ken werner
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- 3,377
- Location
- Central NY State
I made a bench some time ago out of a spruce log, with poplar legs. After a few years with the bench continuously outdoors, I found myself on my uh, bottom, when the legs rotted out.
So yesterday, I began a replacement, out of an ash slab, with ash legs. I worked up quite a sweat hollowing and smoothing a concave top. I used a wooden scrub plane, scorps and my new LV pull shave [stealth gloat.] The only problem with the slab was a split on one end. An opportunity to try out a dovetail or butterfly key.
In the past, I've shaped the legs with a drawknife, but I was tired after shaping the top from rough to a mild concave surface, so I took the easier path and turned them. Unlike my son, I am a lousy turner. But at least the legs should be functional. The tenons are of different lengths because the slab has different thicknesses at the four places where the legs will go.
The rough surface in the first image is the bottom, but shows what kind of surface I started with. Not finished yet, but I should get the holes drilled for the legs in the next few days.
So yesterday, I began a replacement, out of an ash slab, with ash legs. I worked up quite a sweat hollowing and smoothing a concave top. I used a wooden scrub plane, scorps and my new LV pull shave [stealth gloat.] The only problem with the slab was a split on one end. An opportunity to try out a dovetail or butterfly key.
In the past, I've shaped the legs with a drawknife, but I was tired after shaping the top from rough to a mild concave surface, so I took the easier path and turned them. Unlike my son, I am a lousy turner. But at least the legs should be functional. The tenons are of different lengths because the slab has different thicknesses at the four places where the legs will go.
The rough surface in the first image is the bottom, but shows what kind of surface I started with. Not finished yet, but I should get the holes drilled for the legs in the next few days.