rustic cedar bench

Here's a fun project I made this last weekend with my 9 yr old son. My cousin took down several cedars this past spring and asked me if I wanted any of them. Being the wood hoarder that I am and since the price was free I couldn't pass it up. He even delivered. I do wish I would have went and looked at them because I could have gotten some clear lumber from a couple. He bucked them too short for me to have milled. I'm not complaining though.

I split one of the logs down the middle with my chainsaw. I had some small cedars I used for spindles on my porch left over so I used those for the legs. We took a hole saw and made 1.25 tenons on the ends of the legs. We then cut the waste away with a handsaw. We drilled a matching mortise on the log by just eyeballing it. I then took the angle grinder with a sanding disk and smoothed the top out.

Great project John!!! Bet he is as proud of them as you are! Project completed is time well spent. Time spent with son, priceless. Great outcome father and son!!!!

Lookin' fine. They will last, and last,,,,,,,and last.

How fun. What a great dad and son project that will always be a reminder of the day.

Really like the look of the bench. Great job!

John,
That's a great looking bench!!

what a great bench and great project

That is sure a fine looking bench that should last near forever..

That looks great, John. The other guys are right...your son will remember this project from now on.

Doesn't look like that log will blow over in the wind!

Great project that turned out great!

Thanks guys,

I really had fun and I still have the other half. I might make another to match. My son really likes making things, he likes to make big round stuff little round stuff on the lathe.

I've got several of these cedar logs, the longest is about 5'. I think I might try chainsaw carving and make a bear or something, probably just firewood.

Here's where I think the bench will live. I'm planning on putting it on the front porch. This is my house that I with a lot of help from family built going on 4 years ago. This pic is just before we moved in.

John,
That is one great bench and it will fit in great with that beutiful house.

WOW!!!!! Beeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuutifulllllllllllll home there John! That there bench is gonna need a buddy then a table!! Get to work dad and son!!

Jonathon, I think you got that right. A nice little table to go with twin benches? That'd be awesome!