Building a Cedar Bench \\ Simple Woodworking

This week I am building a beautiful cedar bench for a bathroom space.
I loved using mortise and tenon joinery on that project and hope that it will demystify the process for you ! All you need is a router and a table saw !
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Affiliate links to products used here (These earn me commissions which support the channel):
Halcyon Clear Finish: amzn.to/4d0EmVe
DeWalt Router Edge Guide: amzn.to/4f9yue7
DeWalt Plunge Base router kit: amzn.to/4fheaI2
DeWalt Palm Router: amzn.to/3zIa0sr
CMT Ripping Blade: amzn.to/4bObzCv
Figure 8 Fasteners: amzn.to/4d3jqNl
1/4" Router bit: amzn.to/3LtlkeE
#woodworking #furnituremaking #handmade #diy

[@philiplloyd7282]

Greetings from the other side of the pond. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Beautiful bench and fantastic presenting style. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thank you very much ! Looking forward to creating more content !

[@basrutten1767]

👍 Nice build and well done on the video, it has a very good pace.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thanks ! Still trying to figure it all out but I'm glad you like it !

[@jsmxwll]

that came out looking great! you built that bench really well and the miters aren't structural, so even with open miters it won't have any structural issues. you could probably cut those miters apart and it wouldn't matter to the stability of the bench. cedar doesn't move as much as most hardwoods so you have that going for you too. i think those miters will definitely open over time. the wood at the joint is moving in different directions. if the wood gains moisture the outer corner will open, if it looses it, the inner corner will open. if that cedar was 5-7% when you built the project and it is going somewhere with a shower or steamy hot moist air, i'd expect about 1/16" to open on the outer corners eventually when the wood is at peak moisture. if it is a climate-controlled area though it'll probably be fine for a long time. i've built a fair bit of outdoor furniture and furniture for wet areas like bathrooms and such. the only ways i've made miters stay tight on any furniture in a place where the relative humidity changes a lot is to go full spline or a lapped miter on wood that is much drier than the driest the place will be. a full spline can arrest the expansion of the joint but doesn't do as well at resisting the compression of the joint because the wood can still split. splines are more reliable, lapped miters look better and are a lot more difficult to execute, just bring the last 1/4" as a full miter and then lap inward from there and you can't tell it's a lapped miter. kinda like doing half blind dovetail.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

The half lap is such a good idea ! That would definitely allow for expansion. Thankfully my client will stay in touch and I will be able to replace the top portion if that ever happened. This is one of the reasons I attached it as opposed to gluing it.

[@jsmxwll]

@@RoosterWoodworking I've had good luck with cutting the miters again while the top is still there, using a sharp contrasting but complimentary colored wood as an insert and then either dogboning from underneath or splining. splining is the better option if you can get away with it. but you get a nice sharp accented miter and if you spline with the same contrasting wood you get a nice effect on the corners. i've had to fix quite a few of my earlier furniture builds with separated miters lol. subbed and looking forward to your future content.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thanks a lot for the tips, that could be a future video for sure!

[@jeffsmith1858]

Nice build. I would regard those tools as a baseline for most home project builders.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thank you !

[@codacreator6162]

I consider myself a basic beginner and I have everything but a dado stack. Doesn’t mean I’m ready for mortise & tenon joints, though. 😂

[@RoosterWoodworking]

You can for sure do that even without a dado stack. With a router edge guide on a plunge or palm router, mortises are a breeze! I was intimidated at first but as it turns out it is very straight forward.

[@JC-tm3ok]

Can’t wait for your next project

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thank you ! I can't wait as well !

[@colinmacgregor3797]

Not sure I'd call a table saw, router, planer and chop saw basic.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

I think if you are looking to do some woodworking, these are fairly basic tools. These can all be purchased used pretty easily. I started woodworking without a table saw for example and I can't really imagine doing without now, definitely worth the $300 I spend on it. What tools do would you say are more basic ? I'd love your perspective

[@greybeard4034]

@@RoosterWoodworking id have 2 agree with @colinmacgregor3797. But maybe its a geographical thing because in the EU raw wood is scarce so you wont see a planer that quick. Also the Dado saw is here not meeting safety standards. As an beginner myself in the EU id say a standard setup will be a cheap table saw or plunge saw, a plunge router, a drill, handsaws, cheap flat sander, Stitch chisels and that's about it. But the definition of a beginner is pretty broad and everyone approaches is from their own situation I guess:). I can see why you would say beginner. Love the video though! Keep it going! Your work looks great:)

[@RoosterWoodworking]

That's a great point ! I grew up in France so I know all about dado blades being scarce. I think CMT tools make a legal one, but most table saws are incompatible. That being said you could also to these cuts with many passes, it all depends on how much time you have. I appreciate the conversation !

[@Jakes2hot]

General consensus of basic tools as it pertains to woodworking are, circular saw, a cordless drill and driver combo, a random orbital sander, tape measure and squares. The rest of the tools listed are optimal to the achieve the best results in practically any application of woodworking.

[@FranksDIY]

Very nice bench . Great job

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thank you Frank !!

[@6453bianchi]

Nice work man. Love how u did the half laps on the slats. And I agree the two chamfered edges meeting like that always looks so clean. Good job.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thanks a lot ! This was a super fun project and I'm glad you enjoyed it too !

[@SpookySpawn]

That's such a nice an clean looking bench! And i like the calm music and narration of the video, you gained a new subscriber. Are you worried the 45° glue joints of the top endpieces isn't strong enough without reinforcement? Seems like they could break if somebody sits on the ends.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

Thank you so much for subscribing ! So glad you enjoyed the format ! For the mitered corners, that is definitely something I considered. However 2 things make me feel good about that joint : 1- The frame actually is resting on the frame, so the miter is fully supported underneath (there's is only a 1" overhang) 2- The slats are glued in which creates a lot of rigidity for the mitered frame I did some tests and tried to sit on either corners and it was solid !

[@magcolor]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@mattfox9212]

shocked you only have 50 subscribers.......what did that commission piece get you??

[@RoosterWoodworking]

I am brand new but hoping to grow my KZbin so I appreciate that ! The finished piece was $440, with a discount on my hourly rate since I was making it into a video and thus less efficient in the shop.

[@1EliPrice]

Lower tooth count doesn’t equal smoother cut. You’re cutting more wood so want a lower tooth count while rilling longer boards so as not to gunk up your teeth and burn your wood.

[@RoosterWoodworking]

That is true ! But ultimately a dedicated lower tooth count blade for ripping results in smoother cuts. At least that is my experience.