charlz
Elite Member
I told her there was no way I was buying one... I think I have mentioned here once or twice I am a cheap bastard 
Last year I had taken down an older shed that housed a sauna that the previous owners had left. I sold the sauna parts and the wood ended up in my 're-use' pile or the firewood pile as appropriate. I told her to find a design she liked and my son and I would build it. Stipulations were no drawers or doors where wasps like to set up shop. She picked this one: Backyard Potting Bench - Sunset.com which even has free plans but there was no way I was going to buy brand new 4x4's just to dado them down to toothpicks. I have lots of used 2x4's and a bucket of screws that also came out of the sauna. So my son and I got started, I didn't take any build pics but this is what we came up with:
The top was made of pieces of 1x4's from the sauna roof structure, I had my son (13 year-old who was just excited to be using power tools) use some 60 grit on the pad sander to knock the corners and edges off the boards to reduce splinters and give it 'some look'. They are nailed to ripped down strips of 1x4 at the front and back of the bench. Same for the bottom shelf.
An old 2x8 that I had laying around serves as a shelf.
The wire on the back is for hanging tools etc on using S hooks. It is part of an old hog fence panel that the PO's had left here. I cut out the chunk I needed using an abrasive cutoff wheel in an angle grinder. I found the clips in the electrical section of Home Depot, think they were called 'midget clips' or similar. The panel is made of 1/4" wire so the 1/4" clips worked perfect.
The only things I had to buy were the clips and the finish nails for the 1x4 pieces that make up the top. Everything else I had on hand.
So now I have a question, I really like the way the colors came out. Can I use water seal or the like to treat it and preserve the look of the wood? I am thinking urethane/polyurethane type stuff would eventually flake off if the wood gets wet and swells or with heat/cold cycles in winter? Thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks!
Last year I had taken down an older shed that housed a sauna that the previous owners had left. I sold the sauna parts and the wood ended up in my 're-use' pile or the firewood pile as appropriate. I told her to find a design she liked and my son and I would build it. Stipulations were no drawers or doors where wasps like to set up shop. She picked this one: Backyard Potting Bench - Sunset.com which even has free plans but there was no way I was going to buy brand new 4x4's just to dado them down to toothpicks. I have lots of used 2x4's and a bucket of screws that also came out of the sauna. So my son and I got started, I didn't take any build pics but this is what we came up with:The top was made of pieces of 1x4's from the sauna roof structure, I had my son (13 year-old who was just excited to be using power tools) use some 60 grit on the pad sander to knock the corners and edges off the boards to reduce splinters and give it 'some look'. They are nailed to ripped down strips of 1x4 at the front and back of the bench. Same for the bottom shelf.
An old 2x8 that I had laying around serves as a shelf.
The wire on the back is for hanging tools etc on using S hooks. It is part of an old hog fence panel that the PO's had left here. I cut out the chunk I needed using an abrasive cutoff wheel in an angle grinder. I found the clips in the electrical section of Home Depot, think they were called 'midget clips' or similar. The panel is made of 1/4" wire so the 1/4" clips worked perfect.
The only things I had to buy were the clips and the finish nails for the 1x4 pieces that make up the top. Everything else I had on hand.
So now I have a question, I really like the way the colors came out. Can I use water seal or the like to treat it and preserve the look of the wood? I am thinking urethane/polyurethane type stuff would eventually flake off if the wood gets wet and swells or with heat/cold cycles in winter? Thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks!
