How not to build a bench seat

raniia

Hi All,

This is more of a project retrospective and me wanting to learn what I could have done better. 

After being inspired by @thehstyled DIY July project on Instagram, I set off on building my own bench seat. 

I used Specrite Timber Panel Red Oak which just happened to come in the exact size I wanted. For the legs I used Tasmanian oak. This was my first time working with hard wood and in hindsight, it was a foolhardy attempt. 

For starters, I drilled pilot holes which were too small. Probably used the wrong type of screws (broke a couple). I tried to glue and screw on the first go which resulted in the wood slipping everywhere and not coming together flush. To try and save money, I tried to use a water based stain and varnish in one. This was awful. It raised the grain and sanding removed everything and left me with patches that looked unstained. The colour also was not quite what I wanted but it was impossible to tell which colour I needed. 

In the end I did get my bench! It looks fine and is sturdy. But plenty of lessons to be learnt.

     Blonde patches where I sanded

Thanks all for the advice. 

EricL

Hello @raniia

Congratulations on your D.I.Y. furniture attempt, nothing yields more lessons than a first attempt. I don't want to overload you with information about furniture assembly. I do however recommend keeping the following tips in mind for your next attempt.

• Is your tool set complete? An investment in tools is vital to complete your assembly without any compromises. A complete drill bit set will save you a lot of time and you won't have to keep going back and forth to the store for a different bit. 
   
• Having clamps is like having an extra pair of hands and using a Kreg Hole Jig makes any join a professional join.
   
• Always draw your plan on paper so that you have a reference to look at in your assembly area. Your plans should also include the steps you need to take so that you can finish your project in a timely manner.

   

Your paint job is actually quite good, however, you must follow the prescribed steps for painting timber. No compromises or shortcuts are allowed in this very critical stage of the assembly. The paint finish is the icing on the cake, it compliments your assembly and takes it to the next level. 

The good news is that you used timber for your project and the best part of D.I.Y. is that you can re-visit this table and try again. If you ever find yourself asking a D.I.Y. question about a project you can always ask me and the friendly members of the community.

Here are some excellent projects our Workshop members have shared:

• Driftwood pot plant holder. by @Poppop
   
• Cow animal planter by @Jamespeter100
   
• D.I.Y. plant stand by @joineryjo

We look forward to seeing your next project.

Eric