Limbert Bench - The Build

While waiting to pick up the walnut for the Greene & Green items I figure I might sneak in another project. I began this weekend to build this bench. It's going to be pretty 'stout' with legs that are 1 3/4" thick and the stretchers are a full 1" thick. A couple of tricky angles as the lower inside portion of the legs are 6.5 degrees off from 90 and the legs also splay in at 1.5 degrees.

The leg blanks are milled and ready for template trimming. Unfortunately I do not have a pattern bit with a cutting height of 2" so I had to order one (Freud) from Amazon, it will be here tomorrow. I already made one error in that I did not cut the mortise for the front and rear stretchers prior to cutting that 6.5 degree taper. So now I need to rig up some form of jig to get the 90 Degree mortise I need. Oh well.

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The mortises for the stretchers went better than I first expected. Once I thought about the problem of having tapered the legs prematurely it was a simple fix to just mock up runners to stand in for the missing stock.
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Some sanding, rounding over the edges and test fitting.
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Next step will be to test fit all of the seat supports. Then the end panels get shipped off to Leo for a dragonfly inlay.
 
Finally rolling this project out of the shop. Delivering to the customer on Thursday. I liked this build. It really speaks to the Arts & Crafts ethos, stout, honest, built to endure. The customer will be having a 3" thick leather cushion made.

The ebony inlay should look familiar - Thanks Leo! Good job.

QSWO with a custom dye/stain mixture to match the QSRO/garnet shellac finish on the woodwork in the rest of the room where it will sit. The through tenon is not, it's faux. It hides 2 - 3" long screws that pull the sides together. The dowel pins are real and pin the tenons of the front and rear rails.


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Your rendering looks a lot lighter and I like it better. In order to get a better idea, maybe you should include in the render the cushion, because as it is now the sides look too high to rest your arms on them if that is their intended use.
Armrests are tricky to get at the proper height, some people like them a little higher than the elbow once seated, and some prefer them almost under the armpit. A compromise height in the middle of your ribs ( about nipple height)tends to be the best
 
Your rendering looks a lot lighter and I like it better. In order to get a better idea, maybe you should include in the render the cushion, because as it is now the sides look too high to rest your arms on them if that is their intended use.
Armrests are tricky to get at the proper height, some people like them a little higher than the elbow once seated, and some prefer them almost under the armpit. A compromise height in the middle of your ribs ( about nipple height)tends to be the best
With the cushion in place the sides will be about 12" above the cushion. A comfortable height, though perhaps a bit high for some people. In actuality, these 'sides' were never intended to be used primarily as armrests. They can be used with a small pillow as back support should one like to cozy up with a good book (like one would do on a window seat) but the primary function is to offer 'shelter'.

Think of Frank Lloyd Wright's dining chairs with backs that come up to the users head or higher. Wright's purpose with these was not to offer comfortable back support but rather to have the chair backs create a 'room' around the table. When you think of some of the high ceilinged, expansive spaces he created you can understand the need to create this smaller "room inside the room" to provide an intimate space in which the family can partake of their daily meal. The sides of the bench offer a barrier to the rest of the world while you stare at the flame on the hearth and lose yourself in daydreams.
 
Thanks for posting the parting pics, Rennie. I've admired the lines of this bench since you first showed us the design, and as usual your craftsmanship is second to none. :clap: Kudos to Leo for his contribution, too. :thumb:
 
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