Freestanding Bonsai Bench designing and sheltering!

[Deep Sea Diver]

Here’s a thread for those stuck at home who’ve finished up repotting are looking for something else to see connected with bonsai.

I’m at home in Washington State, King County where we’ve been pretty much looking over our shoulders since March 1st. So I figured since I’d be haunting the house for quite some time, that I ought to do something to fill up my spare time... instead of worrying all the time about friends and family (Still doing that...)

Thus began my latest effort to develop a freestanding Bonsai Bench. My parameters were: scalable design, light weight, easy to move, somewhat stylish while being functional and low enough to also see the rest of the garden. No more 2x6x12 with concrete blocks benches for me!
Previously I’d completed a number of permanent tiered benches.

So here are my first efforts. The first image is my permanent tiered bench design, a take off from Jerry Norberry’s tiered design.
The rest are my first efforts at the freestanding bench design.
Let me know what you think and what you’ve been doing while staying close this home.
Cheers
DSD sends

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[j evans]

Those are really nice, I like them. I am interested to see what you can do in the next 4+ weeks after the gov's announcement. Stay safe!

 

[vp999]

Great work! Those are really nice...U make me wanna paint my benches now.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Those would be great in "kit" form.
Not ...plans...that you have to start from lumber, but pre-cut and drilled kits.

IKEA for bonsai.

 

[james]

Those are very nice benches, tables. Nice craftsmanship and design.

A consideration? Take a look at the benches used in most Japanese bonsai nurseries: cement blocks with planks you mentioned. Doesn't look great, but its functional. It turns attention to the trees, and their visual interest. What I'm getting at, What do you want to be most visually interesting, your trees, or other?

 

[j evans]

He is going top shelf and shooting for both great benches and trees! Be the best!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

He is going top shelf and shooting for both great benches and trees! Be the best!

Yep, that was sorta my general thought process. Also I was curious in what others were doing if they had more spare time due to CV-19 enforced downtime.
Anyway, don’t get me wrong, functional design is always an a ok with me. I’m just in a place right now where I have the time to research, butcher wood and explore another dimension in design.
btw: My wife finished repotting her trees and is now designing and producing masks for the extended family as we are all wearing them now. I get to cut the patterns. (Hopefully that’s not too much of a bird walk! We couldn’t get fabric with bonsai trees yet.)
cheers
DSD sends

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Those would be great in "kit" form.
Not ...plans...that you have to start from lumber, but pre-cut and drilled kits.

IKEA for bonsai.

That’s funny! Actually it isn’t too far from reality.
Once I made the first design, I just changed scale or altered different dimensions to create other bench sizes. Once the 5/4 cedar decking wood is ripped and sealed, it takes 30 minutes to finish cut everything, and about 75 minutes to pre drill, screw the whole thing together and seal the cuts.
cheers
DSD sends

 

[jaco94]

Here , we have a lot of free time too !
So , using an old skateboard and a few pieces of wood , i tinkered a shoggi ( small meditation bench slightly tilted ) .
It allows you to kneel without hurting your knees too much .

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

That’s awesome! You could even put a couple mame on the bottom shelf!

 

[W3rk]

Yep, that was sorta my general thought process. Also I was curious in what others were doing if they had more spare time due to CV-19 enforced downtime.
Anyway, don’t get me wrong, functional design is always an a ok with me. I’m just in a place right now where I have the time to research, butcher wood and explore another dimension in design.
btw: My wife finished repotting her trees and is now designing and producing masks for the extended family as we are all wearing them now. I get to cut the patterns. (Hopefully that’s not too much of a bird walk! We couldn’t get fabric with bonsai trees yet.)
cheers
DSD sends

View attachment 293362

Good deal on the masks. My wife made and donated a bunch earlier this week. On yours it looks like they are pre-shaped for going over the nose?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Good deal on the masks. My wife made and donated a bunch earlier this week. On yours it looks like they are pre-shaped for going over the nose?

Inspired by the N95 Metal nose clips, I bought a roll of double heavy duty wire ties use in gardening for this purpose. She sewed these into into the top middle area of the mask. By including this your mask makes an awesome seal against your face!
(Get these sooner rather than wait if you want to use them. Now the CDC is recommending wearing masks, folks are buying up supplies!)
Good luck and stay healthy!
DSD sends

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Too good for the old cowboy handkerchief around the face?...

 

[canoeguide]

Too good for the old cowboy handkerchief around the face?...

That precisely how I intend to visit the grocery. How many times in your life can you wear a red bandana around your face in public like you're about to rob a train in a western movie and not get arrested?

 

[Tieball]

......., screw the whole thing together and seal the cuts.

Great! Cut paste for sealing cuts on benches. I’m liking these benches already.