I've been wanting to do a limited production run of entrance benches on spec and decided to come up with a new design !

For a change I'm going with turned legs, basically two inches on the bottom tapering to one inch on the top.

My previous benches had a leather seat sitting in a frame, the fabric was simply wrapped around the foam/plywood. This will have a seat "floating" one inch above the frame and its shape will be more like a "cushion".

For the arms I'm considering leaving hand plane marks as a texture. Bottom smooth, top textured.

There will be no leg to leg side rail, instead the rails will be moved to the inside.

I spent A LOT of time considering using through/wedged tenons and decided as much as I would like to show off that element would be distracting.

Concept drawing...

1 -The concept.jpg

Material to be used. BC maple @ 2 1/4" thick and the second bench with the most figured walnut board I have have the pleasure to come across @ 1 15/16" thick.

This will give me a chance to evaluate whether or not standard 8/4 material is thick enough for the legs.

If not, I will just have to keep the curly walnut bench for myself

2 - Maple board.jpg

Up for consideration was a very nice rift sawn cherry board, I decided to save it for the next run of benches as it is 1 15/16" thick...

The board on the right is a possible choice if the curly walnut plank does not yield all the parts, the bottom two pieces are the rails resawed from the curly walnut plank.

3 - Cherry and alt walnut plank.jpg

First consideration is the leg to rail joint. I turned two test legs to visualize the connection...

5 - Leg mock ups.jpg

If I go with a simple tapered leg, the rails will have to be shaped. Basically a tapered cove cut and after some thought decided it was simply too plain.

Instead I decided to leave a square section when turning the taper. This will give me a square to the world leg to rail joint.

The unturned section would be carved to fit.

Full size drawing.

4 - Full size drawing.jpg

Dry fit..

7- Dry assemble.jpg

Pretty basic turning using a 1" roughing gouge and a simple jig. I knocked off the corners of the legs on the bandsaw before turning...

6 - Turning template.jpg

To speed up shaping the unturned section, I made a simple jig for the bandsaw. Cut, rotate, repeat.. The cut is about 1/16" proud of the taper.

8 - Bandsaw leg.jpg

Continued...