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by
Paul Lewis
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
TREE BENCH (part 2) |
Use one of your bricks as a template, then remove the existing
sod from each leg location. Create four depressions, one for
each brick. Adjust the depth of the brick pockets so all four
pavers sit in a level plane. A level, set on the edge of your
straightest 2x6, will show how close you are. A couple of blocks
of scrap wood set on the pavers allows this level line to clear
any bumps of soil that exist between them.
Once all four bricks are level,
remove the rest of the sod from under the bench and cover the
whole area with cedar mulch to a depth of about three inches.
Next, cut the long, medium and
short joists to length from pressure-treated 2x6s. Measure and
mark the location of the longest joists on the top of the rails,
then install them. I used three 3 1/2" ceramic-coated screws
driven through the rails into the ends of the joists. Measure,
mark and attach the medium and short joists in the same way.
Finally, cut the diagonal joist brackets with 45º ends,
and attach them to the joists with screws.
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| ABOVE:
Once cut to shape, fasten your slats to the joists.
BELOW: When they’re all down, the platform
will look tidy around the trunk of the tree. |
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Making the Platform
The bench platform is made from 5/4 cedar decking. This is one
of the only types of standard lumber that measures a full one
inch thick, perfect for the top of this project and many other
outdoor applications. Cut the boards to length, except those
that must be shortened to accommodate the tree. Position the
first one so it overhangs the edges of the legs by one inch.
I marked all screw locations so they all line up. On this project
you’ll be looking at the screws all the time, so any misalignment
really stands out.
Before you fasten down any of
the platform boards, try them all out first. You don’t
want any spacing surprises when you reach the tree or the other
side of the bench. Beyond that, the boards that intersect the
tree must be custom-fit around the undulations of the trunk.
Use a couple of 1/4"-thick spacers to regulate board spacing.
Scribing the Boards
This job is all about transferring the contour of the tree to
the ends of the platform boards using a compass fitted with
a pencil. Start by positioning your first slat on top of the
bench frame, with the end of the board tight against the trunk.
Next, set the legs of the compass as wide as the widest distance
between the tree and board. Now you’re all set for scribing.
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PART 1 | PART 2 | PART
3 |
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