A garden bench will be useful to all those who have at least a small plot near the house or outside the city. Of course, you can buy such furniture in a store or order it in special workshops, but it will be much easier to make it yourself, in addition, it will save a lot. And it is not at all necessary that for this you will have to purchase some materials or tools.
Master's recommendations
Craftsmen who love and know how to work with furniture will certainly find all the necessary kit in their pantry. And if you use improvised available materials, then the product will turn out to be completely free, because it will only take your time and effort to make it. It is important to consider that such a garden bench will have to undergo external negative phenomena in the form of rain and snow, because such furniture may simply be forgotten during the winter. But if the surface of the bench elements is carefully processed and varnished, such aggressive influences will not be terrible for her.
Choice of fasteners
If you think that the product will be made using metal fasteners, then your belief is wrong. It is not advisable to use nails when a garden bench with a do-it-yourself back is made, for the reason that over time this will cause the metal to oxidize and its negative effect on the wood. Subsequently, the wood will certainly collapse. That is why in the manufacture of benches it is preferable not to use nails and screws. The basis of the product is only wooden blanks and high-quality adhesive composition.
Preparing the legs of the bench
The garden bench must be crafted with a woodworking machine. If this is not available, then it is necessary to observe the cross section of the purchased lumber, otherwise the “walking” dimensions can cause problems. In order to make a bench for the garden, it is necessary to prepare elements for the front legs. There will be two of them in the design. The cross section of the parts should be equal to 70x70 mm, while the length is equivalent to 405 mm. The blanks for the hind legs should also have the same cross section, the quantity remains the same. But the length will be different - 780 mm. These blanks must first be sawn off using a jigsaw. This is done in order to get a bevel. You need to start it from the height of the seat. This will allow you to get the back at an angle. If there is a desire to make the bevel not so steep, then it is recommended to use blanks with a section for the legs,equal to 70x130.
Additional parts of the product
The garden bench will have longitudinal drawers, of which there will be two in the design. To do this, you have to use a board whose cross section is 90x35 mm, but its length should be 1470 mm. As for the side tsars, their number is calculated in three. It is necessary to use a board of the same section for their manufacture, but its length should be equal to 420 mm.
Seat boards and, if necessary, backrests should have dimensions equal to 1750x140x20 mm, their number is five.
Making garden benches with their own hands, craftsmen stock up on dowels. Those that have a length equal to 80 mm and a diameter within 10 mm should be 36 pieces.
But dowels with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 40 mm should be present in the amount of 12 pieces. Their use will be needed when fixing triangles or, as they are also called, scarves, which can give the structure additional stability against swinging. The headscarf will need four. Whereas the triangles must be made of plywood and have a thickness of 20 mm. The last elements must be isosceles and have dimensions equal to 130x130 mm.
Machining parts
Making garden benches with their own hands, craftsmen process the details. The only exceptions are dowels. Processing must be repeated several times.
In order to properly produceprocessing work, the ends are pre-knocked. This is necessary because the cross sections of the tree tend to act as natural capillaries, which indicates that they absorb moisture like a sponge. If you just cover these places with varnish, then this will not save the situation. It is necessary to dip the ends of the workpieces in hot drying oil in advance, leaving the element until the drying oil is completely dry. Then, in these places, you will have to carefully tap with a hammer; you can also use a mallet for this. Such actions will flatten the fibers. Only then can the polishing be done. After that, processing can be done in the usual way, but this will be discussed below. If such work is done, it will extend the life of the bench twice or more.
Preparation of tools and materials
Do-it-yourself garden benches and benches cannot be made if you do not prepare some materials and tools. Thus, there is no way around the need for grinding, cutting and drilling. You will need an electric jigsaw. It is convenient to work with it, as it allows you to get an accurate cut, which is true when compared with a traditional hacksaw. In addition, this tool saves a lot of time. In the process of work, the master cannot do without a drill with a cartridge; its minimum diameter should be 10 mm. For processing wood, a grinder is needed, which is to be filled with sandpaper, the grain size shouldbe different. If there is none, then you can do the grinding work manually, but then the work will take a lot of time and effort.
You will also need high-quality brushes, from which there should be no lint left. For marking, use a pencil, but for measuring work - a tape measure.
Features of the choice of protective agents and adhesive composition
If we talk about other materials, it is preferable to use drying oil when processing wood. It is most common among home craftsmen, it can be purchased for almost a penny, and it is convenient to work with it. In addition, it is not advisable to purchase expensive paints in order to cover the bench. But when gluing, experts advise using a PVA emulsion, and not ordinary glue, since the first option is much thicker, and the joints made with it are more durable. You will also need a water-repellent varnish, as well as impregnation. In the role of the latter, it is recommended to use the Pinotex derivative, its use guarantees not only wood tinting, but also protection from harmful insects, putrefactive formations and accidental fire.
Structure installation process
When making garden benches and benches with your own hands, you need to start from the basics. Care must be taken to ensure that the markings intended for drilling the frame are not at the same height with the markings on the legs for the dowels. Only after it is possible to analyze the conformity of the dimensionsall the elements, you can start grinding them. On pre-marked blanks, you first need to drill a plane in order to get a through hole, only after that you can start drilling the end of the element to which the fastening will be made. If, when drilling at the end, the hole turned out to be deeper than necessary, then there is a possibility that the dowel will be recessed. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to seal the hole with glue, adding a certain amount of wood chips to it. In the process of work, it is necessary to rid the surface of the workpieces of excess glue, this can be done by using a wet rag. If this is not done, then the composition will first be absorbed into the tree, and then it will interfere with the tinting. Adjacent planes must be treated with a thin layer of adhesive, and then make sure that the excess does not dry out.
When making garden benches, the photos of which are presented in the article, it is necessary to assemble the main frame with legs, and then leave it until it dries. The frame must be placed on a level surface. But for a more reliable fastening, it is recommended to lay two boards on top. This will eliminate the change in the linear dimensions of the bench when the structure dries. Corners can be fastened using clamps.
Working on the seat and backrest
The garden bench, the drawing of which is presented in the article, may have a back, then it will be more convenient to use it. Attaching the back and seat boards to a pre-assembled frame does not require much effort. These elements are drilledplace”, as for the “scarf”. If you are afraid for the correct fastening, you can mark a step to the edges on the boards. Triangles "kerchiefs" must be well pressed to the corners. Their fastening must be done with glue and short dowels. But you need to take into account that part of the glue is absorbed, so it must be used in sufficient quantities. After that, it is better to get rid of the excess.
Processing the shop
A hand-made garden bench, the drawings of which are preferably prepared in advance, should be well processed after completion of work. The purpose of such work is to check the design for the absence of burrs or potholes. If necessary, you can once again process with a thin circle of the grinder. It is necessary to pay special attention to the weak point of the structure - the legs, more precisely, their lower part. After it was possible to make a garden bench, rubber blanks can be strengthened to the legs. This will eliminate the impact on the wood of the soil.
