Comments on: Small Bench: Inspiration to Actual

By: Aeneas

Aeneas — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:40:06 +0000

Nice turn of phrase, Megan: “m(M)ass appeal…” Just remember, Dear: don’t laugh when you’re the one saying something clever (“ha!”) It’s bad form. If they get it, they’ll laugh; if they don’t, well… [sigh!]

And a beautiful bench. One of my winter projects. Thanks very much for sharing this. Nice work.

By: B Jackson

B Jackson — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:38:18 +0000

I was actually trying to save as much as I can the original design. Here is where the ICDT Board of Education may need to enhance the curriculum by adding a compass or pair of trammel points to the measuring and layout tools. Since you already have a jigsaw and a drill in the tool kit, it seems to me that you can incorporate the original cutout from the old bench into the new bench. First, lay out the design with the compass or trammel points, then drill holes in the waste part, then use the jigsaw to cut out the design.

As for the top edges of the back and sides, I would probably see if I could use half-rounds and quarter rounds to come up with some form of molded edging, making sure that the edge of the molding is flush with the inside faces of the back and sides.

By: Tomcat1066

Tomcat1066 — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:49:44 +0000

FWIW, I would love to see the next bench finished. I like the lines of the original a lot, and if you’re going top put celtic stuff on it, it sounds like my kind of project

By: keithm

keithm — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:47:24 +0000

I like the design of the little red bench a lot. If it was headed for a mudroom, I might be tempted to make the bottom support wider and be able to hold shoes.

But since I don’t have a mudroom, I’m trying to think of a good place in one of my children’s home.

I would probably eschew the screws and use biscuits. The last thing like this that I made, I forwent the battens to avoid cross-grain construction that might lead to splitting.

By: PhilS

PhilS — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 04:29:55 +0000

When I was growing up, the pews in our church, including the choir pews, had a rack on the back for hymnals. That way, the people in the pew behind could access to the hymnals on the back of the pew in front of them. You probably don’t want to put a rack like that on the back but maybe on the sides? It was a fairly simple structure with a rail for the hymnal to rest on and another above it, at an angle, holding the books in place.

Also, I recall my church pews looking a little more comfortable. The seat back was pitched back a little and the seat was contoured. Maybe that’s a protestant thing. Was “comfortable pews” included in Martin Luther’s call for church reform?

By: Richard Dawson

Richard Dawson — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 22:53:38 +0000

Or a flask.

By: kct3937

kct3937 — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:04:56 +0000

Could you please explain eschew, forwent, and purveyor?

By: Nick Webb

Nick Webb — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 08:31:17 +0000

I’d keep the applied moulding but fit it so that it’s flush with the inside faces of the back and sides.

By: hopper1

hopper1 — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:24:42 +0000

I would sneak some storage into the design. A simple box about four to six inches deep just below the seat (seat would be the lid for the box)would make a nice little storage area. I’d explain it away as a place for hymnals. I suppose with a little thinking the storage area could be made into a quasi-torsion box to add some strength as well.

Tim