The "BENCH"

   Well, we are still working away on the burr oak and the bench. I have to say that I am a little disappointed with myself that this project has taken as long as it has.   (I am beginning to think that at the pace I am moving lately I should just update my blog every 3 weeks rather than every Wednesday night.)    I have been doing a little reading lately and have found out that when you work with rough lumber and you are planing boards and sawing them to size, that process is referred to as "Dressing the boards"  (Heaven forbid. I want to make sure I am using the correct terminology.)   The picture to the right is of one of the side panels with a curved leg glued on each side.

   The picture to the left shows the stringer that was built.    The stringer has a curve cut on one side.   Both the stringer and the certain edges of the two end panels were taken over to the router table and had the edges rounded over.    

   This stringer is placed between the two end panels and is held in place with two screws going through each of those end panels.    The picture to the right is showing the base of the bench although the top is on the bottom and the bottom is at the top.  (Duh - or at this step it is upside down.)   I usually try to build a project and not use nails or screws, but this plan did call for the stringer to be attached this way and working with the burr oak is new to me so I wanted to make sure it would be solid.

  You can barely see it on the picture to the left, but in the middle part way down is where the screws will go through the panel.    I have drilled a hole about 1/4 inch deep and once the stringer is connected I will plug these holes up with a homemade plug to hide the screw head.
   Also I have been reading about wood movement in furniture and how a person needs to allow for boards to move back in forth with the humidity changes in a house.    There are several ways to do this and (like I generally do) I came up with my own design.    That is what the little brass connector is for at the top of the legs.   (It will be another one of those "watch and see" things that I experiment with (If I can only remember to watch and see.)

     Something else that I did different with this project is that I completely dry assembled this project to make sure all the pieces went together well and then I dismantled everything and stained and varnished each piece by itself.
    Some of my wood club members have been doing that and said it works well so I thought I would give that a spin.    
     The picture to the left is just to show you what the ends look like after I place my homemade plugs over the screw heads.   If you look close you can see them.    (Something I need to improve upon.)

   I still want to put on a couple additional coats of vanish before I call this project done.    I have to say that working with the burr oak turned out better than I had expected.  
   This bench will be delivered to the home where the very tree fell on their house.   Hope they like it.  
    I did build a bench like this before.  (If it looks familiar - blogged about it June 2012.)
 
    I have to comment that I do have a request to build a couple more just like it so maybe you will see another blog like this one later (At the current pace - that will be two years from now. )