Seat preparation
You need to prepare three blanks of each size of seat slat. Saw the ends of each blank to an 82 1/2° angle to fit tightly between the stop blocks on the templates. Just be careful. If your angle cuts aren’t accurate, you’ll end up with gaps at the joints when the parts are assembled. Examine the blanks to find the sides with the fewest flaws and most appealing grain patterns, then mark these sides as top.
Now take one of the blanks, position the template on the bottom and trace the curved profile with a pencil. Remove the template and cut curves at the bandsaw, remaining approximately 1⁄16" from the layout lines. When you’re done, reposition the template on the bottom of the blank and secure it with a couple of finishing nails. Leave the heads proud of the surface so you can remove the nails with a claw hammer later. Don’t worry about the nail holes. They will be hidden from view on the underside of the seat. Install a bearing-guided flush-trim bit in your table-mounted router and set the height so that the bearing runs directly against the template.
Router directions
Fire up your router and follow the edge of the template with the guide bearing to trim the waste material from the sides of the slats. If you find the wood is splintering as the router bit passes over, slow down the feed rate. Repeat this procedure to shape all the curved slats that are required to complete the seat. When the curved parts are done, cut out the straight rails that connect the ends of the slats. Prepare for final assembly by chamfering the top edges of all the seat parts using a 45° bearing-guided bevelling bit.
Completing the seat
I used 3/8"-diameter x 1 1/2"-long fluted dowel pins to join the slats to the rails. Dowels are easy to install if you have an accurate jig to align the holes, and they result in very strong joints. After drilling the dowel holes, dry-fit the seat to make sure all the parts come together as planned. The curved shape makes clamping the assembly a little more challenging, so it’s best to experiment with different techniques before applying glue. I ended up wrapping a belt clamp around the outside of the seat assembly and securing the top corners with a long bar clamp to prevent the upper joints from pulling apart.
Once you come up with a strategy that works with your equipment, go ahead and grab the glue bottle to complete final assembly. I used a weatherproof Type II polyurethane adhesive to assemble my bench, but any good-quality outdoor glue will do.
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