multi-seat live edge bench

[Ajcoholic]

I have to get ready for a trade show in early May. I have a number of pieces (for customers, ie paying work) that I plan to finish, then display at the show before delivery. However I also have a few ideas for "filler" material, and also I like to have some pieces that are out of what normally sells here in my area.

One thing I had in mind, was a few rustic pieces since there are many camps and cottages around here (many summer homes, etc).

I picked up a nice cherry slab about a year and a half ago. It is now completely dry - and was 2.5" thick, 10 feet by 24". I decided to make a rustic bench. Today I carved the three seats in it, on my buddy. The seat slab is 6' long, and I did it on the 6' power stick. I will later hand carve and sand the contours. This is just the beginnings...

ALso, I turned the back spindles on my automatic copy lathe. Mocked up just before I called it a day...

The arms are also going to be from the live edge, and be a part of the outermost spindles. I think I will put 6 turned legs on it due to the length.

[Brady Watson]

Dude...Sweet!

How do you retain the live edge once it's ready for use? - epoxy coat it?

-B

[Ajcoholic]

Dude...Sweet!

How do you retain the live edge once it's ready for use? - epoxy coat it?

-B

Nope - all the bark will be knocked off with a chisel and just cleaned up with a light sanding- the idea is to have the irregular surface of the wood.

I have a LOT of shaping to do on the seat and back, and arms. It will be sculpted quite a bit, at least that's the plan. These things sort of just come together as I go along.... not at all like the average piece of furniture which I tend to plan out 100% before I start. I like to mock everything up before I shape, then it is a matter of just gluing everything together afterwards.

I have a few possible buyers in mind, people I have worked for in the past who I know will love this.

And I know it will draw people into my booth. That's the idea!

[Ajcoholic]

PS I love when I get to use my old 80's era copy lathe.

I turned these spindles out (the blanks were 18" long, 1.4" square) in under 30 seconds a piece

AJC

[VanIslanddan]

Beautiful creative design. There are a number of guys doing live edge my area and this adds a great dimensions. I took half a dozen broad leaf maples out out the yard in the fall now you have my creative juices flowing. Thanks for sharing.

[Brian Harnett]

Very nice I love using as much of the natural tree as possible each customer gets a truly one of a kind piece.

The hardest part of making this type of furniture is deciding what will take full advantage of the natural shape.

[zeykr]

The shopbot is very useful in rustic work!

Cherry is a beautiful material for rustic work - the bench is going to be very nice!

[CNYDWW]

The bulk of the materials at work are live edge and what we call "Micro Slab". We're starting on a two fold live edge low table soon. There is a glass shelf that bisects the legs 4" up from the floor with a tapered inlay of stainless steel that wraps the mitered corners.

Great job Andrew and if you're ever in the Catskill Mountains of NY you should stop down.

Regards
Randy

[kevin]

Looks good Andrew ,What impress me is your copy lathe thinking of getting oe want to get into more stairs work

[Ajcoholic]

Kevin,
You should be able to pick up something like mine for under $5K. Back 30 years ago they were state of the art... Now CNC has taken over. They are pretty rugged though, and generally heavily built (this Urpematic is 3/4 ton). The guy I bought mine from had left it in pretty bad shape but once I cleaned up, it works great. I also do railings and its nice to be able to do your own spindles.

Here it is after today... Its all shaped and rough sanded, then glued together. I still have to fix the split in the seat and trim the tenons in the back, and then finish sand it, before finishing.

AJC