Synopsis: David Snediker designed his wife’s garden bench with an eye to damp weather and little maintenance. He made it from 6/4 Spanish cedar to cut the price, which involved laminating some parts – helping improve the bench’s strength. He chose copper rivets and marine epoxy to help the bench last, too. He used thin back slats to avoid vertical mortises and give the back some depth, and he shares his method for arriving at fair curves for the arms and seat stretchers. The article includes construction notes and a detailed project plan, as well as side information about copper rivets.

Every spring, when the gardening catalogs arrive in the mail, I know it’s about to happen again. My wife will leave the catalogs open, turned to the pages with the garden benches, and she’ll ask me to make one for her. This has gone on for years now, and…