Looking for ideas for connecting bench sections

[Bob WaltersJr]

Hi all - I'm fairly new here but have been woodworking for a while. I'm currently working on a table/bench to surround a fire pit like the one shown below. I'd like to make it so that one section can be easily removed to get to the firepit to load wood or clean it out. Does anyone have ideas on a connecting system for the sections so they're sturdy yet easy to disassemble to get to the fire pit?

Thanks!
Bob
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[Jamie Buxton]

For tool-free connection, I often use draw latches. They're called draw latches because they draw two parts together as they are closed. For outdoor use, I'd go for stainless ones. For that design, I'd put the latches on the underside, so they're not visible.

[Bob WaltersJr]

Excellent - thanks! I have not heard of those.

[Jamie Buxton]

Another way to approach it would be to make the seating as two pieces: a C-shaped piece, and a straight piece. Each pieces would have its own legs, and would stand up on its own. To get to the firepit, you just pick up the straight bench, and set it out of the way. Finish what you need to do, and move the straight bench back to close the opening in the C. No hardware needed.

[Gary Ragatz]

Jamie's answer sound reasonable, and I have no better solution to offer, but I do have a question. How, exactly, do you use a firepit like this? We don't have a firepit, but a number of our neighbors do - theirs are all free-standing, and they ring chairs around them so people can watch the fire, chat, and (at least sometimes) stay warm. But with the design you've pictured, wouldn't everyone be sitting with their backs to each other?

[Bob WaltersJr]

Great idea - thanks again Jamie.

Gary - this more a table than a bench. These solo stoves get very hot and to protect kids and dogs the owner wants a barrier between the stove and the chairs so it's really a table when there's a fire. A few other designs are below as example, but a key item is to not have the wood too close to the stove unless you put a metal ring on the edge of the table to protect the wood from the heat. Thus I was going to use a hex design with more space from the wood to the table but you still have to load the wood and clean out the pit once in a while so I want to make a section removable.
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[Gary Ragatz]

Got it - that makes sense. Thanks!

[Bob WaltersJr]

Now that I have the hexagon outer table built, I was told they'd like to move this into their sun room in the winter and use it as a table. If I make a removable table insert to fill the center, how would you support it from underneath? The only idea I can think of is to screw wood pieces to the underside of the hexagon that can pivot out for the insert to sit on but that doesn't seem to be very strong although maybe it would be enough. Any thoughts?

[Jamie Buxton]

Now that I have the hexagon outer table built, I was told they'd like to move this into their sun room in the winter and use it as a table. If I make a removable table insert to fill the center, how would you support it from underneath? The only idea I can think of is to screw wood pieces to the underside of the hexagon that can pivot out for the insert to sit on but that doesn't seem to be very strong although maybe it would be enough. Any thoughts?

You could make a hexagonal table with its own legs which just happens to fit inside the big table.

[Bob WaltersJr]

Excellent idea! Hadn't thought of that - Thanks Jamie.

[Bob WaltersJr]

Thanks for the ideas. I incorporated the removable section plus the free standing table insert. Some nice bright red threaded dowels connect the removable section. I think it came out pretty well.
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[Jamie Buxton]

Way cool!!

[William Fretwell]

I’m with Gary I’m afraid. Sat round lots of fire pits, never did one have a table surface around it. The fire pit was too hot to make a table of any use. Seems to be for a small pretty fire only.

[Keegan Shields]

Neat design Bob! It came out great.