Making my own bonsai stand for patio, advice needed

[rockm]

Um, if you're thinking about using a chain saw for woodworking, best to have the store make the cuts. Power tools, especially chain saws and hand-held circular saws can be extremely dangerous if you're unfamiliar with them and don't have someone around to show you how to use them. Smaller pieces of wood can be particularly dangerous because you have small room for error on the wood and your hands...

Just sayin'

 

[Kiani]

Thanks guys, I'll ask them to do the cuttings for me in the store.

 

[Kiani]

I'm in a similar situation (apartment). I built a small table last spring. I only have access to a couple pictures but maybe this will help paint a better picture for what you want. I used 1x2's for most of it, and 2x2's for the legs. Depending on how much money you want to invest into it I would recommend rust proof screws (be sure to predrill with smaller bit, size should be given on box of screws), waterproof wood glue (titebond2 or 3 - can't remember which), waterproof finishing if you want to keep it for a while, and quality wood. This, like many of my carpentry projects was a learning experience.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/EvaN8/patiotablefinal.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/EvaN8/patiotablefinal2.jpg

That's a really nice and simple design you went with, I like it!

One question, if I buy rust proof screws, the green ones, would I still need waterproof wood glue, and if yes, what would I use it for?

Thank you.

 

[Dav4]

Skip the glue, just use deck screws (the green ones) and make sure they are long enough to really hold the wood together.

 

[Kiani]

Hmm,chop saw or mitre chop saw?

Sometimes the supply stores have an attendant in the wood cutting section.

Me,i use an Irwin Pullsaw.

Thanks Klytus, you're right. I have little experience with DIY, especially electric saws, so I'll ask them to do the cutting.

 

[Klytus]

My father assisted me with a bench and insisted we use these old round posts he had knocking about,they were not within the design specification but since he was chopping them up and screwing a pair of these bandy legs to another piece of wood before screwing this assembly to the planks i had to accept it.

I tried to position this bench with it's three pairs of knobbly kneed legs on the uneven slabs around the greenhouse but the result was preposterous.

The logs had nice straight cuts after being cut on the electric chop saw but the angles and lengths were all wrong,it was dire and this 'bench' was superceeded right quick by a model with longer timbers and fewer legs.

 

[Klytus]

Glue and screw is good for Guitar Speaker Cabinets,but that's another story.

 

[Mojosan]

Kiani - I would recommend not attaching the legs to the horizontal supports as you've shown - that will be a VERY weak joint, and will give you no lateral support (wobbly!)

Attach the horizontal supports to the side of the legs, not on top. You will have a much stronger joint (and use at least two screws per joint -three is better) and table.

 

[Kiani]

Kiani - I would recommend not attaching the legs to the horizontal supports as you've shown - that will be a VERY weak joint, and will give you no lateral support (wobbly!)

Attach the horizontal supports to the side of the legs, not on top. You will have a much stronger joint (and use at least two screws per joint -three is better) and table.

Mojosan you are 100% right. Luckily my cousin who is in construction pointed out the same thing last night. He said he will come to home depot with me on Sunday and we'll grab a few beers after and make it together with. I've never been this excited about making a bench!

The things bonsai does to us.

 

[Klytus]

You mean there could be rebar and concrete?

It used to be preformed concrete supports with wooden beams were favoured for bus-stop and other civic seating.

 

[Kiani]

I'm thinking of how I can stabilize the bench better so it doesn't wobble. Diagonal slats for support on the outside, or inside of the bench legs maybe?

 

[Klytus]

If you are handy with the jigsaw you could cut out two side panels in one go.

To provide more of an anchor for the slat screws you need not use a plain old square or rectangular batton screwed to the panel as your side panel cutouts with one flat edge can be cut into interesting shapes and screwed in place.

Use perhaps 3 or more screws to hold the slats in place alternating these screws between the side panel and the cutout battons.

You could even glue and screw.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/2806/sideboard.jpg

The sort of board would matter as would grain orientation for softer woods.

There is another technique for deckboards that utilises box sections made of decking as pedestals instead of legs but my patience with Paint isn't up to it.

 

[Kiani]

Thanks for the tips Klytus, I already finished

Was pretty fun making this, and pretty cheap too considering a finished table like this would probably sell for twice the money it cost to buy the materials.

Material used:

five 2x2 (used for legs and frame on both upper and lower level)
four 1x4 (used for slats on top)

all pieces were 8 feet long so had to make some cuts which was done for free at Lowes.

Total cost of wood: $27

Two boxes of screws (2" & 3"): $17

Subtotal: $44

Took about an hour to assemble. I'm just so glad to finally get the trees off the ground.

 

[Randy]

Do you get any wind up there on the fourth floor?

 

[berobinson82]

Well that shrunk considerably. Still looks great. Congrats on the first build.

 

[Klytus]

It looks great,oughta keep any damn vine weevil away.

 

[JudyB]

Good job Kiani, looks very nice. If it becomes top heavy, or windy, you may want to see about anchoring it to your wall...

 

[rockm]

Nice stand, but if I were you, I'd put the heavier and larger plants on the lower shelf...

 

[Kiani]

Thanks everyone. I thought about what you all said, and the back bench was too high which did worry me in case of very windy days, and I couldn't put the big trees on the lower bench because there were only 2 slats on the lower level, which weren't wide nough to support bigger pots.

So, I cut 15 inches off the legs of the back bench, then re-attached it, added a 3rd slat to the front bench, and added two pieces of 2x2 in between the legs of both the back and front bench for added support. It's much more stable now.

It's really given my balcony character and everyone who sees it says how nice it looks. Thanks for the tips

 

[Kiani]

Do you get any wind up there on the fourth floor?

Yes sometimes it can get quite windy which made me think twice about the height of the back bench, and lack of support in between the legs. Glad to say it's now sorted.