LifeStyle Channel presenter Brendan Moar.
Materials
- Treated pine planks and posts
- Electric drill
- Hand plane
- Hand saw or electric saw
- Ruler or measuring tape
- 50mm hot-dipped galvanised bugle-head screws
- 4 x L-shaped metal brackets
Instructions - Table
- Lay table -op upside down on ground. Position cleats 200mm from each end and one in the centre in the opposite direction to the tabletop slats.
- Pre-drill holes and screw together with 50mm bugle head screws.
- Secure each plank through the cleats using two screws.
- Plane away the edges of the cleats to a smooth edge.
- Place the crossrails diagonally across the frame positioned 100mm from the
edge of the tabletop. - Cut a halved housing joint through each and fit them together in a cross formation.
- Place small rectangular off-cuts from the cleats across the four ends of the beam. Fasten with two screws.
- Turn the crossbeam around and screw to the underside of tabletop through cleat off0-cut sections.
- Cut shoulders into the top of each leg (made from a treated pine log cut to desired table height). Pre-drill holes and then screw legs to the crossbeam.
- Turn table over and add L-shaped metal brackets from the underside of the table to the crossbeam at the leg position.
- Plane the edges of the tabletop.
Instructions - Bench
- Cut shoulders into the top of the four legs of each bench.
- Fit a rectangular rail across the two pairs of legs (rails can be made from bench-top off-cuts). Screw in place to fasten pairs of legs together.
- Cut 8 (4 for each bench) triangular angle brackets (right angled) out of similar woo off-cut. Screw two of these to each of the base assemblies.
- Place the top planks along the length of the bench. Pre-drill holes and screw onto the base assemblies, countersinking visible screws as you go.
- Repeat for second bench.
The outdoor setting can be painted with decking stain or left raw.
