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My sister in law had seen a few "live edge" benches at an arts and crafts show. I offered to build her one.

The lumber was harvested from a tree that was cut in the Atchafalaya Swamp many moons ago. Imagine a poor soul wading through muck and mosquitoes to arrive at the base of this old growth cypress tree and then attacking it with an axe for hours and hours. Finally felling the tree, it would have been limbed and then dragged or rolled into the water to be lashed to other logs in a raft to be floated to a mill. But this log sank. Maybe 80 to 150 years ago. And there it sat. In that muddy water until a guy I found on craigslist located it and retrieved it. Winching it up to the side of his skiff and then bringing it near his home in Bayou Sorrell, Louisiana so that he could drag it by tractor to his backyard mill. And even in being particularly "particular", I had no idea that the finished project would be so beautiful.

New for me?
Through mortises, biscuit joining on the stretchers, preserving roughness and character in the lumber as I milled and ripped it, danish oil, shellac, Breewax

Super fun project. I highly recommend!

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Comments

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14 Posts
Beautiful bench and a good conversation piece.
 

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9,509 Posts
Absolutely Gorgeous.
 

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19,753 Posts
Love it very cool,nice work.
 

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1,517 Posts
Absolutely fantastic piece
You sure gave that wood the respect it deserves
Great story as well

Jamie
 

· Banned
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2,577 Posts
That is a very nice bench and the Sinker Cypress really makes it stand out.
Did you get your cypress from Durwin on Hwy 75 in Plaquemine?
 

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1,049 Posts
Fantastic craftsmanship. It looks amazing. The wood is nice.
 

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9 Posts
Greg

I bought it from a man who lives in Bayou Sorrell. To Jack Millers and then left for a cpl miles. Super nice guy. Its air dried so not suitable for every project. Name is Winstead. Are you near Baton Rouge? Im having a hard time getting box joints in some 3/4 walnut speaker boxes. Im getting some bad tearout on exit. Im using the incra ibox I have 15 boxes to make for Christmas presents and my saw has burnt a switch. Very frustrating.

I have a ph number for the sawyer if you need it.
 

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2,584 Posts
Beautiful work. Some of the grain resembles zebra wood.
 

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0 Posts
Nice work. My saw dust covered hat is off to you.
 

· In Loving Memory
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10,077 Posts
Jeff, I have been craving some sinker cypress and yours is especially nice colored/grained. You did a great job on the bench and did that cypress proud.

As far as the tear out on your box joints- 2 thoughts: are your blades SHARP? and are you using a fresh backer board? The backer seems very critical to prevent tear out.
 

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9 Posts
Gfaddvm

I had lowered the blade 1/32" without refresing the backer. When my saw is recommisioned Ill rectify this. The blades had cut cleanly on the bench project. I actually built two additional nantuckets in knotty red cypress. Modern cut. Not sinker. Still though, I dropped the blade to a local sharpener today. I'll get that back tomorrow.

Thanks

And thank you to everyone for the kind remarks.
 

· In Loving Memory
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10,077 Posts
Jeff, Glad you got it figured out. As you now know, you need a new backer every time you change the joint height OR width.
 

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Gfadvm

How much sinker are you looking for?? Where do you live? Maybe we can swap some local harvest??
 

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31 Posts
Nice bench, I get my cypress from the same guy, beautiful wood
 

· In Loving Memory
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Jeff, I sent ya a pm.
 

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117 Posts
Beautiful bench from beautiful wood
 
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