Gooday ! Today's post begins the series on a bench that I am working on. When I was in school there were several of these benches used in the gym. The benches are made from oak and and 12' long by 9 1/2" wide. Four plywood legs were secured to the seat and with a single piece of 3" wide oak tying the legs together on the floor. A small crack in the seat rendered this particular bench scrap.
My guide line for using this hardwood is to leave the holes and dadoes in the wood that were left from screws, bolts and legs. I want the new bench to look like it was made using salvaged wood, but not like I just slapped the boards together.
I am using all the oak to make a new bench based on the White Water Shaker Bench that was featured in the Winter 2009 issue of Woodworking Magazine( before it became Popular Woodworking)
Salvaging a gymnasium bench part 2
After milling the boards to the correct thickness and size , I assembled the bench with square nails.
This is my first project with square nails and it was a good lesson for me. Square nails probably work
better in wood that is "greener". All wood hardens over time and maybe more so with oak.
The wood did split in a couple places and part of that was incorrect installation of nails and part old wood. I found that countersinking the pilot hole was very good to seat the nail flush and minimize splitting. Take a 1/8" mortise chisel and relieve the hole edges in line with the grain.
Beware of old glue lines in salvaged wood. Sometimes the glue lines will give up when fastening the boards together.
The next step is sanding and finishing.
My guide line for using this hardwood is to leave the holes and dadoes in the wood that were left from screws, bolts and legs. I want the new bench to look like it was made using salvaged wood, but not like I just slapped the boards together.
I am using all the oak to make a new bench based on the White Water Shaker Bench that was featured in the Winter 2009 issue of Woodworking Magazine( before it became Popular Woodworking)
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| Jointing the apron board |
- Step one: scrape off all the gum wads on the boards. In this picture the boards that will become the aprons are edge jointed using hand planes. Repair cracks in seat board with glue.
Salvaging a gymnasium bench part 2
After milling the boards to the correct thickness and size , I assembled the bench with square nails.
This is my first project with square nails and it was a good lesson for me. Square nails probably work
better in wood that is "greener". All wood hardens over time and maybe more so with oak.
The wood did split in a couple places and part of that was incorrect installation of nails and part old wood. I found that countersinking the pilot hole was very good to seat the nail flush and minimize splitting. Take a 1/8" mortise chisel and relieve the hole edges in line with the grain.
Beware of old glue lines in salvaged wood. Sometimes the glue lines will give up when fastening the boards together.
The next step is sanding and finishing.
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