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A do-it-yourself log bench can be assembled “in haste” in the form of a simple bench or a full-fledged structure with a backrest for comfortable rest. The structure is assembled from simple and calibrated logs, round timber scraps, boards and timber are used.
Pros and cons of a log bench
The popularity of benches made of natural material is explained by numerous advantages:
- Putting together an ordinary shop with your own hands is not difficult for any summer resident. The material will be the trunk of a cut dry tree. If there are stumps nearby in the garden, they will act as supports for the seat.
- The log bench looks aesthetically pleasing. Natural material fits into the thickets of the garden and is combined with any type of architectural ensemble.
- The practicality of using the bench is explained by the properties of wood. Logs do not freeze in cold weather and do not heat up in the heat. The bench provides comfortable sitting all year round.
- Logs are a natural material, which confirms the environmental friendliness of the bench assembled from them with your own hands.
- Using round timber of unusual shape allows you to create beautiful benches. They require virtually no maintenance and will last on the street for many years.
As for the disadvantages, wood itself is susceptible to destruction from moisture and temperature changes. You will have to regularly treat the bench with your own hands with an antiseptic, open it with drying oil or varnish in order to extend its service life and maintain its aesthetic appearance. Despite its attractiveness, a log structure will look awkward in a modern-style yard.
Types of log benches
If we consider in general terms, garden benches can be divided into two groups: with a back and without a back. It is difficult to list all the varieties by design. Craftsmen come up with different designs. Sometimes round timber is combined with other materials: boards, timber, concrete, stone. More often, log benches for summer cottages are found in the following designs:
- A classic bench without a back is a long seat made of logs sawn lengthwise. The support is two stumps, large stones, cinder blocks or pieces of round timber. You can make such a design with your own hands in 1-2 hours. The bench is not intended for long-term sitting, as the lack of a backrest and armrests affects back fatigue. The structure is installed in the garden for a short respite.
- A classic bench with a back provides the comfort of a long rest.The seat is similarly made with your own hands from a log spread along the length. For the back, a board or the second part left after sawing the round timber is suitable. The supports are made from scraps of logs. Thin round timbers are attached to them, acting as supports for the back.
Advice! Benches with backs are often equipped with armrests for ease of relaxation. - Fixed benches with a table are considered a special type of garden furniture. The structure is a non-demountable structure. A tabletop and two seats are mounted on common supports. The furniture is placed in the garden under a tall tree. In the shade at a table you can play board games, drink tea, or read a book.
- If you have the skill to work with a chainsaw, you can cut out the original bench yourself from a thick log. No legs needed here. For round timber, a quarter of the diameter is selected along the workpiece. To make it comfortable to sit on such a bench, you will need to find the trunk of a very large tree with a thickness of at least 70-80 cm.
- The circular bench is suitable for installation around the thick trunk of a growing tree. Here you can install supports from logs with your own hands. It is better to make the seats and backs from boards. The bench takes up little space, and many people can sit on it in a circle.
- A set of garden furniture consists of individual items. A table is a mandatory attribute. Near it there is a bench made of round timber with a backrest. You can cut out single chairs from stumps with your own hands. The base of the table is a piece of a thick tree trunk or a wide stump. The tabletop is made from boards.
Regardless of the design of log benches, they can still be divided into two groups: stationary and portable.In the first option, the supports of garden furniture are dug into the ground or the structure is so heavy that it is impossible to move it by hand. In the second option, the legs of the bench are not buried in the ground. The furniture is light; if necessary, it can be moved to the desired place.
What you need to make a garden bench from a log
Before you start making garden furniture with your own hands, you need to draw up a drawing, decide on a style, and think about the design of the future structure. Most summer residents refuse to develop a project, considering the construction simple. For such a case, you need to at least look at what a do-it-yourself log bench looks like in the photo in order to understand what to strive for.
The type of bench is determined depending on its location and purpose. If you plan to create a place for a short rest in the garden with your own hands, a simple bench or bench with a back will do. Massive structures are usually placed in the yard. It is advisable to place a set of furniture with a table under a canopy or the crown of a tall tree, in a gazebo.
The main building material is logs. The thickness of the round timber is chosen only after you have decided on the type of bench. It is advisable to avoid softwood logs. They release resin, which is very difficult to remove from clothes.
Additionally, boards, pieces of timber, screws, and nails may be needed. You definitely need an antiseptic, varnish or drying oil for painting.
The first tool you need is a chainsaw or electric saw. Without it, cutting and unraveling round timber will not work.Additionally, you will need a sharp hatchet, a grinder, a hammer, and chisels (if you plan to cut out patterns).
More information about making benches can be found in the video:
Drawings of benches made of logs
Dimensions of log benches
The owner calculates the dimensions of garden furniture individually at his own discretion. The length of the bench is not limited. The number of seats depends on this parameter. However, it is unreasonable to make benches longer than 2-2.5 m. It is better to build several benches with your own hands, but of shorter length.
To make a log garden bench comfortable, the seat width is made 50 cm. A comfortable backrest height varies between 40-50 cm, and it is better to make it yourself at a slight angle. It is important to correctly calculate the height of the legs. If the seat is raised too high above the ground or set too low, your legs will quickly get tired and numb. The optimal height of the legs is within 50 cm.
How to make a bench from logs with your own hands
The manufacturing technology of a bench depends on its type. In general terms, the actions are identical, but there are nuances.
Beautiful bench made of logs
Beautiful garden furniture is usually made to decorate the yard. Here it is optimal to combine different materials. A proven option is a bench made of logs and boards, or even better, add timber to the structure. The round timber must be cleared of bark, dried well, and polished.
