Park Bench Rebuild

[k0ua]

The wife decided the park bench needed rebuilding. So Off I went to Home Depot for some 3/4 x6x8 cedar wood and to TSC for some hardware.

As you can see the red peeling paint off of the old Harbor Freight original Chinese unknown wood boards were looking pretty sad.
I used my Delta compound mitre saw to cut to length then my Grizzley 10 inch table saw with Freud blade to rip them down and my Vermont American cheapie router table with Ryobi cheapy router with a roundover bit to round the edges. Drilled the holes with my Craftsman 15 inch drill press (if you can have only one power tool, make it a drill press). I finished the cedar with Helmsman Spar Polyurethane and then re-assembled. The wifey was thrilled and said "it is beautiful!". I thought it came out pretty nice myself.

 

[dave1949]

Very nice, James. Make sure you get the brownie points credited. That's important.

 

[mark02tj]

Super nice!!

I have a couple of Chinese Adirondak chairs that lasted about half a season before the wood got funky. I swear that they put bondo on the wood.

 

[k0ua]

Super nice!!

I have a couple of Chinese Adirondak chairs that lasted about half a season before the wood got funky. I swear that they put bondo on the wood.

That wouldn't surprise me.. The Chinese wood, was actually better than I thought it would be, and lasted longer than I thought it would, but I believe the cedar will do better yet and I intend to hit it with a coat of the urethane every couple of years to keep it looking nice. I know the cedar stumps in the ground can sure last a looooong time.

 

[k0ua]

Very nice, James. Make sure you get the brownie points credited. That's important.

Yep, happy wife happy life!

 

[oldballs]

Some day, James, I'll catch up with you even though my wife is gone....(the motivator she was )

We had a concrete park bench that I retrieved in the city where the weeds had grown up and a fire burned the wood parts. I rebuilt the wood and it sat under our large cottonwood tree for years. Now the wood is all rotten. The two concrete ends remain useful however. I'm just dreaming however. Even if I rebuild it from scrap around here, it would never look as good as your craftsmanship.

 

[k0ua]

Some day, James, I'll catch up with you even though my wife is gone....(the motivator she was )

We had a concrete park bench that I retrieved in the city where the weeds had grown up and a fire burned the wood parts. I rebuilt the wood and it sat under our large cottonwood tree for years. Now the wood is all rotten. The two concrete ends remain useful however. I'm just dreaming however. Even if I rebuild it from scrap around here, it would never look as good as your craftsmanship.

Aw, it is not too tough.. If you have the saws and a router to roundover the edges. If you don't have a router, you could get pretty close by angling the blade on your tablesaw and making multiple cuts, and then some sanding would finish it off. Then just brush on some poly and you are good to go.

 

[Western]

James, looks good:thumbsup: Projects like that, keep us fellas fed!!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

James, very nice job.

I have one I need to redo. My wife will not see this thread

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Very nice. I have one to redo.