Garden bench

Prenderb

Hi all
Just finished rebuilding a garden bench, you know the one with cast iron sides (this one has cast iron back too) and slats of timber for the seat. There are 5 slats, and I used 2x1 cedar for this. It's awful springy and my fear is that there'll be a catastrophe if anyone sits on it who's heavier than one person.

Any thoughts on strengthening it, or whether I need to re-do the seat with a different timber? The cedar is 42x17mm.

Wisdom and experience gratefully received. I've only got 2 ideas at the moment - glue and screw another length of timber beneath the slats, or replace with something else.

Thanks.

Corkey123

I have a similar setup. There is typically a metal strip/piece that supports the centre of the wood slats. It screws into each of the slats and into the back frame.

If you can replicate this it may be enough to stabilise and bear a 'reasonable' weight.

Prenderb

Cheers, yeah there are 2 straps, one each side coming about 1/3 or 1/4 of the way in from each side.

Guru Maith Agut

17mm sounds awfully thin.. I have an old bench outside similar to yours but the boards are 24mm thick and even though it is well past its sell-by date it does still support a generously proportioned person. ME! 😂

I'd be suggesting to go again. Perhaps if you had more cedar you could bond 2 boards together per lath..? That would give a far better support.

Prenderb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117617603#Comment_117617603

I think this is the way forward. That said, before I do that I'm going to try and get a strap made up for the centre of it, if I can. This is the last try before getting different timbers.

kadman

You have a few problems here with this seat

1. Cedar is the wrong choice for strength. Its a softer material than say Teak that would have been a better choice.
2. Timber thickness is way,way too lite. Needs to be at least 25mm or more.
3. And missing any structural straps below the seat rails means that the load of a seated person is not spread over the seat.

Prenderb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117681545#Comment_117681545

1/2 - Yeah, I know that now. To be honest I bought timber that was nominally 2x1, and the reality is that it's planed so much these days that the thickness is really gone from it. A while since I bought timber in this sort of size for this sort of work.

3 - I'm seeing can I get some straps made up. I like the cedar and I don't like the idea of buying more timber for the project just now! But I will if I have to.

Thanks for help! :)

kadman

If you have to you could attach timber laths to the bottom of the seat, and 90degrees to the long laths.

Not ideal but if you cant get the metal straps it will help.

tabby aspreme

Straight wallplate straps may be suitable for what you need OP, they come in different lengths and thickness, with the heavier type about 4mm thick and a metre long, the bigger hardware shops will have them

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117708407#Comment_117708407

Yes thats a thought, but are his existing laths heavy enough to take a decent screw?

tabby aspreme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117709317#Comment_117709317

Good question, careful drilling of pilot holes, and screwing by hand might work, otherwise small cup head bolts may be needed, the groove for the timber in some of those old benches with the cast iron ends, is narrow and wouldn't take a plank more than 20 mm.