Some time ago i brought a big load of logs home. The back trailor had some pretty nice logs on it, but the front trailor had mostly low grade logs and also some "shorts".
Anyway, i decided to mill one of the low grade logs into lumber to build some benches out of, and that's exactly what i did,
With the lumber milled out of the log, and such a beautiful day out, i moved my miter saw out of the shop. It was just too nice out to be cutting the lumber to the lengths i'd need for the bench, indoors! In the pict. on the right, you can see the material for one bench all cut out,
So i broke out my handi-dandy jig for building benches, and checked the fit of the pieces. The fit was good, so i put some good quality construction adhesive on the pieces.
With that done, i dug out a box of 16D nails that were left over from a building i built long ago, and predrilled and nailed the pieces together. I did use a 4" twist nail to hold the angled back piece into place, as the 4" spiral nail adds a bit of strength.
I made this bench 4' wide, and it was going up on the deck that's over my shop. I didn't want to have to lug it the 2-1/2 stories up the stairs, so i carried the two side pieces and the rest of the lumber up onto the deck in two loads, and finished it there.
First i put the bottom boards on, then on go the back boards, and very quickly the bench is all finished, right in place!
Now, my new bench is in a great place to look over my back garden, and food plots i planted for the animals. I also cut/rake/bale those plots and sell the grass hay that grows in them. You can see the hay all baled up,
"Turning a log into a bench" was a fun project, and that bench will be very useful and last a long time up on the deck!
DM
