80 POPULAR WOODWORKING April 2004

Japanese
Garden Bench
Combine five 2x4s, a handful
of screws and a long afternoon
to build a handsome and sturdy
sitting spot for your deck or garden.

y father always has had ways liked redwood for my out-

M a knack for doing more

with less. He built the
first house on our farm using a
door projects (and thats what the
originals were made from) so I
spent the extra cash about $200.
Skil saw, a drill and a hammer. No matter what species you
Sometime during my child- choose, select the straightest,
hood he built a pair of these most knot-free 2x4s you can find. We used a miter saw to cut our pieces to length. Here you can see that we clamped
Japanese-looking benches using While youre at the lumberyard, all the top boards together and gang cut them to length simultaneously.
leftover 2x4s and framing nails. pick up a pound of stainless-steel
While visiting him one recent screws. Associate Editor Kara drill, a saw, some sandpaper and length as shown in the cutting
summer, I was struck by the fact Gebhart (who helped me build a couple of sawhorses will get the list on page 82. Whats important
that they have survived more than this project) and I used #8 x 2" job done right on your driveway. to remember here is that its not
a dozen winters and still look good. screws. Another excellent choice Start by laying out your cross- critical if you cut your legs a bit
This project is really great for would be Miller Dowels (866- cuts on the 2x4s using chalk. Pick long or cut the top boards a bit
the beginning woodworker who 966-3734 or millerdowel.com). the best-looking boards for the short. What is important is that
doesnt have a lot of tools, skills five top pieces. Boards with too you cut all the legs the same length,
or confidence. But the end result Back in the Shop many knots or dings can be used whatever that turns out to be. For
will make you look like youve You dont need a jointer, planer as legs, which are mostly covered that reason, I recommend gang
got all three, in spades. or table saw to build this bench. up by the top pieces. cutting your parts.
You dont even need a shop. A Then cut all your pieces to Gang cutting is when you
Trip to the Lumberyard clamp together all the parts that
Photo by Al Parrish

This bench is designed to be built by Christopher Schwarz & Kara Gebhart are the same length and trim them
using just five 10'-long 2x4s. You Comments or questions? Contact Chris at 513-531-2690 ext. 1407
to size simultaneously, as shown
can build it from sugar pine, paint or [email protected]. Contact Kara at 513-531-2690 ext. 1348 above. This works no matter what
it and spend less than $10. I al- or [email protected]. tool you use for crosscutting.

popwood.com 81
 60" 19 1/2"
4 1/2" 4 1/2" 31/2"
12" 27" 12" 1/2" E
11/2"
B B 31/2"
E
D 161/2" 31/2"
D
C C 31/2"

A A 41/2"
A
4" 41/2" 4
44"
31/2" 31/2"
Elevation
Profile

Sanding (Insert Groan Here) the edges of all the boards. This
Its tempting to screw this proj- is pretty simple to do. Just grab
JAPANESE GARDEN BENCH
ect together immediately, but Id some #120-grit sandpaper and L E T. NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) M AT E R I A L
T W L
suggest you do all you can to re- take a couple of licks on all the
A 8 Legs 11 2 31 2 15 Redwood
sist the urge to assemble. edges of each board (youre try-
B 2 Top cross braces 11 2 31 2 191 2 Redwood
A better bet is for you to sand ing to remove any sharp edges). 1 1
C 2 Low cross braces 1 2 3 2 16 Redwood
all your pieces to remove marks This will make the bench more D 2 Stretchers 11 2 31 2 44 Redwood
and dings. This helps get them comfortable to sit on and less like- E 5 Top boards 11 2 31 2 60 Redwood
ready for whatever finish youll ly to splinter when it gets wet.
be applying (paint, deck stain,
tung oil or nothing). Leg Assembly you a 3 16" pilot hole and a coun- brace to the legs using two screws
Once the faces and edges have This bench goes together quick- tersink simultaneously. These bits in each. You can use polyurethane
been sanded, you need to break ly. Chuck a bit in your drill to give are available from most home- glue or a water-resistant glue such
supply or hardware stores. as Titebond II.
Begin by assembling one of Put another piece of scrap 2x4
the leg structures. First find a piece against the top cross brace and
of scrap thats 412" wide and place center the low cross brace below
it between two of the leg pieces. that scrap. Then glue and screw
Center the top cross brace on the low cross brace to the legs.
the two legs, flush everything up, Next, put two more legs on
then glue and screw the cross top of the cross braces and place
the 4 1 2" scrap spacer between
41 2"- them. Glue and screw these two
wide
legs to the cross braces. Repeat
scrap
this same procedure for the other
leg assembly. Youre almost done.

