Pallet bench

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Ok, other than too tall or otherwise big material, all my stuff that COULD go up, is now up

Bonus lizard friend after moving the lantana

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Bumping this as I’m working on ideas for getting shade up. Need to design some kind of frame that can take some winds. Would like it to be high enough so I don’t bonk my head either, so 6’4” would give me a few inches clearance. If the back is at 7’, that would give some nice slope, although the steepness isn’t totally necessary. I just figure it’d look nicer than flat

I’d like to use shade cloth, but wonder if it’ll be too much shade. I was almost thinking of doubling up some construction netting. Thick enough plastic for some shade, but large enough holes to allow monsoon rain storms to water (as well as less resistance to wind)

I guess shade cloth could have some half circles cut in it to allow wind and water through as well as some extra light

 

[penumbra]

Shade cloth is graded by percentages. I know it is available from 20% to 90% shade. Most greenhouses in my area using 40% and 50%. I have seen 30% and 70% for special use. Greenhouse Megastore probably has 40 or more choices of shade cloth. Some do have a more open weave for wind.

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Shade cloth is graded by percentages. I know it is available from 20% to 90% shade. Most greenhouses in my area using 40% and 50%. I have seen 30% and 70% for special use. Greenhouse Megastore probably has 40 or more choices of shade cloth. Some do have a more open weave for wind.

Well, we are routinely over 100 for a good stretch of summer and will get a heat wave up to 110 for a short while

All my material is heat tolerant and can be found is landscaping. The issue is pots and roots getting hot

So in those regards, I’m not sure what percentage of shade I’d need (maybe whatever is stocked locally is what’s best? Talk to local nursery?). Enough to keep plants a little cooler, but not so much to hurt them

 

[penumbra]

Well, we are routinely over 100 for a good stretch of summer and will get a heat wave up to 110 for a short while

All my material is heat tolerant and can be found is landscaping. The issue is pots and roots getting hot

So in those regards, I’m not sure what percentage of shade I’d need (maybe whatever is stocked locally is what’s best? Talk to local nursery?). Enough to keep plants a little cooler, but not so much to hurt them

On a whim I would get 40%, but you might want to check with growers in your area.

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

I wonder how bad the translucent plastic painters tarp would work…

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

All right! Let’s work on that shade!

Need to go back to the construction site to find more discarded 2x4. I wanted 2x3, but lumber prices are still out of control. 8’ stick is almost $5

Seeing what I got laid out prob would cost $40 at least. So that money saved will go into a quality shade cloth. I still need to get more, so looking closer to $60

So this is a 9x5’ shade. I will prob leave it flat. We get so little snow… and I’ll prob take the cloth off when high temps are lower than 80F (it hit 80 while outside working on this) and that should prolong its lifespan… maybe

I’m not sure if I want to do the angled pieces how they are, or flip them

Photos are looking from the front

(Wonder if a 2x6 at the back would be better… hmm)

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Got more scrap lumber

Cut pieces for the angles and the one vertical. Then started throwing screws into the outsides, then the verticals, and finally the angles while checking for squareness at every step. Got it perfect

Prob easier to get the legs on and stain it. Then it just needs to get lifted on and screwed on

I’ll have to look into what shade cloth is available here

I wonder if it’d be worth it to have the construction netting for now, but have shade cloth rolled up toward the back. When it gets to 90F, roll the shade cloth down. I’ll have to think about that.

Although, as you can see, it was 106F on my temperature gauge. My phone app was saying 86 though…

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Got legs on and got clamped in place

Made a big oops. When I measured the shelf, I didn’t include the legs, so missing 2- 1 1/2” legs means I was 3” off. Can’t believe I did that. So at the last second I pulled the leg pieces out and got them in the right spot. I ALMOST was going to leave it on the ground, but got it up (hence the darker photos)

All that’s left is to slather it with the stain/ sealer and screw it in place. I think rather than do toe screws in the front leg, I’ll just get a small L bracket and use some short screws. Less chance of splitting wood and may look cleaner

However, tomorrow is my last free day. After that, I got family things to focus on. Hopefully I can find at least an hr to finish this up, or pull a late night. Depends on how much of this “rain storm” we get (as can be seen in the pics). A few sprinkles and wood may dry by dinner time. If we get soaked, then I can’t do anything until the wood is dry and I’m sunk (Will just have to screw the back legs on and try to finish up later when time allows)

It’s not QUITE hot enough to need the shade cloth yet. Hopefully things will calm down by that time and I can finish this up

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

We actually got 1/8” of rain and wood is soaked. Oh well

I’ll screw the legs down and stain later

 

[Dogestoevsky]

Looks great! Excited to fill up my benches for the season.

Is that two-by on the upper frame? Maybe a touch heavy for the application … you might consider anchoring the upper frame to your wall to keep that weight from swaying around.

Great work on this bench overall, awesome to see reused material treated so well.

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Looks great! Excited to fill up my benches for the season.

Is that two-by on the upper frame? Maybe a touch heavy for the application … you might consider anchoring the upper frame to your wall to keep that weight from swaying around.

Great work on this bench overall, awesome to see reused material treated so well.

Thanks!

Yah, 2x4. I really wanted 2x3, but I wasn’t going to pay the still-inflated prices

I’ve thought of staking it down at the legs. I don’t think it’d move during a typical windstorm anyway, but I will keep a watch on it

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Some quickie, less than scientific testing of construction netting

I have no way to confirm/ double check the actual temperatures. But seeing that it goes from 132F down to 116F is a notable difference

My electronic thermometer was shutting off at 91F, so couldn’t confirm the temps

This may be a decent option for spring. We’ll start heating up a lot more in May, so that may be the time for real shade cloth

I figured this would cool the bench, but because the holes are so big, there would still be a lot of sunlight

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Finally had time to get a sealer coat on the shade frame. Only thing I need to do is slather 5 more joints, but it’s not imperative. Just me being picky

Next up is attaching shade. I’ll prob do it with zip ties. It’s in the 100s now, so needs to get done soon

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Put the construction netting up this morning. Should keeps the temps down a bit. I’ll look into some real shade cloth later. I should’ve had THIS step done when it was in the 90s

Maybe when it’s 105+, I’ll look into some 40% cloth

I couldn’t decide on angle to show, so y’all get both

I’ll clean up the corners later. I don’t have any small zip ties to use for it

 

[HorseloverFat]

Whoah!!!!

Good damn job!!!!!!!!

I'm really impressed!!

I'm not... conventionally... "handy"..

It took a long time to accept this.

Very swell work, friend!