to do some finish planning and I'll be all but finished with it.

Next I'm going to build a few stands for my tropicals for inside.

 

[Vin]

I wouldn't have the balls to make something so nice... and then put it out in the rain.

See post #29 However, my words weren't so eloquent

 

[DhD47]

You have done some beautiful woodworking! I only wish I could do half as nice as you have done here.
Can't wait to see more.

Dave

 

[sherwoodschwartz]

fine joinery isn't delicate. it can withstand the elements. that this is confounding to people is odd to me.