Only the supports are made from the logs of a beautiful bench with your own hands. Each rack consists of two round timbers stacked on top of each other. The supports are connected to each other by a long thick beam. To do this, cut grooves in the body of the logs for the jumper with your own hands using a chainsaw.
The backrests are similarly made of timber. The seat is one wide or two narrow boards.The back of a beautiful bench is carved. Patterns are drawn on the boards and cut out with a jigsaw. You can make a separate carved frame for the back and secure it above the last board.
Log bench with back
To quickly build a bench, and even with a backrest, it will be possible from three long logs and two round timber 50-60 cm long. The tools you will need are a chainsaw and an ax.
One long thick log is split lengthwise into two halves. These will be blanks for the seat and back. Two other long, but smaller diameter round timbers are buried in the ground at a slope. These will be the backrest posts. In order for them to stand securely, horizontally laid short logs are attached to the supports at the base of the ground, having first cut out recesses in them with an ax. One half of the sawn log is placed on top of the round timber. In order for the seat to fit securely, recesses are also cut out under it on the chocks with an ax. Using a similar method, the second half of the sawn log is attached to the backrest posts. The finished bench is opened with drying oil.
Chopped log bench
Using the log house method, they make chopped garden furniture with their own hands. Here you will need to do a lot of work with an ax and a chainsaw. The materials used are only thick round timber of different lengths. This version of garden furniture rarely involves making a single bench from logs. The chopped design looks beautiful in a single design of benches with a table.
For seats and tabletops you will need 5-6 halves, spread along the logs. It is easier to do the work on a sawmill, but if one is not available, you will have to use a chainsaw.The basis of the composition are two common racks made of thick round timber laid horizontally with your own hands. Using an ax to make indentations along the edges, the seats are laid.
To raise the tabletop, cut logs are placed in the center on the supports. The length of the round timber should correspond to the width of the future tabletop. On logs, using an ax, you select recesses in the same way. Lay the remaining halves of the logs. The finished tabletop is processed with a plane or sander to create a flat surface.
The video shows chopped furniture:
Table-bench made of logs
It is more comfortable to sit at the table if you install benches with backs instead of benches. Likewise, it is more convenient to produce a composition in a single structure. If you choose only round timber as the material, then assembly is carried out using the method of making chopped furniture.
To simplify the task, some elements can be replaced with timber. For example, install stands for the backs of benches. If you still want it simpler, then logs are used only for the basis of the entire composition. The table top, seats and backs of benches are assembled from boards. However, the furniture looks more beautiful if it is made entirely of round timber.
Bench made of calibrated logs
A special feature of the design is the use of logs processed on a lathe for its manufacture. The workpieces are distinguished by a perfectly flat surface without protrusions or bends. Such materials remain after the construction of a bathhouse or country house.
In reality and in photos, benches made of rounded logs look like a neat design. Assembly is carried out using the method of making chopped furniture. A calibrated log goes well with timber. It is convenient to use for a longitudinal bridge between supports, as well as as backrest posts.
Bench made from scraps of logs
If you have pieces of logs 50-100 cm long lying around at your dacha, they can also be used to build a bench. When using such round timber, you will get a comfortable bench that resembles a sofa. Two supports are made from four logs laid horizontally. A piece of board is placed on top, which will act as a seat. The back of the sofa is made of logs installed vertically. If you attach round timber to the edges of the seat, you will get excellent armrests.
Bench made of birch logs
An original chair, reminiscent of a chaise longue, will be made from scraps of birch logs. You will need from 15 to 50 blanks of the same length. The quantity depends on the size of the bench and the diameter of the logs. It is optimal to choose round timber with a thickness of 15-20 cm. The basis of the chair is a thick metal plate. It is given a bend that forms the seat and back.
Birch logs are laid out on a metal frame. The mounting points are marked on the plate and holes are drilled.
Each log is screwed with self-tapping screws. The aesthetics of the bench are given by white birch bark. If it is smooth without bumps, it can be preserved by soaking it in an antiseptic. Additionally, the chair is treated with drying oil or clear varnish.
Bench made of logs and boards
The simplest version of a bench without a single nail can be assembled with your own hands from two round timbers and a wide board. The tools you need are a chainsaw, a hammer and a chisel. First, two thick round timbers 70-80 cm long are sawed off and installed vertically. At a height of 50 cm from the ground level, mark the place where the board for the seat will be inserted. The recesses are cut out with a chainsaw, and the grooves are straightened with a chisel. Now all that remains is to insert the board, and the bench is ready.
Half-log bench
If a log sawn lengthwise is left in the yard after construction, making a bench will take 20-30 minutes. For supports, use a chainsaw to saw off two round timbers with a length equal to the width of the half-log. Use an ax to select recesses in the workpieces. The round logs are laid on the ground with the grooves up, and a seat is installed. Fixation with nails or self-tapping screws is optional. The grooves on the supports need to be more precisely adjusted to the semicircular side of the half-log, and it will be securely fixed under its own weight.
Decorating a bench from a round log
Each type of wood has its own beautiful texture and needs to be preserved. It is not advisable to paint log benches with enamels. When decorating, it is optimal to use transparent and colored varnishes, stain, and drying oil. Before painting, wood is given its beauty mechanically. You can use a chainsaw to make original patterns on a log bench by lightly running a chain to make small dents. Wood burned with a blowtorch or gas burner looks beautiful. Threaded patterns are cut out with a jigsaw, using chisels with different blade widths.
To keep garden furniture looking presentable longer, it is advisable to varnish it in spring and autumn. For the winter, portable benches are brought into the barn, and stationary structures are covered with film.
Conclusion
You can easily create a bench made from a log with your own hands if you use soft wood. However, such wood disappears faster from precipitation and sun. If the furniture will be standing outdoors all year round, it is better to put effort into processing oak, beech or other hardwoods.
