Potting bench

Comment

Comment by Michael R. Harbert on March 2, 2011 at 9:42am

Thanks Tom.

Comment by Tom Chilton on March 1, 2011 at 3:55pm

Michael,

I will ask Danielle to take some measurements, since we didn't save the cut list. I will post them here later this month.  That should be enough info for you to draft out an overall plan and create a cut list.

Comment by Michael R. Harbert on February 12, 2011 at 12:28pm

I really like what you did.  Could you post the dimensions or plans?  I would like to build my wife one like it.

Comment by John P. Stombaugh on February 9, 2011 at 8:03pm

I built the Kreg version for my wife last summer.  It doesn't look as good as yours but it sits outside in Ohio 24/7/365 so I wanted one that is virtually maintenance free.   I used penetreated lumber for the framing and composite decking for the shelves.  I am reasonably sure that I won't be extracting any splinters from the gardener's fingers thanks to the composite material.

Comment by Tom Chilton on February 9, 2011 at 12:06pm

The bench is all redwood, a very soft wood. It takes the teak oil nicely. The teak oil brings out the natural color of the wood, which is mostly red, but includes some blonde portions. Since the graphic designer in Danielle wanted to see both the light and dark colors of the redwood, she placed the pieces that had both colors in locations that could always be seen.
In the photo the finish looked shiny. This is because I had just buffed it with the soft cloth. In reality, there is no artificial shine - just the rich, soft colors of the wood.
Over time, this soft wood will collect countless dents, gouges, scrapes and stains caused by gardening tools, heavy clay pots, ground in sand and hot coffee. Those of us in the over-60 crowd consider things like scars and wrinkles to be elements of character and the jumping off point for slightly exaggerated tales of past adventures. I say, let the wood be a diary of its use. Long live the scars of a life lived fully!

Comment by David Hodge on February 9, 2011 at 3:30am

Tom - give a shout to Danielle on what a great job she did.

Understood on the teak oil vice the danish- is the bench made out of redwood too? I saw where you tested a sample piece...but I've never worked with redwood and didn't know for sure.

Thanks for sharing!

Comment by Anthony on February 8, 2011 at 10:51pm

That is very well done! Really nice project!

Comment by Rodney Dixon on February 4, 2011 at 2:31pm

Yes I agree Very nice project there. wood looks nice.. good job..

Comment by Tom Chilton on February 4, 2011 at 12:21pm

Danielle's husband sanded to 220 (or maybe 320) then we all brushed on Watson teak oil and let it sit for about 15 minutes.  The instructions say to let it soak for 30 minutes, but in the high, dry air of northern New Mexico, it can only sit 15 to 20 minutes before the thick areas get gummy.  Then we rubbed it in (vigorously).  A day or two later, after it was fully dried, we hand buffed the work surfaces with a soft cloth.  This brought out the luster you can see in the photo.  We probably put a second coat of teak oil on the main work surface.

Before we started I made up a sample comparing the results of Watson teak oil and Watson Danish oil on finely-sanded redwood. The Danish oil turned out a bit more golden, which looked nice.  However, the teak oil definitely had more depth (visually).  Teak oil, of course, is the better choice for a piece like this that will be on a back porch, where snow and rain can stop by for a visit.

A couple details that you can't see in the photo: Danielle ran all corners and edges through the router to add a 1/4" roundover, making everything soft to the touch.  Also, there is a 3/16" space between the work surface boards to allow water, potting soil, sand, etc. to fall through when she is potting plants or flowers.  There are 1/4" tall nylon slides under each leg to keep the legs from soaking up water that may pool on the concrete porch.

Comment by Kim C on February 4, 2011 at 11:48am

This is beautiful!  You should be proud!  I love the wood.  What did you finish it with?

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