Mahogany Bench

That’s beautiful Dean!

-- Rex

Looks very elegant and sturdy, two adjectives that don’t often go together. It’s too bad there aren’t more pictures!

How did you surface the African mahogany? Planing, scraping, sanding? I have a few pieces and it’s a bear to get smooth. Very coarse, swirling grain that doesn’t seem to like being planed.

-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.

I really like that alot. Beautiful and simple in appearance and I bet its practically bombproof with those pegged stretchers.

handsome bench with nice proportions

-- Life is enjoyable especially when you borrow from people

I like it ! Attractive and obviously nice and solid. Great design !

-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""

Very nice looking bench. The Leg’s design is very attractive – I like it.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Thank you everyone for your kind comments!

Brian, this African Mahogany has interlocking grain, and tears-out like crazy! Since it was going to tear out anyway, I just ran it through the planer to get it about 1/32” over, and then sanded it starting with 80 grit, and working up to 220 grit. By then, it was glass smooth!

-- Dean

Well done, love the end pins

-- Norman

Novice question:

How is the seat attached to the legs?

Beautiful piece.

Chris,

First, there are no novice questions! The best woodworkers I know are the ones who are always asking questions!

The bench top is fastened to the legs with figure-8 fasteners. The tops of the legs are mortised out with a 3/4” Forstner bit to a depth of about 1/8”. Then the bench top is fastened to the other opening in the figure-8 fastener. Figure-8’s are used so that the top can expand and contract with the seasons, and the bench top just swivels around the tops of the legs.

-- Dean

Great work, very clean and some good-looking wood.

-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"

That’s just beautiful, Dean. Profoundly simple, solid and wonderful to actually get to use every day. The perfect project.

-- "I'm your huckleberry"

And now I know what figure 8 fasteners are. Never seen those before.

-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.

Very nice!

-- Chris G. ; Los Angeles, CA

Are the legs tapered, or is it an optical illusion? Very nice piece.

-- Thor and Odin are the greatest of Gods.