First Order of Business

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! This past week we completed our first order of business!!! Friends of ours were enamored with our Farmhouse Benches(plans found here) that they "ordered" one for their table. Ok this was like months ago that they ordered this. But you know, because of work and family scheduling was difficult until this past weekend. The way this bench turned out is AH-mazing!! It's giving us bench envy lol. We want to scrap ours and build ones like these. We changed up a few things. First, we used 4x4's instead of two 2x4's on the legs. The we used a 2x12 for the seat and cut it down to size instead of using four 2x4's. This allows for less cleaning. No food escapees in the cracks. They purchased the top portion for about $45. It's Number 2 pine. Alle the other wood we had on hand(I believe).

Here is the 2x12x8 cut down to size and being sanded.

My husband did a nicely rounded edge.

Hubbs using a 20lb. weight to keep the wood in place a add pressure while waiting for the wood glue to set on an end apron. 

When you don't have a workshop or a real garage with proper equipment, then you have to be inventive.

Another piece drying.

Legs, feet(the hubbs) and aprons

Applying more aprons

Lylian riding Maddalaena's trike.

Ok onto the staining. This was an awesome opportunity for my friend and myself. I had never stained with stain and poly in one. And she is new to this DIY stuff(me too :)). So we both learned something. One, this stuff dries fast. Two, it's really HARD to apply even coats. Three, no real need for wiping, but we did anyway. And Four, use a staining brush to a foam brush.

The stain on the Douglas Fir legs. It's gorgeous isn't it? And this was one coat. She did three.

This is the frame next to one of her dining room chairs. We were trying to match this color.

The underneath of the board top. 

Minwax's PolyShades in Tudor Stain. I LOVE this color after a few applications!

Second coat on top!!

It's beautiful. That's all I can say. The bench itself was gorgeous, but now with the stain...it's like they were meant for one another, like my hubbs and me, or like chicken and dumplings! They are so good.

Here is the pretty much finished product. She sanded a little and added one more coat of stain.

And just some humor for your day :)

So any locals looking for some furniture? My hubbs is turning out to be quite the woodworker wink wink :).