Building a Garden Bench from Salvaged Materials
If you are someone who enjoys working with salvaged materials, you know that sometimes you strike gold. In this project, we see how a simple garden bench was transformed into a beautiful piece using salvaged materials and some creative woodworking.
The Materials
The materials for this garden bench were mostly salvaged from an old garden bench that was not in the best shape. The joinery was poor, the frame was thin, and there was no rail to prevent the bench from racking. Additionally, the bench seat was not deep enough, making it uncomfortable. However, the beauty of this bench lies in its history. Years of weathering and dirt had created a patina on the wood that revealed that it was made of solid teak, a rare wood that is hard to come by.
The salvaged teak was used to create a brand new frame for the garden bench. The wood was complemented by hardwood salvaged from an old church refurbishment. This wood is known as meranti, which is durable enough for outdoor use. The bench legs and backrest were tapered using a miter saw and bandsaw. A hand plane was used to make them identical. The legs were glued together using polyurethane glue, which is great for exterior use as it’s fully waterproof and flexible. They were then sanded and treated with wood preserver.
Joinery
The rails were not as wide as originally planned, so they were housed halfway into the legs instead of being cut in half. To add a bevel detail to the inside face of the rails, a bevel bit was set up in the router table, and the cut was made in three passes to give the desired depth.
The domino mortiser was used to fit a brace to the bottom of the legs. Two 25-millimeter deep mortises were then cut, and the dominoes were glued into place. The corresponding mortises in the leg frames were marked out, and the slotting was done using a domino. The rails were milled and cleats added to secure the slats of the bench.
Finishing Touches
The slats were cut and cleaned, and a new slat was added to make the seat deeper. The slats were finished with teak oil, a thin oil that worked well with the oily wood. M8 bolts were used to fit the slats in place, and more cleats were added to support the backrest slats. The bench was given a final oil coating, and it was ready for use.
The Final Result
The garden bench turned out to be a beautiful and comfortable piece of furniture. The slats were equally spaced, making it easy to sit on, and the combination of teak and meranti looked stunning. The bench was placed in the garden of the maker’s parents, where it added a touch of elegance and charm to the surroundings.
Conclusion
The project illustrates how creativity and skill can transform even the most ordinary and seemingly-unusable materials into stunning pieces of furniture. We learn that salvaging materials and re-purposing them can not only be eco-friendly but also offer a unique opportunity to create something truly beautiful. The next time you come across an old piece of furniture, don’t be too quick to dismiss it. There could be a treasure trove of solid wood and other materials that are just waiting to be transformed into something special.