- 1). Look at your fallen log or branch. Note the widest parts, which is where you will get the largest pieces of wood for your project. Make cuts at logical points, those that will allow you to make the longest and widest sheets or chunks of lumber.
- 2). Trim away small attached branches and any broken or split ends. Do not attempt to make "square" pieces at this point. The idea is to get the main shape of the log rather than to create stock lumber.
- 3
Very basic tables and benches can be connected, as with picnic tables.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
Cut the wood using a rip saw, which is a vertical bladed saw designed to cut long pieces of wood, taking as thin a cut as possible. Trim away the bark on the left and right sides of the log. Make slices that are between 1 inch and 4 inches thick for tabletops. Bench pieces can be as thick as you wish, up to the entire width of a chunk of log. Much of the bark will still be attached, as you trimmed only the right and left sides. Try different arrangements of the largest pieces to see if you like the resulting shapes. - 4). Dry fresh or "wet" wood out of the weather, to avoid stained, warped or cracked wood. Because the ends of planks dry out sooner than the middle, apply latex paint to plank ends, to slow their drying. Stack freshly cut boards atop a level surface of 4x4s, starting -- and separating each layer -- with 1x1s or other thin pieces of wood, "stickers," to allow air to circulate between boards. Line up the 1x1s directly above each other, to prevent boards from bowing. Each layer of boards should be the same thickness. For air drying, the general rule is to allow one year of drying time for every 1 inch of thickness.
- 5). Sand the pieces, using coarse to extra fine sandpaper in order, until you have a smooth, satiny finish. Apply stain, varnish or shellac to smooth surfaces, if desired. Allow to dry between coats. Seal all pieces with several coats of clear acrylic wood treatment.
- 6). Measure your pieces. Cut legs to the height you wish. Most benches will be 18 inches high and about 15 to 18 inches deep for greatest user comfort. Dining or craft tables are typically 30 inches high. End tables are rarely higher than 24 inches. Sofa benches are often as tall as 30 inches.
- 7). Butt pieces together to make the shape you desire. If they do not meet perfectly and you do not want gaps, you will now have to square at least one side of each piece. Snap a chalk line where it will make a straight line across the piece while removing the least amount of wood once cut.
- 8). Butt the now-flat edges together and use carpenter's glue, biscuit joinery or dowel and bung joinery to hold the pieces together. In biscuit joinery, you cut a mortise into the edge of each piece and apply carpenter's glue inside each mortise. Apply carpenter's glue along the length of the two sides you wish to join. Push a biscuit, which is an oblong, flat piece of wood, into the mortise of one piece; then shove the pieces together so that the biscuit holds both pieces in place. Dowel and bung joinery works in nearly the same way, except you are drilling a hole the diameter of the dowel and pushing the dowels into the holes. Use clamps if needed to hold the pieces together until the glue dries. If desired, cut cross braces to screw to the underside of your newly joined piece.
- 9). Lay out a rectangle or square on the underside of your table top or bench seat, using chalk lines or tape. This enables you to make corners and edges flush while keeping the odd shape of the table top intact. Drill pilot holes for your table legs and corner supports.
- 10
Decide whether to use legs and supports cut from thick branches or use rough-cut wood only for the table top or seat. If cutting legs, you will have to use the rip saw on all four sides to remove as much bark as possible while removing the least amount of wood, or you can leave the bark intact. You can also choose to sand away the bark, or turn the legs on a lathe. Sand the legs on all sides, going from coarse disks to extra fine, and seal as in Step 4. - 11
Cut the ends of all legs or supports to a 90-degree angle using a table saw and miter fence. Drill pilot holes down through the table top or bench seat top and into the legs or posts. Countersink the holes. Attach legs to tops using brass wood screws. Screw length and diameter should be proportionate to the thickness of the table top and the length of the legs, as well as the diameter of the legs. A 3-inch-thick tabletop being attached to 24-inch-long legs should have screws at least 4 inches long. If the legs are 1 inch in diameter, the screws should be 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch. If the legs are thicker than 4 inches, the screws can be 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in diameter.
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