How-to Restore a ‘Classic’ Park Bench

It’s not often you get a chance to really help folks through hard times with just a few hand-tools. Especially making wood and metal furniture. But such is the case with this ‘Classic’ Park Bench Restoration and matching ‘Classic’ Side Table project.

… making lemonade from lemons, that’s what it’s all about! When you can take someones burnt trees right from their front yard, knowing they hold so many special memories…when you can make brand new, beautiful custom furniture with some of that wood, well that’s what I call lemons to lemonade!

Garden Bench with matching Classic Side Table

On June 26, 2012, Colorado Springs was experiencing, what was at the time the worst forest fire in the State’s history. Once the smoke had cleared and the ashes settled, The Waldo Canyon Fire had taken two lives, burned over 18,000 acres, and destroyed 346 homes just blocks from my workshop on the Westside of Colorado Springs.

For one of my customers, this little bench was all that was left after that wicked wildfire had passed. The wood you see was milled and processed from a small maple tree growing a few feet from where the bench was located in my customers back yard.

Watch Park Bench Restoration

So, now that we have taken the time to restore that classic garden bench, why not make a matching side table? This is a perfect chance to head over to King Metals and take a look at some of their forged metal, rustic decor and furniture parts. That’s where we get the rosettes for this project.

How-to Build a Side Table.

Classic Side Table Rosettes

I started making log furniture using trees I recovered from the 2002 Hayman Fire, just up the road in Teller County Colorado. That wildfire left over 138,000 acres of burnt forest. When you have that many burnt trees in the neighborhood you really start looking for good ways to use some.

How-to Build a Classic Side Table

Made from forged steel rosettes and 16 gauge rectangular tubing, this is the perfect matching Side Table for the ever popular Two-seated “Classic” forged steel and wooden slat benches. Designed to be used outdoors, this little table can easily double as a small bench for the front porch or entryway.

Are you a woodworker new to welding? If so, you will definitely want to check out How-to Mig Weld Log Furniture – A Complete Beginners Guide .