Bench-Repair-2

Now that the garden-bench is disassembled, follow bench-repair-2 woodworking-tips and be on your way to a unique and beautiful new bench.

Starting with the bench's back piece. Remove the two horizontal rails and the two smaller vertical rails by removing all the screws holding them in place. Save the old wood to use as templates for the new pieces. Set the cast iron back piece aside for now... we'll come back to that later.

As mentioned above... I used the old rails as templates to create the new ones. Simply clamp the old rail on top of the lumber to ensure it doesn't move while making you marks.

NOTE:Make sure the old rails aren't warped and suitable for use as templates.

Cut-Out The Rails of Seat Back

Once you have the rails marked you can cut them out using a jigsaw. If you have a band saw that would work nicely as well. Since the horizontal rails for the garden-bench back are curved, a band saw or jigsaw is a must.

Woodworking-Tip:Notice the jigsaw is set to a slight angle. Check the rails from your bench for an angle cut using a sliding square or angle gage.

Now that the rails are cut, check the fit on the cast iron garden-bench back and make your adjustments as needed. I had to do some targeted sanding in a couple areas to ensure a tight fit.

Making The Seat Bottom Rails

Making the replacement rails for the garden-bench's seat is as easy as it appears. Simply measure each rail and cut the rails to fit.

DIY Advice: Remember the basic tip to measure twice and cut once. Use a table saw if you have one. If not a circular saw with a straight edge will ensure a straight cut on the bottom rails. Easy day for a DIY'er.