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.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0678_zps0a69e70d.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0677_zps98f5a21f.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0679-1_zps1a00fef9.jpg

[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

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0676_zps1d7fdeaa.jpg

[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

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_1113_zps74010d45.jpg

[Ajcoholic]

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_1111_zps80bdd085.jpg

[Ajcoholic]

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_1107_zps120bea66.jpg

[myxpykalix]

I CAUGHT YOU CHEATING!!!!! One of your legs in the back was not the same size so you stuck a slab of wood under it!:D Does the customer get that or is it listed as an optional accessory?:eek:

Nice work......(as usual!):rolleyes:

[Ajcoholic]

I CAUGHT YOU CHEATING!!!!! One of your legs in the back was not the same size so you stuck a slab of wood under it!:D Does the customer get that or is it listed as an optional accessory?:eek:

Nice work......(as usual!):rolleyes:

Actually Jack, I still have to trim the legs... but my shop floor is so out of whack... I am surprised I managed to get 4 of 5 sitting without shimming! I had to move it around quite a bit. :D

The guys who poured the slab (it was done back in around 1980, my building was originally put up to store old aircrfat parts for Beaver's, Twin Otters, etc old bush planes flown by a local charter) didnt take a lot of care to level it out. All my machinery is sitting on shims.

I was going to put a 6th under the front center but I dint think it will be needed.

[Ajcoholic]

Well, I have a few photo updates. Yesterday, I filled the cracks/voids. On various other similar projects I have done a few different things... keys, wedges/glue and this method - filling the cracks and voids with an epoxy/dust mix. I use West systems resin and the fast hardener (6 hour set time). I first brush in a thin coat of resin and let it soak in, then mix the resin with some sawdust and use a putty kife to get it to fully fill the crack. When dry, sand and its all smooth and very strong. I didnt think a key was going to look right in the area of the crack, and I wanted the crack to be structurally 100% sound. Epoxy will do just that!

I sanded the whole bench with 100, and 120 with the ROS then hand sanded with 120, 150 and a sanding sponge. I brushed a coat of Deft Danish oil (Natural). I will be finishing the bench in a satin catalyzed lacquer.

Final pics when it is finished. I think the cherry has some awesome grain, some figure/waviness and the colour pops with the application of the oil.

Also, I trimmed the bottom of the legs to both sit flat, and set the seat height at 18" in the front, and 17 1/4" in the rear. I like a slight back angle, for comfort.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0693_zpsafe85e6f.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0694-1_zps687b8bb9.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0696-1_zps664ff2d8.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0695_zpsd3cad478.jpg

[steve_g]

Since we don't have a like button... I made my own.

SG

[myxpykalix]

There is something about the beauty of natural wood that just appeals to me, that is real nice Andrew...:D

[Ajcoholic]

There is something about the beauty of natural wood that just appeals to me, that is real nice Andrew...:D

Yes Jack, thats why I am a woodworker. I absolutely LOVE working with wood and creating things. And, I get paid for it :)

I was looking at the remaining piece of the cherry slab... I think I might have just enough for a table to go with the bench!