gistfile1.txt

After I finished <a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/2015/09/03/i-built-a-table/">our kitchen table</a>, I started on two benches: one for each long side of the table. At the last minute, my wife and I decided (a.k.a., my wife decided) to include some storage areas in the benches too.

Just like with the table, I started with a design in OpenSCAD:

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/Screen-Shot-2015-09-25-at-10.55.27-AM.png" rel="attachment wp-att-13987"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13987" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/Screen-Shot-2015-09-25-at-10.55.27-AM-1024x681.png" alt="Screen Shot 2015-09-25 at 10.55.27 AM" width="696" height="463" /></a>

(And just like with the table, <a href="https://github.com/cfinke/Farmhouse-Table/blob/master/Bench.scad">the source file is on GitHub</a>.) Both the benches and the table are actually generated by the same code, so they literally are miniature versions of the table.

I bought some 15" pine legs from Home Depot, but I wanted an 18" tall bench. What to do? Stretch the legs out, of course.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2469.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13984"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13984" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2469-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2469" width="696" height="522" /></a>

I cut some blocks out of 3x3 poplar and glued them to the ends of the legs.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2471.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13982"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13982" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2471-768x1024.jpg" alt="IMG_2471" width="696" height="928" /></a>

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2472.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13983"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13983" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2472-768x1024.jpg" alt="IMG_2472" width="696" height="928" /></a>

After sanding, the transition is totally smooth. After paint, you won't have a clue that these legs weren't 17" long.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2473.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13981"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13981" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2473-768x1024.jpg" alt="IMG_2473" width="696" height="928" /></a>

I cut mortises in the bench legs to accept the apron pieces. Not all of the legs received an accidental third mortise like this one.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2500.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13979"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13979" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2500-768x1024.jpg" alt="IMG_2500" width="696" height="928" /></a>

I cut tenons into the ends of the apron boards and added a groove to accept the panel that will act as the bottom of the storage area in each bench.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2499.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13980"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13980" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2499-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2499" width="696" height="522" /></a>

The first dry-fit. Everything fit, and the legs all mostly touched the ground.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2506.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13978"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13978" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2506-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2506" width="696" height="522" /></a>

I cut the panels to size and notched out the corners so that they'd fit around the legs. Each bench has two panels; I slid them in from the end before fitting the short sides of the apron onto the tenons.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2508.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13977"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13977" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2508-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2508" width="696" height="522" /></a>

Glue-up time: I glued all the short sides separately.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2510.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13976"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13976" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2510-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2510" width="696" height="522" /></a>

And the long sides plus stretcher.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2511.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13975"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13975" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2511-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2511" width="696" height="522" /></a>

I did two coats of paint at this step so that I could avoid a lot of taping to not get paint all over the bottom panels.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2627.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13974"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13974" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2627-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2627" width="696" height="522" /></a>

Remember what I said about how the legs would look after paint? You can't tell that each leg has a block of poplar glued to it.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2633.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13973"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13973" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2633-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2633" width="696" height="522" /></a>

I slid the panels in from each end and glue all of the mortise and tenon joints. This is immediately after removing the clamps.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2635.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13972"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13972" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2635-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2635" width="696" height="522" /></a>

Enough about the bases, time to make the seats. I cut four pieces of 7" 3/4" red oak and joined them into two bench seats with biscuits.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2636.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13968"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13968" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2636-768x1024.jpg" alt="IMG_2636" width="696" height="928" /></a>

A single bench seat.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2638.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13971"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13971" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2638-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2638" width="696" height="522" /></a>

After sanding, I rounded the edges over with a trim router.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2639.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13970"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13970" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2639-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2639" width="696" height="522" /></a>

Before staining.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2642.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13969"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13969" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2642-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2642" width="696" height="522" /></a>

After staining.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2737.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13989"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13989" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2737-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2737" width="696" height="522" /></a>

I installed some wrap-around hinges on each bench to make accessing the storage as easy as possible.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2738.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13990"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13990" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2738-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2738" width="696" height="522" /></a>

The hinges from the back. Subtle and refined.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2739.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13991"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13991" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2739-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2739" width="696" height="522" /></a>

Benches and table, together at last.

<a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2741.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-13993"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-13993" src="http://www.chrisfinke.com/files/2015/09/IMG_2741-1024x768.jpg" alt="IMG_2741" width="696" height="522" /></a>

The benches fit underneath the table, exactly like a Transformer.