Log-Leg Bench

I built this bench last year for a fund-raising auction. It was fairly popular and easy to make.

The method of construction is very straightforward:

Build the seat as a small platform. Here the seat is 42" long by about 26" deep.

Cut four legs out of a log and notch them to fit on to the ends of the bench. I notched these with a small electric chainsaw. 

Put arms on top of the legs.

Put a back-rest on top of the arms. I angled the back-rest here a bit. I think it looks nice, but isn't really required. Once you put some screws through the back into it, its not going anywhere. I would have used a large branch for this if I had one.

Put the back on. I attached the back pieces to the back-rest with screws, then put screws up through the seat into them.

 I put a bit of darker stain on it to bring the rough-sawn texture out of the wood, then sealed it with outdoor finish.

I made the coffee table with the cut-offs and some slate mosaic I had left over.

Costs: Nothing - Everything here was either given to me or was left over from other projects.

Sink and Cabinet for the Beach House

I found this sink on Craigslist for $75. I was lucky enough to see it right after it was posted, called the seller immediately, and went over and picked it up.



It's a 1932 American Standard in perfect condition - no cracks, chips or damage. The reason she was selling it was that it leaked on the hot side, and she didn't know how to fix it. She had already installed something else, or I would have tried to repair it for her. I like getting good deals, but I don't want to take advantage of people.

I pulled out the valve assembly, cleaned everything, put in new washers and brass screws, and it works great. Home Depot sells these replacement parts - 80 years after the sink was manufactured. I've become an American Standard fan.

To buy this sink in working condition from a dealer is around $400, even with some small chips in it.



The sink came with some chrome legs that weren't in very good condition and were short, so I decided to make a cabinet instead of use them. The space for the sink is small, so the cabinet is just the same width at 22".



The inspiration pieces are from Pottery Barn, ranging from $1600 to $2100.

I made the cabinet out of fir. I had a large amount of it given to me a number of years ago, and I'm finally getting around to using some of it.

My wife and I agreed to do a single drawer, with a shelf below for baskets. 

This whole thing is put together with pocket screws. I'm not a big fan of pocket screws for free-standing furniture - I don't think they are really durable. But since this cabinet will be secured to the wall and not move, they are good choice: fast and easy.

We decided to stain this (and the future cabinets I'll build for the kitchen) a weathered gray.



I'm working on a matching medicine cabinet now. I hope to post on it in a few days.

Costs: $95

• $75 for the sink
• $6 for washers and screws for repair at Home Depot
• $14 for 14" full extension drawer slides at Home Depot
• The wood was free
• The knob was in my misc hardware bin

I would add $30 for the wood if had purchased it, giving $125 total.

I hope to be installing it soon. I'll do a follow-up here once it's in place.