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Circular bench at pool

User avatar
user-2409187 | Posted in Photo Gallery on December 27, 2018 11:05am

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  1. User avater
    user-2409187 | Dec 27, 2018 04:31pm | #1

    I am happy to discuss details with anyone interested. The design encourages pool party attendees to mingle and chat. Admittedly, space is limited. That's why the bench is built around the posts. A table and portable benches will be added. Pavers, reaching from the deck to the house will add an interesting contrast. They will match the existing pavers on the other side of the pool. 

    Individual bench legs are cut, dado-ed, glued and assembled. Fillets fill in dado cuts. To achieve an angled back rest the 2x4 back leg is run through the table saw. The cut-off  is inverted and glued back in place. The arc of the seat is established with 1x4 PVC boards and small blocks of wood screwed to the deck. The arc is lightly marked on the deck.  At 30" intervals the bench legs are secured to the deck with decor iron fittings. 1x4 PVC boards (spray painted black on the inside face) are screwed into place front and back. These will carry cedar seat boards. PVC will be convered with 3/8"x4" composite trim boards.

    1. User avater
      user-2409187 | Dec 27, 2018 04:50pm | #2

      Cedar seat boards and composite back rest boards

      The next step is to cut 5/4x5.5" cedar deck boards to length, taper them to fit the curve, and install them. Since this is a site-laid curve, it is not a perfect elipse. I make three different wedge cuts and install the seat boards so that the 1/8" gaps between them are even.

      Making the back rest is a bit more challenging. An curved board with a tilt is hard to install. I use 1" x 4.5" composite decking material, with a 3/8" dado cut into the both top and bottom boards. The bottom  backrest board has a shallow dado cut and the top board a deeper dado. This will allow me to slip vertical boards, 3/8"x4", into the grooves later on.

      All screw holes MUST be pre-drilled to a size a tad larger than the screw diameter. Failure to do this will cause the board to snap. I prefer to cut these backrest composite boards to length AFTER they are screwed in place. The ends of the boards will encounter the least amount of curvature. (Does that make sense???)

      1. User avater
        user-2409187 | Dec 27, 2018 04:54pm | #3

        Taper cut T-saw Jig

        Here's a photo of the jig that allows me to cut tapers on the table saw. The jig can be shop-made out of wood.

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