Mike Allen1010
01-27-2021, 7:08 PM
This is a build thread of a beech Trestle style picnic table and benches build. My sister asked me to build this for my nephew who is graduating from paramedic school. My first project in beech which I chose because it was affordable and I hope tough enough to survive in an outdoor environment without being too massive/heavy. I’m going for a fairly “light” look that can be readily moved around.
Here’s a picture of the glue up of tabletop and benches.
https://i.postimg.cc/XNfmGG2W/1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2352g6R9)
As my boys would say, surfacing the tabletop was a real “Mission”! This beech is hard and not super hand tool friendly – definitely a work out with lots of visits to the sharpening stones.
https://i.postimg.cc/fyNPqDR1/2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/qv55V87s/3.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qN2L26yq)
Sawing to final dimensions was a fun hand tool task. Honestly I’m not sure else you would do this with power tools – I guess track saw?
https://i.postimg.cc/YSLyph4J/4.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XZ3gLNk8)
https://i.postimg.cc/hjxw0fc9/5.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qhJjJBtR)
Sawing tenons for bench legs and 10/4 stock was no joke. I used a shop built, 9 PPI backsaw that worked well. When sawing joinery and thick stock I subscribe to the timber framer school of saw selection – bigger is usually better.
https://i.postimg.cc/65zPzsJ1/6.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/Bn6VVhJZ/7.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/br9BKWGr/8.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4HnPc8QR)
Sawing bevel edges on feet for the benches.
https://i.postimg.cc/0jnVtS3J/10.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lgqk5JmH)
Here are the benches assembled. Bench tops are 4/4. After assembly I decided to add another piece of 4/4 stock to the bottom for additional stiffness. My nephew was a D1 offensive lineman goes a solid 270. Maybe I’ll ask him not to stand on it.
https://i.postimg.cc/J0MTcxTL/11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
I used 6/4 stock for the breadboard ends on the tabletop. I wanted the additional thickness to keep everything flat and I think visually it adds a little more balance/character to the table top. As much as I love my hard, sharp Japanese mortise chisels, when it comes to levering out chips IMHO nothing beats an old-fashioned pig sticker.
https://i.postimg.cc/xCKxzh35/12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
Gluing up the breadboard ends on the tabletop maxed out my supply of pipe clamps.
https://i.postimg.cc/y6ypYqdY/13.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/4N4LY87v/14.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
Here’s a picture of the glue up of tabletop and benches.
https://i.postimg.cc/XNfmGG2W/1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2352g6R9)
As my boys would say, surfacing the tabletop was a real “Mission”! This beech is hard and not super hand tool friendly – definitely a work out with lots of visits to the sharpening stones.
https://i.postimg.cc/fyNPqDR1/2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/qv55V87s/3.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qN2L26yq)
Sawing to final dimensions was a fun hand tool task. Honestly I’m not sure else you would do this with power tools – I guess track saw?
https://i.postimg.cc/YSLyph4J/4.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XZ3gLNk8)
https://i.postimg.cc/hjxw0fc9/5.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qhJjJBtR)
Sawing tenons for bench legs and 10/4 stock was no joke. I used a shop built, 9 PPI backsaw that worked well. When sawing joinery and thick stock I subscribe to the timber framer school of saw selection – bigger is usually better.
https://i.postimg.cc/65zPzsJ1/6.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/Bn6VVhJZ/7.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/br9BKWGr/8.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4HnPc8QR)
Sawing bevel edges on feet for the benches.
https://i.postimg.cc/0jnVtS3J/10.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lgqk5JmH)
Here are the benches assembled. Bench tops are 4/4. After assembly I decided to add another piece of 4/4 stock to the bottom for additional stiffness. My nephew was a D1 offensive lineman goes a solid 270. Maybe I’ll ask him not to stand on it.
https://i.postimg.cc/J0MTcxTL/11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
I used 6/4 stock for the breadboard ends on the tabletop. I wanted the additional thickness to keep everything flat and I think visually it adds a little more balance/character to the table top. As much as I love my hard, sharp Japanese mortise chisels, when it comes to levering out chips IMHO nothing beats an old-fashioned pig sticker.
https://i.postimg.cc/xCKxzh35/12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
Gluing up the breadboard ends on the tabletop maxed out my supply of pipe clamps.
https://i.postimg.cc/y6ypYqdY/13.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/4N4LY87v/14.jpg (https://postimages.org/)