Share your craft projects
Make new craft buddies
Ask craft questions
Blog your craft journey
swirt
246 posts
and
7 followers
in about 10 years
in about 10 years
More from swirt
Cedar outdoor sawbench
My brother brought me a red cedar log for my birthday several years back. It took a while for the log to talk to me about what it wanted to be. I got tired of waiting for an answer so I opted to use parts of it for a bench to put outside my shop to use both for restin and for sawing (opposite of resting) I have other saw benches, but it takes me a while to dig them out of the shop to use. My son helped with some of the heavy cutting.
Joinery: Both sliding dovetails to join the stretchers to the seat, and condor tails to join the stretchers to the slab legs/trestle. Like most of my projects, all wood, no metal involved. I did opt for using glue even though it probably did not need it.
Finish: 50/50 mix of Real Milk Paint's Outdoor Defense Oil (predominantly zink and tung oil) and Dark Tung Oil. Waterproof, flexible and easy to repair/reapply.
Since this would be sitting outdoors and on endgrain face down, I made PVC feet for it to sit on. The feet are not really visible but should help it last a lot longer.
For the blow-by-blow of the build and more photos see the source: Outdoor Cedar Sawbench
Joinery: Both sliding dovetails to join the stretchers to the seat, and condor tails to join the stretchers to the slab legs/trestle. Like most of my projects, all wood, no metal involved. I did opt for using glue even though it probably did not need it.
Finish: 50/50 mix of Real Milk Paint's Outdoor Defense Oil (predominantly zink and tung oil) and Dark Tung Oil. Waterproof, flexible and easy to repair/reapply.
Since this would be sitting outdoors and on endgrain face down, I made PVC feet for it to sit on. The feet are not really visible but should help it last a lot longer.
For the blow-by-blow of the build and more photos see the source: Outdoor Cedar Sawbench
24 Comments
That looks great Swirt, more of a garden bench than a saw bench. But a great idea and I bet it is a beast of a bench to saw on.
Main Street to the Mountains
I am not resting my bee-hind on any "garden bench" ;)
Thanks Eric. It is pretty stout. I haven't used it for sawing yet, but it is heavier and wider at the feet than my pine sawbenches.
Thanks Eric. It is pretty stout. I haven't used it for sawing yet, but it is heavier and wider at the feet than my pine sawbenches.
DAMN NICE BUILD SWIRT !!!!
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
I have been thinking about a set of Timber Frame horses, done with mortise and tenon joinery. Something solid.
Main Street to the Mountains
do it man !!!!
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Thanks Pottz.
@Eric I built a pair of these sawbenches back in 2010. I use them all the time and they have held up well but being only red pine, they would not hold up to living outside. They are sturdy enough to function as cribbing ponies (timber frame horses) but the larger surface area comes in very handy. The other nice thing about a pair of them is you can stack them for elevating work. Most timberframe sawehorses won't do that.
@Eric I built a pair of these sawbenches back in 2010. I use them all the time and they have held up well but being only red pine, they would not hold up to living outside. They are sturdy enough to function as cribbing ponies (timber frame horses) but the larger surface area comes in very handy. The other nice thing about a pair of them is you can stack them for elevating work. Most timberframe sawehorses won't do that.
Great looking bench! Nicely done.
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
Nice Swirt, thanks for the link. a multi-functional horse with all of the holding configurations, and probably a few more.
Main Street to the Mountains
Thanks RyanGi
Sawing that was some work, even for cedar, but very unique legs, well constructed bench.
TimV, "The understanding eye sees the maker's fingerprints, they are evident in every detail, leave Fingerprints." James Krenov
Thanks Tim0001
Ok, I was going to comment on people who go overkill for shop/woodworking "utility" stuff, but then I read your excuse 😜
I have no problem downgrading descriptive titles, but yes, that is a garden bench for outdoor embellishment! Now using it for the occasional saw job is up to you of course 🙂
Some fine looking hand work building that monster!
I have no problem downgrading descriptive titles, but yes, that is a garden bench for outdoor embellishment! Now using it for the occasional saw job is up to you of course 🙂
Some fine looking hand work building that monster!
Good looking bench—no matter what you do with it!
Great looking bench,Swirt! I'm glad to hear that your wood talks to you sometimes too!! You got the best from that cedar log!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Jim ........................ Variety is the spice of life...............Learn something new every day
Great bench!!
Thanks @SplinterGroup I do look at it on occasion and think... maybe that belongs inside. But then I remind myself why I built it...and that I have no room in the house for a bench.
Thank you GaryG.
Thanks @JimJakosh Yah often I look at a piece of wood and know immediately what I want to do with it, other times the ideas have to percolate or give time for the wood talk about what it wants to be.
Thanks Madburg.
Thank you GaryG.
Thanks @JimJakosh Yah often I look at a piece of wood and know immediately what I want to do with it, other times the ideas have to percolate or give time for the wood talk about what it wants to be.
Thanks Madburg.
That’s beautiful, swirt. I really like the unique legs and the V-groove on the underside to keep water from running into the leg joint.
Thank you Ron Stewart.
Like the design of the bench. turned out really well and looks quite serviceable. Good looking and well done.
Ron
Great looking sawbench swirt, hell of a nice job.
More from swirt
