designing hall bench to be knockdown

[Stan Calow]

I have been asked to make a high-back hall bench, the kind that has a lower box/bench with lid for storage, and a tall (72") back board for hanging coats, etc. I have a couple of sets of plans, that I am not satisfied with, for several reasons, but mostly I do not like the way the back attaches to the bench. I would like to find a way to make the back detachable from the bench, for ease of moving and transporting.

So I'm looking for ideas on how to make this a knockdown piece in an attractive efficient way. Any ideas? In general, having moved too many pieces of furniture in my life, designing and making large pieces of furniture capable of partial disassembly is, I think, a good idea -worth a magazine article or two.

[Sam Murdoch]

Without seeing your drawing to know what your alternative designs are...

I will propose that you add some check pieces to the insides of the tall back legs. Tenon these cheeks in (or use some other solid joinery/glue/screws) so that they are perpendicular to the legs and parallel to the back. Also set them back as need be so that your back once secured to the cheeks will be in the favored orientation to the legs. You could then use threaded inserts set into the back to receive bolts (machine screws) fastened in through the cheek pieces.

Alternatively you could just use decorative head (I like bronze) carriage bolts through bolted from the face of the back through the cheek pieces.

OR better yet some kind of a connector bolt with a cap nut - such as these - http://www.rockler.com/connector-bol...nVXhoCCzLw_wcB to pull and hold the pieces together. These and threaded inserts allow for better long term assembly and disassembly. I favor the option in the link (or similar) as I'm not a big fan of threaded inserts. Invariably one of them goes in a bit crooked and compromises everything - in my experience anyway .

In any case the back should either rest on the bench itself or on a couple of supports so that the bolts aren't carrying the weight of the back as well as holding it to the legs.

[Stan Calow]

Thanks Sam thats helpful. I don't have a drawing now, just looking at standard off-the-shelf plans from Woodsmith and Woodcraft that do not have knock-down features, and trying to modify one to incorporate that ability into it. Here is link to wordsmith sight for what I'm looking at. I am not focused on the style (this one is mission) so much as the construction. http://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/h...ck-hall-bench/

[Sam Murdoch]

That's a nice bench. I see now - you want to remove the ENTIRE upper back from the lower bench.

In this case I would use these (or similar - something custom and more rugged) - http://mirrorsupports.net/Products/1...-supports.html Maybe 2 pairs. In this way the construction of the bench top does not need to be factored into the design other than to make certain that it does not obstruct the back support brackets as you are not securing anything into it.

Offering design advice out of context is not useful. You can (should) ignore my first post.

[Charles Wiggins]

Stan,

I'd be inclined to modify the design so I could run bolts up through the seat into the base of the back and use threaded inserts to receive the bolts.

BTW: Partial disassembly is not really knockdown. Knockdown (or KD) generally refers to furniture designed for easy, complete disassembly and reassembly multiple times.

[Lee Schierer]

I would use either or both of the ideas suggested by Sam and Charles. You can make your own "mirror" supports out of wood. That is how I attached the mirror I made for my wife and daughter for their dressers.
suedresser.jpg
dressermirror1.jpg

[Stan Calow]

Thanks guys. I will forge ahead with your suggestions. Charles, I guess I was lazy in using knock-down, but couldn't think of a better way to describe it. I'll go with partial disassembly from now on.