Building Your Own Outdoor Furniture: A step-by-step guide
Building your own outdoor furniture may seem like a daunting task, but it is actually quite doable with the right tools and guidance. In this article, we will share a video tutorial and the steps involved in building one of the most popular outdoor furniture pieces – a spacious, comfortable, and budget-friendly sofa.
Materials Required
– Ten to twelve 2x4s with the least amount of imperfections
– Craig pocket hole jig
– Drill
– Miter saw
– Table saw
– Wood glue
– Deck screws
– Sandpaper (80 and 120 grit)
– Antique white stain
– Spar urethane
– Black rope
– Clamps
– Torch or lighter
– Allen key or any other piece of metal
Building Process
1. Select 10-12 Two-by-Fours: It is important to hand-select the Two-by-Fours with the least amount of imperfections such as swaying or bends, which can improve the quality of your build. You may choose a type of wood that suits your budget and requirement; cedar is recommended, but it can be a bit expensive.
2. Use a Craig Pocket Hole Jig: This tool is essential to execute this build. It is not necessary to have a big foreman, but you can pick yourself as little as the Craig mini jig, which is roughly around 15 bucks.
3. Split the Wood: The wood may be split into halves or quarters to make it thinner and smooth. Ripping off an eighth-inch on every edge of the 2×4 will give it a cleaner, nicer look with sharper lines.
4. Create Three Different Parts: The build will be created in three different parts – the back, bottom seating area, and armrests.
a. Backrest: The overall width of the back is 72 inches long. There will be four cleats that are 2x4s running down the middle that are 69 inches long. It will be framed down on both sides with a 1.5 by split 2x4s that are going to be your back that can hold three cushions.
b. Seating Area: The dimensions are similar to the backrest; 72 inches wide, and 24 inches deep. The pocket hole screws are used for two screws per corner, making sure the pocket holes are on the inside part of the bill.
c. Armrests: They are 24 inches wide by 24 inches tall. No pocket holes are necessary, but wood glue is plenty strong for the deck screws. Use wood putty to fill up all the holes, and wood glue screws and place them together.
5. Final Assembly: The assembly requires the same ingredients – pocket holes and wood glue. Place four pocket holes on the left and right sides of the backrest.
6. Secure the Armrests: Lather on some wood glue and secure it with the four pocket screws on both the left and right-hand side. Seating is done the same way.
7. Secure the Bottom Seating Area: Pre-drill six pocket holes from the bottom of the seating area with plenty of wood glue. Secure it with the six pocket hole screws in place for the final connection of the base.
8. Create the Supports: To create support, create a frame around it and secure it flush recessed on inner parts of the bottom seating area. Pick up three boards that are six feet long of the one by four common wood or use scrap plywood from previous projects.
9. Sanding and Finishing: The project’s finish may be done by sanding off the wood glue squeeze-out on all the joints and finish the project with 120 grit sandpaper. Apply the antique white stain using a rag, sponge or brush. Wipe it off dry within about a minute to give it a nice glazed look.
10. Waterproofing: Use a product recommended for the outdoors, such as a spar urethane, which applies with an HVLP sprayer.
11. Adding Ropes: Wrap 50 feet of black rope on the top of the armrest to give it that extra touch. Be sure that the rope is cut correctly, using a clamp, a piece of metal, and a torch.
Conclusion
Building your outdoor furniture can be daunting, but with our step-by-step guide, it can be a fulfilling and budget-friendly project. You may choose to use different wood types to suit your budget and taste. Hand-selected two-by-fours with the least imperfections are the most appropriate for outdoor furniture. Emphasized tools include a Craig pocket hole jig, drill, table saw, and miter saw.
Split the wood to give it a cleaner, sharper look, creating three different parts of the build. The backrest, seating area, and the armrests hold up the outdoor sofa. Final assembly requires the same ingredients – pocket holes and wood glue. Sanding and finishing are done by applying the antique white stain, and waterproofing is done using spar urethane.
Adding ropes provides that extra outdoor touch on the armrest, which complements the furniture excellently. By the end of this DIY project, you will have a beautiful outdoor sofa that will last a long time.