I am not too sure if I am a little boring for working in my workshop for two hours on Boxing Day or if I can pass it off as genuine recreation.
However it is judged, I enjoyed the fresh air and the distraction while the kids played with their Christmas gifts.
Strengthening the weak joint.
The piece of wood which formed the splayed legs was originally made as one of the shelves in the kitchen.
I am fairly confident that the glue - which is waterproof - will hold but I have to take into consideration the length of time the seat is likely to be out in the elements.
With this in mind, using a special sunken drill, I drilled holes from each side and inserted screws from both sides to reinforce the joint.
I then created dowels - using the partner tool to the countersinking drill - which I then glued in place, cut flush when the glue had gone off, and sanded flush with the surrounding wood.
I am taking a little chance here because if this method fails in the future I will have to cut the whole leg off and re-engineer it to make it stronger.
The legs are inserted into 35mm deep mortice joints which I created using a router. The legs (tenons) where then inserted into these mortices keeping them snug. Once glued in place using polyurethane, these will swell and lock tight.
I then planed and thicknessed and tenoned a piece of oak to use as a brace with corresponding mortices in the legs.
A couple of locking wedges will hold the whole structure tightly in place but also add that little authenticity.
The next part of the job is to ease all of the edges and perhaps create a little shape and style to the brace (it looks a little angular and heavy on the eye at the moment).
Making a simple garden bench - Part one
Making a simple garden bench - Part three
Click on the images to enlarge for greater detail.
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