I picked up today where I left off yesterday by profiling the remaining three legs. I followed this by adding an edge detail to the long edges of the seat board. Again I pressed my single moulding plane into service. Then using my #4 to round over the remaining bits. A little sanding here and there and I was ready for the final assembly. This bench must be assembled in a particular way. I described this procedure in an earlier post and had a request for a video to clarify my description. Making a video is not something I’ve done very much. Nor do I understand the ins and outs, but I took a stab at it. At the very least, it does show the sequence.
With the assembly together all that remained was to wedge each joint and peg the end stiffeners in place. Once the wedges were installed I needed to trim them flush. This was a simple affair on the seat but the legs took a little more effort. On the legs the short rail tenons intersect with the profiling. To trim the tenons flush required the use of a gouge. I trimmed the bulk out-of-the-way with the gouge and followed with the moulding plane. With that the assembly of the Chinese Gate bench was complete.
I spent several minutes inspecting the bench and touching up any blemishes that I found. Then I applied the first of what will be several coats of BLO.
I’ll spend this week applying a coat of Tried & True oil every day. Next weekend will see this project completed. I’ll take a few dog & pony photos and then call it done.
Greg Merritt
HILLBILLY DAIKU 
Awesome piece! The video was a nice tough. So no glue? Even more impressive, this bench will last a couple generations.
Thanks Siavosh. Yep, no glue. Just wedges and few bamboo pegs. Which is something I’ve wanted to pull off for quite a while. Its very solid and I think it will stand the test of time.
That video was the most nerve wracking thing I’ve done in a long while. LOL
Greg
Beautiful,Beautiful work Greg!!
Thank you very much Dan.
Greg
Wow, the angled joinery on that is crazy Greg. I know you said “it’s just mortise & tenon joints”, but when you add in the angle through the seat, and the interaction of the stretchers and seat supports this turns out to be a fairly complex bit of layout and assembly.
I just read through the series of posts on this project. What a great project. I really like the joinery you incorporate into your projects, that something that I want to improve on myself.
I swear its not as complicated as it may look. Really! This was my first attempt and even I was able to pull it off without remaking anything. 🙂 All of the layout is tackled in the full-size shop drawing and all distances are marked directly from it to the work pieces. Almost like paint by numbers…almost.
I’m fascinated by joinery. The more I do, the deeper the fascination.
Greg
Great looking bench, and a wonderfully complicated assembly.
Thanks for the video, it sure does clarify the assembly process.
Brgds
Jonas
Thanks Jonas. The video was my last resort. The process is straight forward but exceedingly difficult to explain in writing.
Greg
Thank you! That video brought it all together for me. No kidding no glue; nothing is moving anywhere. Plus it looks like the more weight gets put on it as it’s used, the tighter it gets. Really neat piece.
You welcome and you owe me! The most difficult part of this project was making that video. 😉 Like I told you…way outside of my wheelhouse.
This is probably the most sturdy piece of furniture that I have ever built. With the wedges installed everything is rock solid.
Greg
Well it turned out great. I see more video in your future.
Actually, I thank you for the nudge. Video is something that I have been meaning to add but I just keep putting it off.
Fantastic end result, who is going to sit on it, with the amount of work you do I guess you don’t get much sitting around time.
The video was a nice touch it really showed the quality of all of the joinery ,
Thanks for sharing
David
David, thank you. My backside will see this bench at least twice a day. 😉 Once in the morning when I put my shoes on and once in the evening when I take them off. I really don’t work all of the time, just steady.
Greg
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