1.Layout base of seat for bench
Use 72" x 2 planks and 21"x5 planks and lay them across. This part was hard as some of the wood wasn't cut exactly, so I had to hand saw and sand them. The carpet was also uneven so it was hard to tell when it was even and level. I then glued them and used the long screws with two in each joint. After I screwed them in I realised that some of them really weren't the right length and there were some big gaps. So I went to the hardware shop and got some wood filler. It wasn't in a very useful tube so I squeezed it out into a piping bag and used that which was much easier. I then thought I should get a sander attachment for my drill and sand down a small piece of wood and wedge it between the larger gaps. So I went to machine mart across the road and got an electric sander. This worked well and now confident the bench is strong.
2. Adding the Legs and back
Added 31" x 2 legs with a leg height of 12 3/4". Used wood glue and long screws again
3.Attached the front legs
Glued and screwed 2 x 24" legs at the same height.
4. Adding arms
Added 2 x 25.5" arms.
5. Adding underneath cross section points.
Started by filing down 2 x 24" inch sections so they fit tightly and hammering into place of 5" from the floor. I then filed the longer plank down enough so it would also fit in. I screwed all the joints in, with the long screws.
6. Add the back support planks
Added 3 x 18 1/4 inch planks equally spaced along the back.
7. Adding 1x6 planks to create seating
I thought this part was going to be stressful as I had cut the length of the planks wrong. However this ended up not mattering as I used the ones that were long enough for the back as I felt this needed to be stronger. And then the ones I cut wrong managed to fit across between the seat supports. This did mean a lot more gluing, sawing, sanding and screwing. But it worked and I'm so relieved I didn't have to buy more planks. Because I'm going to mosaic over the bench, you won't be able to see the mistakes so that's good.
Here is the finished bench!
I managed to finish it all in one long day, which I feel very proud of. I'm pleased I did it then because it now can be put in the corner of my flat ready to be mosaiced which frees up some space. Its so hard working without a studio because everything was covered in sawdust and I've had a sore throat since, which I think is because of all of the fumes. But the bench is perfect and i'm so excited to see how it looks mosaiced!
