Shaker Bench Built with Hand Tools

Click the photos to enlarge...

I found the plans to this bench in the Feb 2013 issue of Fine Woodworking Magazine. The stool is inspired by the simple clean lines and functionality of Shaker design. Even though the "classic era" of shaker design was mid-19th century, it has evolved to reflect a contemporary design that has influenced my woodworking. The bench was a challenge because it involved dado, mortise and tenon and dovetail joinery. Also, the bench was crafted using hand tools only...no machinery or power tools. Old School!

I chose Sugar Pine for the project because it cuts and shapes easily with hand tools. I prefer to use domestic lumber from managed sustainable forests.

The lumber was purchased surfaced to 3/4 in. thickness so planing the thickness wasn't necessary. I started by hand sawing the lengths. Next, the widths were cut by hand. I left a small amount of material on each edge that was planed smooth and square with a smooth plane and block plane.

Marking Gauge used to Mark the Tenon Length

Try Square Used to Mark the Tenon Width

Removing the Waste Between the Tenons

The legs were worked on next. A decorative arch was cut with a coping saw on each leg and a pair of  tenons were cut to fit the mortises that joined the top. After laying out the tenons, the outside shoulders were cut out with the dovetail saw. Once again the dovetail saw was used to cut the inside shoulders and the waste between the two tenons was removed with a chisel.

Top with Dado and Mortise Joints Cut

After the legs were finished, I started the top. The first step was to cut a dado joint 1 1/2 in. from the end and 1/8th inch deep. The purpose of the dado is to align the leg and prevent it from cupping. The mortises were cut to receive the leg tenons. Careful attention was necessary to align the leg and top to match mortise and tenon.  Both the dado and mortise were cut with the knife and chisel utilizing the knife wall technique explained in a previous post.

Braces cut to length with the Hand Saw and Miter Box

I have an interesting story about the hand saw shown above. A number of years ago we were visiting my wife, Susan's aunt in Riverside, California and she mentioned that there were some old hand tools in the garage that none of the family members seemed interested in. Some time later this particular saw interested me because it was designed for finish carpentry work. As I cleaned it up it revealed a beautiful walnut handle with brass fittings and more importantly, a trademark. I researched the trademark and discovered the saw was made by the Henry Disston & Sons Saw Works in Philadelphia and the trademark was used on saws manufactured from the 1860's through the 1880's. I took it to a saw shop for sharpening and was told that these saws are highly sought after because of their quality. I love to imagine the history of the saw, the men who used it and the work done with it. I feel I'm the caretaker of a legacy. 

Braces Cut to Size with the Dovetail Saw 

Cutting the Brace Dovetail on the Legs with the Dovetail Saw

Completed Dovetail Notches on the Top

The corner braces were dovetailed into the top and legs for strength. After the braces were cut, the next step was to mark and cut the dovetail notches that housed the braces.

Dry Fit Prior to Glue and Clamping.

After dry fitting the bench, a pair of kerfs were cut in each tenon to accept walnut wedges. The purpose of the wedges is to ensure the tenons fit tight. Once I was satisfied everything fit properly, the bench was glued and clamped. While the glue was still wet, the wedges were tapped into the kerfs. After the glue dried overnight, the protruding tenons, braces, and wedges were smoothed with a block plane. The bench was throughly hand sanded and a couple of coats of Tung Oil wiped on.

All in all this was a great project to build. It throughly tested my hand tool ability. The mortise and tenon joints are a little ragged, but I know I will improve with practice.