Tree to outdoor furniture

[Von]

Very cool. First time I've see this technique and style of furniture. Thank you for sharing.

[wtnhighlander]

@Mark J, the question of finish is still under debate. As of this moment, the plan is to apply a clear water seal (Thompson's, as it is convenient), leaving the option of a tinted coat open until we see how it ages with a little exposure. This cypress seems to go brown, rather than silver-gray, so that may be how it stays.

[Mark J]

Does the wood need to air dry before the seal coat?  Although that would take years I imagine.

[wtnhighlander]

Yes, that slab is about 7" thick, and would take years to air dry. I'm only hoping to slow the rate at which the surface dries out, so it won't be too splintery. As a "leave it under the trees" piece of furniture, expecting it to remain unchaged for more than a couple of years is not realistic.

[Mark J]

Sounds like you'll need a cordless sander for refreshing the seat.  Quick, there's still time to put it on you Christmas list! 

[wtnhighlander]

Final post for this one. This is with clear water seal applied.

And what park bench is complete without a bit a grafitti? Zoom in above the right leg to see the first work accomplished with the chip carving knives I obtained from @pkinneb a while ago.

[Beechwood Chip]

On 11/26/2025 at 7:20 PM, wtnhighlander said:

And what park bench is complete without a bit a grafitti?

Classic!

[Mark J]

The thing looks great.  

Did you end up gluing the M&T joints, or did you go with gravity?

[wtnhighlander]

Sticking with gravity for now. Much easier to move in pieces and re-assemble.

[Chet]

That came out really nice.  Really different project, I like seeing out side the box stuff being done here.

[wtnhighlander]

... and then there were two.

The second half of the cypress log had a chuck out, and was a bit too thick anyway. The same 'mark, kerf, cut' process I use with hand tools works fine with a chainsaw, too.

I have gotten my money's worth from this cheap electric saw, just on these benches. I was able to take a 3/8" slice (+1/4" kerf) off the seat area, no problem.

I used a simpler tenon shape for the legs this time.

Final height was a bit tall, so in improvised scribing tool let me mark where to cut the legs. 

I need to touch up a few sharp edges, then slather it in Thompsons wood sealer. Need a warmer day for that. Shop was 32*F today. Glad all my tasks allowed for gloves!

[pkinneb]

Too cool!!

[Mark J]

Another good looking piece.  Your tenon is an interesting shape, and much smaller than the tenon on the original bench.  How did you settle on the new design?  

[Chet]

That is coming out looking real nice.

On 1/18/2026 at 3:20 PM, wtnhighlander said:

I have gotten my money's worth from this cheap electric saw,

I bought a Craftsman electric chain saw a number of years ago for tasks around the yard and I was pleasantly surprised of its capabilities

[wtnhighlander]

9 hours ago, Mark J said:

Another good looking piece.  Your tenon is an interesting shape, and much smaller than the tenon on the original bench.  How did you settle on the new design?  

The first bench used a grid of 6 rectangular tenons. That design came to me when I was planning to wedge them into the mortices. When I decided to leave them loose for easy disassembly, the grid pattern seemed like unnecessary effort. The 'guitar pick' shape used on the second bench is easier to cut, sturdier, and forces the leg into the correct orientation. If I was a little smarter, I would have used 2 unique shapes, so the legs couldn't be swapped to the wrong end of the seat, as doing so will throw the seat off-level. The distance from the seat surface to the leg-mating surface is not quite the same at both ends.

[wtnhighlander]

One more related post ...

Having some leftover 'cookies', I decided to make a whimsical side table to go with the bench.

[Mark J]

That's great!  

[Von]

Very cool!

[Coop]

I can’t believe that I missed all of this. Both look great and my fav is the table with its refreshment.