Project Spotlight
A versatile fabrication project combines steel construction and woodworking to create a functional outdoor bench that easily converts into a picnic table.
SAFETY FIRST
Before you start any project involving welding, make sure you have the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which includes, at least, an ANSI-approved welding helmet, safety glasses, appropriate welding gloves for the process you’re using, and a flame-resistant shirt, jacket, or sleeves to protect from UV rays and burns. You should also keep a fire extinguisher close at hand. Use adequate ventilation when welding. Use an approved respirator if exposure to welding fume cannot be controlled, or if welding outside and natural air movement is not sufficient to keep welding fume out of your breathing zone.
Folding Bench-to-Table for Outdoor Seating and Picnicking
Our ability to gather in large numbers has been somewhat limited in recent months. Sometimes our best options are quiet moments of isolation in an outdoor setting. In this issue of ARC, Jimmy DiResta builds a multi-purpose folding structure designed for communing with nature. In one position, it’s a comfortable bench for relaxing in an open, outdoor space and enjoying the fresh air. In another, it’s a table that seats four to six people for a backyard picnic or other small gathering outdoors. However you use this versatile bench-to-table unit, ARC wishes you a safe and healthy summer.
Step 1:
Start with a wood pattern model to test all angles and pivot points to ensure balance and freedom of movement. Rough cut the 16-gauge tube steel. Keep in mind as you lay out the parts and cut them that you’ll need two sets – one left, one right – and each one needs to be a mirror image of the other. Use a band saw for the finer cutting, and a large double-sided sander to smooth out the edges. Remember that with most welding projects like this, the cuts don’t have to be perfect. You have leeway.
Step 2:
Tack weld the legs and horizontal supports for either side of the table and bench structure. Use the band saw to do the finer cuts. Use the wood pattern for the initial tack-up, then use the initial tack-up as a guide for the subsequent tack-ups. Once you’ve done the tacks and tested the folding mechanism, you may need to do a bit of trial-and-error cutting and tapping to get the angles to align properly.
Step 3:
Drill a hole to accommodate the 3/8-inch bolt at the pivot points on each side structure. Attach a nut to each bolt to serve as a stopper. Join the side pieces at their pivot points by lining up the holes, inserting the bolt in each hole, and tacking the bolt in place. Again, you may have to tweak the pivot points and the angles to make each side assembly true to itself and to its counterpart on the opposite side. Once you're confident that both assemblies are properly balanced and pivoting smoothly, finish the welds that you tacked in the previous step. Smooth out the finish by grinding at the joints.
Step 4:
Cap the curves on each side assembly by heating, bending and tacking the 1 x 1/8-inch strip along the contour of the rounded cut. The square ends can be capped the same way (minus the bending), although another option (as shown here) is to cap them off with a layer of metal body filler and then grind down the filler after it has dried and cured. Use the larger sander for the finer grinding on the curved ends.
Step 5:
Attach the side assemblies by inserting the pins into the pivot holes and welding them at the opposite ends. Test the alignment and pivot range of each assembly, and weld stoppers to the planks as needed. If you tested sufficiently in the earlier steps, there should be little if any need for stoppers. Finish capping off the square ends with the 1 x 1/8-inch metal or metal body filler that can be sanded later.
Step 6:
Weld horizontal 1x1-inch steel tubing underneath both bench seats to connect and reinforce the overall structure. Weld two additional 1x1’s to connect and reinforce the legs of the stationary bench. Seal off the last of the squared edges using either of the techniques explained in steps 4 and 5.
Step 7:
Coat the entire structure with exterior glossy paint. Be ready to apply a second coat, at least on the metal body filler spots if not the entire structure.
Step 8:
Cut the hemlock planks to length for the benches and tabletop. Age the wood by applying a light coat of spray paint and then sanding it off . Follow with a coat of varnish (both sides, all edges) as protection against the elements. Bolt the planks to the folding structure at either end with zinc-coated screws. Bolt the 1 x 1/8-inch steel strips to the underside of the tabletop and bench planks to provide further support and reinforcement.
Materials
1 x 3-inch tube steel with 16-gauge wall (approx. 30
feet)
1 x 1-inch tube steel with 16-gauge wall (approx. 30
feet)
(10) 6-foot lengths of 1 x 4-inch hemlock (or other
wood of your choice)
1 x 1/8-inch steel strips (approx. 10 feet)
3/8 2-inch bolts (4)
(56) 2-inch zinc-coated screws
Rust-resistant paint (black, gray or preferred color)
Wood varnish
Metal body filling compound
Welding/Cutting Equipment and Tools
Lincoln Electric Power MIG 210 MP
Lincoln Electric Power MIG 140 MP
CNC cutter
Grinder
Band saw
32-inch double-sided sander