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by
Adrian Jones
photos: Ray Pilon
illustration: Len Churchill |
CEDAR BENCH (part 3) |
Assemble
the Seat
Cut the six pieces of 2x4 lumber you’ll need for the seat
slats. Make them 52" long and 3 1/4" wide. Lay the
slats on the seat frame, centred on the middle seat support
with a 1/4" gap between each board. Use the inside edge
of your handy leg template to draw an 8 1/2"-rad. curve
on just the front two slats. Cut the curve and rout a 1/2"
roundover profile on all the seat slats, including the ends.
Go slow, taking light passes to avoid tearout on the end-grain.
Rout a 3/4" roundover profile on the top of the front seat
slat, then sand everything up to 150-grit.
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ABOVE TO ENLARGE ILLUSTRATION |
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Attach the seat slats to the seat frame using more dowels. Starting
from the back, mark and dowel each seat slat. The four slats
in the centre have a pair of dowels in each seat support located
3/4" in from each slat edge. The front and back slats have
dowels located every eight inches along the edges. Use the same
technique you employed earlier to drill aligned dowel holes.
Drill, glue and clamp up slats until the seat is together.
Call to Arms
Using the grid diagram as a guide, trace the pattern of the
armrest onto your stock. First drill 3/8"-dia. x 3/4"-deep
dowel holes into what will become the back ends of the armrests,
then cut out the curved shape with a bandsaw or jigsaw. Make
sure that the flat end of each armrest fits within the back
profile with at least 1/4" of extra wood on each side.
Smooth the curves with a drum sander, then rout a 1/2"
roundover profile on the edges. Sand the wood smooth, then prepare
the tusk-shaped armrest supports. Drill single 3/8"-dia.
x 3/4"-long dowel holes in both ends of each tusk, cut
these parts to shape and sand them.
The armrests are joined to the back support using dowels. Centre
the armrest on the back support, tight against the backrest.
Use dowel centres to transfer the locations of both holes. Also
prepare dowel holes to join the armrest supports to the armrests,
centred on their “fists.”
Dry-fit each armrest and armrest support, then join these two
to the backrest assembly. You’ll need to cut a slight
angle to the base of the armrest support as the seat slat is
in the curve of the seat supports. Roll a small pencil stub
on the slat along the base of the armrests to trace the required
mating angle. Shave enough off the supports to achieve the joint
angle and adjust to make a perfect fit. Assemble each armrest
support into an armrest and push them tight against the seat
back. Use a dowel centre again to locate the holes required
in the seat slat. Drill, glue and clamp the armrests and supports
to the chair assembly.
The Grand Finale
Cut four cedar 1 1/4" x 2 1/2" leg pads from scrap.
Screw these to the bottom ends of the legs to stop moisture
from wicking into the end-grain. Replace them should they rot
or become damaged.
Finish-sand the seat up to 150-grit paper, then sand all of
the end-grain with 180- and 220-grit. This closes the wood’s
pores, making the finish on the end-grain more consistent. Finish
the bench with your choice of exterior-grade wood finishes.
I used outdoor clear Varathane for a glossy shine.
After the work is done, grab your favourite beverage and book,
then invite your nearest and dearest to relax with you on your
new loveseat. |
| YOU
WILL NEED |
| PART |
SIZE
(T x W x L*) |
QTY. |
| Seat
slats |
1
1/2" x 3 1/4" x 52" |
6 |
| Seat
supports |
1
1/2" x 3" x 16" |
3 |
| Leg
braces |
1
3/8" - dia. x 16" |
2 |
| Centre
rail outer layers |
11/16"
x 5" x 47 1/2" |
6 |
| Leg/back
outer layers |
11/16"
x 5 1/2" x 12 1/2" |
12 |
| Centre
rail inner layers |
11/16"
x 5 1/2" x 36 1/2" |
3 |
| Leg/back
rail inner layers |
11/16"
x 5 1/2" x 17 1/2" |
6 |
| Backrest |
1
1/2" x 5" x 52" |
1 |
| Armrests |
1
1/2" x 4 1/2" x 17 1/2" |
2 |
| Armrest
support |
1
1/2" x 2" x 8" |
2 |
| *Length
indicates grain direction. All parts are cedar |
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PART 1 | PART 2 | PART
3 |
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