Plug It Up
For a finished look, we took a few
minutes to plug the holes made
by the countersink. Our coun-
tersink made a 38"-diameter hole.
You can plug the hole with
store-bought 3 8" plugs or 3 8"-
Use scraps as spacers to ensure that your leg assemblies go
diameter dowels. We took some
3 3
together just right. This is a lot easier than measuring every- 8" x 8" square stock, whittled
thing. Then screw it together using stainless steel screws. one end and glued it in place. The

82 POPULAR WOODWORKING April 2004

square corners of the wood cut Then arrange the five top Finally, we put the remaining two SUPPLIES
the round hole into a square one. boards on the base. Because the boards in place and figured out
Once your plugs are glued in place, pith side of flat-grained wood is what gap should be between each McFeelys
cut or sand them flush. more prone to raised grain, make board. We then glued and screwed 800-443-7937 or mcfeelys.com
sure you place all your boards bark- these two boards in place. Finally, #8 x 2" Stainless steel screws,
Final Assembly side up. (Look at the growth rings.) we plugged the holes. $10.96 for 100
Stand the legs upright on your To ensure everything was Check out Bob Flexners ad- Prices as of publication date.
work surface and put the stretch- spaced evenly, we first attached vice on protecting exterior wood
ers in place between the two cross the top pieces at the front and below. We chose to leave the wood
braces. Glue and screw the stretch- back of the bench using glue and in its natural state and allow it to
ers into place and plug the holes screws. Then we centered the turn a silvery-gray, which will
left by the countersink. middle board between those. happen when left outside. PW

PROTECTING EXTERIOR WOOD

There is probably more misunder- screen agents used in suntan lo- deeper than latex primers. If the paint is not thick enough to stop the
standing about how to protect tions. They convert UV light energy wood is freshly milled or sanded, penetration of moisture.
wood outdoors than about any to heat energy, which dissipates. UV acrylic-latex primers perform well. No clear finishes work as well as
other aspect of wood finishing. absorbers dont hide wood, and Water-based or latex paints paint if they are exposed to bright
The need for a quality coating to they are effective at preventing offer the best protection for wood light, but expensive marine varnish-
protect exterior wood is great deterioration, but they are expen- siding because they allow moisture es come closest. Keep in mind,
because when sunlight or water sive, and a significant amount (1 vapor to pass through better than however, that these finishes are
come into frequent contact with percent to 3 percent by weight) has oil-based paints. If the water vapor very glossy and relatively soft (for
wood, the wood can lose its color, to be in the finish to be effective. cant get through the paint and to flexibility), and you need to apply
split, warp and often rot. Moisture also causes paints the outside environment, it will eight or nine coats to reach maxi-
The best way to protect exposed and finishes to peel when it gets build up behind the paint and cause mum UV resistance.
wood is to apply a paint or finish between the coating and the wood. it to peel. A primer coat of oil-based Bob Flexner, contributing editor
that blocks sunlight and moisture, Paints resist moisture penetration
and holds up to these elements. well, but most clear finishes dont.
Light is the principal enemy of Water repellents, which contain a
paints and finishes. Over time, low-surface-tension waxy sub-
ultraviolet rays, which are strongest stance, cause water to bead but
from direct sunlight, break down water repellents dont totally keep
paints. If you catch it before the moisture out of the wood.
paint is damaged all the way The best moisture-resistant
through, you can rub off the dull, clear finishes are varnishes called
chalky result with abrasives (con- spar or marine varnish that are
tained in many car polishes, for made to be very flexible so they can
example) and expose paint that keep up with extreme wood move-
looks shiny and new. ment. Varnishes made with phenolic
UV rays also break down clear resin and tung oil are best because
finishes, but most of the damage they dont crack as quickly as those
here will come when they peel. The made with polyurethane resin.
finish peels because the UV rays The best way to protect wood
penetrate the film and destroy the outdoors is to paint it. Paint repels
lignin that holds the cellulose cells water and blocks UV rays effective-
of wood fiber together. The surface ly. There are two major categories of
cells separate and the finish bonded paint: oil-based and water-based
to these cells peels. (also called latex).
The best sun-blocking agents Oil-based paints are best for
are pigments (contained in paints objects such as chairs and picnic
and stains). But pigments hide the tables because latex paints dont
wood, and many people would wear as well. Oil-based primer also
rather have it visible. Other good is best on wood that has been
sun-blocking agents are UV ab- exposed to the weather for a month Left unfinished, white oak and other weather-resistant woods will turn a silvery-
sorbers, which are similar to sun- or more because it penetrates gray. This Adirondack chair has survived 10 seasons outside with little deterioration.

popwood.com 83