Well, this project was completed without a camera in hand. I normally take tons of photos along the wy, but this project was differant. I wanted to get it done so that I could move on to using it. In fact, I even cheated and used a power drill and a power saw a few times. About 1/2 the work was done with hand tools, but like I said I wanted it done. I plan on making another version which is more period looking but this one was created out of need.
I acquired the wood from an old deck that we had in the back of the house when we moved it. I tore down the deck but kept some of the larger boards for future use. These have been in the garage for about 5 years now. As I worked on the project one of my daughters came out and said "Is this a project, or is this the project that you need to complete so that you can make another project?" That made me laugh quite a bit because she had me pegged. I needed this project to help finish some other woodworking projects I had in mind.
I wanted a simple period looking bench that would not only serve it's purpose but would also break down quickly and easily and fit in the back of my car. The bench is a bit shorter than I would have liked, but I was limited to the space in the back of my car.
Here you see all the pieces broken down and spread out.
The wide boards are treated lumber from the deck. The 2X2 which I used for the front legs were left over from another project and are simple construction grade pine. The 2X4 is untreaded construction grade pine. The pins which hold the head and foot on are the only portions of the project made of "decent" wood. They are made of oak.
Stacks very small and easy to carry. I may end up making some sort of canvas bag, but for now I can toss the whole pile in a small trunk easily.
Set up and ready to use. The surface of the boards are stained with paint and old stain from the prior owners. I will likely sand the entire thing to clean it up a bit, but wanted to make sure that it would work first.
Sorry, but I don't really have a plan and didn't really measure anything out as I worked on it. I had seen some in the past and found some images of period benches but didn't bother to draw up a measured diagram. The only dimension which was critical was the overall length. The rest of the pieces I simply held in place and eyeballed it.
