The harmony garden bench was the first project in Steve Ramsey’s Weekend Woodworker course. This project demanded careful construction. I had to choose how to lay the wood slats for the final design to get a nice grain pattern on the final piece. I had to think ahead to make sure all the screws would be hidden in the final product. And I learned about polyurethane finishes and plastic wood – materials I had not worked with before. Overall, it was a great introductory project for a first-time builder.
See the walk-through below to learn more about the build.
Harmony Garden Bench: Project Walkthrough >>> 
First, I made the legs out of 3 layers of 1″ by 3″s. The middle layer was shorter to leave a slot for the stretchers. The screws only show on one side of the legs. 
Next I attached the stretchers to the legs. Here are the 2 halves before the other slats were added on. 
The next step was to add the rest of the slats. Here I’ve added the first layer. 
The pattern for this build was a horizontal slat and stretcher, followed by a vertical spacer, and repeat. 
Next I glued the two halves together. 
I attached the final slats on the outside. Notice how the leg screws are facing inwards, and no others are visible. 
Up close, it is easy to tell how uneven it was. I had a lot of sanding in front of me… 
Smooth and beautiful. 
I covered the leg screw heads with plastic wood. I used an oil-based polyurethane, since this needed to be water-resistant in a garden. I didn’t love the process of brushing on the finish. It took too long to apply and dry, and it was really messy. Still, I was pleased with the final look.
Wood That I 