Wood Bench (HANDMADE)

This project is my final piece for the Wood 1 class at RISD. The goal of this course was to learn and apply fundamental woodworking techniques while exploring the relationship between material, structure, and function.

For this bench, I designed and built everything entirely by hand, using a variety of traditional woodworking tools and processes. Throughout the making process, I learned to select, measure, cut, and join solid wood pieces with precision. The bench combines simple, clean surfaces with more intricate turned legs, highlighting my exploration of both planar and organic forms.

The joints are made using classic joinery methods, which required careful planning and attention to detail to ensure stability and longevity without relying on metal fasteners. This purely handcrafted approach helped me gain a deeper understanding of wood as a living material, how grain direction and moisture affect the build, and how thoughtful craftsmanship can bring out the natural beauty of the wood.

The final bench is designed to serve multiple purposes — it can function as a seat, a low table, or an accent piece, inviting people to gather, rest, or use it flexibly in a living or working space. Through this project, I strengthened my hand skills, problem-solving abilities, and appreciation for the balance between design intent and material constraints.

The project began with a series of hand sketches exploring the overall proportion, leg profiles, joinery details, and construction method. I focused on creating a balanced visual rhythm by combining flat planes with turned, organic shapes for the legs and stretchers.

During this stage, I considered how each part would be fabricated, joined, and assembled by hand. I explored different lathe turning profiles for the legs, tested dimensions for stability and comfort, and mapped out the position of the stretchers to ensure structural integrity.

This initial drawing process helped clarify the relationship between each component — the top, four legs, and stretchers — and guided my decision-making for both material selection and tool usage later on.

In the early stage, I purchased a piece of South Yellow Pine from Home Depot to experiment with turning and joinery. However, I quickly realized that the wood was damp, which made it very heavy and unsuitable for lathe work — the moisture content would have caused problems during turning and assembly.

After discussing this with my instructor Mark, he advised me to switch to using kiln-dried hardwood from the RISD Store instead. Hardwood is more stable, durable, and much more appropriate for furniture making, especially when precise joinery and turning are involved.

This trial and error taught me the importance of selecting the right material at the right moisture level, and how wood choice directly impacts both the making process and the final quality of a piece.

To shape the bench legs, I started by cutting four rectangular hardwood blocks to roughly the same dimensions using a bandsaw. Accuracy at this stage was essential to ensure all legs would look balanced once turned.

Next, I marked the center on each block and drilled guide holes to help mount the wood securely on the lathe. Turning the rough blocks into clean, smooth cylinders required patience and steady handwork — I constantly checked the diameter and shape with calipers and a ruler to keep them consistent.

Once the basic cylinders were formed, I used the lathe again to carefully carve out the final leg profiles based on my sketches. This step taught me how to control the lathe tools, maintain symmetry, and appreciate the craftsmanship behind traditional turning techniques.

After turning the four legs, I moved on to making four stretchers using the same lathe method. Each stretcher needed to be accurately measured and turned to match the overall design and ensure the joints would fit tightly.

The stretchers not only connect the legs but also provide essential structural support to prevent wobbling and add stability to the bench. I tested different shapes and positions to achieve a balanced look and reliable strength.

Before final joinery, I did a dry assembly to check how all the parts aligned. This step was crucial for identifying any adjustments needed for the tenons and mortises to fit well. Seeing the bench frame come together for the first time was a satisfying moment that reinforced the importance of careful planning and precision during each step of the making process.

Originally, I planned to build the tabletop structure using four wooden strips connected together, then fill the surface with a woven pattern inspired by traditional weaving techniques. This idea was meant to highlight a balance between solid wood framing and open, flexible material.

To realize this concept, I needed to drill four precise holes in each wooden strip — two for connecting the longer beams and two for the shorter ones. However, when I started drilling the holes for the connecting beams, I realized that the drill bit completely split the narrow wooden strip.

This unexpected break taught me an important lesson about structural integrity: even a carefully planned design can fail if the material’s thickness and strength are not considered in relation to the joinery method. It pushed me to rethink my tabletop construction and adapt to the material’s limitations.

After the initial weaving concept didn’t work out, I decided to simplify the tabletop design and switch to using solid cherry wood boards for a more stable and durable surface. I went to the RISD store and selected two high-quality cherry boards.

First, I glued the boards edge-to-edge using wood glue, then clamped and let them set for two hours. Once the glue dried, I used a bench plane to smooth out the surface and ensure both boards were level and flush, creating a seamless tabletop.

Next, I polished the edges with 60-grit sandpaper to round the corners and remove any roughness. To achieve a fine, smooth finish, I sanded the tabletop in multiple stages — using 100-grit, 160-grit, 320-grit, and finally 400-grit sandpaper. This careful process brought out the natural grain and warmth of the cherry wood, giving the piece a refined and inviting look.

In the final stage, I carefully assembled all the components to complete the bench structure. I used a Japanese saw to trim off any excess tenons and pegs, ensuring a clean and flush finish at each joint.

To reinforce the connections, I crafted eight small wooden wedges and inserted them into the stretcher joints. This traditional technique helped tighten the joints, adding more stability and durability to the entire piece without the need for metal fasteners.

After the structure was secure, I did the final surface finishing. I used sandpaper progressively from 100 grit all the way to 800 grit, refining every surface to achieve a smooth and pleasant touch. This step emphasized the natural wood grain and gave the bench a warm, handcrafted character.

To protect the bench and bring out the warmth of the cherry wood, I finished the entire piece with Osmo Polyx-Oil, a popular hardwax oil known for its natural, durable finish.

Before applying each coat, I made sure the surface was completely dust-free by wiping it down with a clean tack cloth. Then I used a lint-free cotton cloth to rub a thin, even layer of oil onto all surfaces, following the direction of the wood grain to ensure a consistent look.

After each coat, I let the oil cure for about 8 to 12 hours, depending on studio temperature and humidity. Between coats, I lightly sanded the surface with 400-grit sandpaper to remove any raised grain or tiny dust particles, creating a smooth base for the next layer.

I repeated this process four times in total. Multiple coats help build up a strong, moisture-resistant surface while still allowing the natural wood texture to breathe and age beautifully over time. This finishing step gives the bench a subtle satin sheen, enhances the depth of the wood grain, and adds to its durability for daily use.

This final bench represents my first complete exploration of traditional woodworking techniques — from material selection and turning to joinery and finishing. Throughout this project, I not only improved my hand skills but also learned to adapt my design ideas when facing unexpected challenges.

I truly appreciate everyone who guided and supported me during this process, especially my instructor and classmates at RISD Wood Shop. Thank you for taking the time to view my project — I hope you enjoyed following my journey as much as I enjoyed making this piece.