A Simple Shaker Bench

Now that we've moved into our house, I've been able to wrap up some woodworking projects that have been put on hold over the past.  We needed a bench where we could sit down and take off our boots and shoes when we walked in the door.  I found this nice little Shaker bench in the the book, Shop Drawings of Shaker Furniture & Woodenware Volumes 1, 2 & 3 by Ejner Handberg.  The original was made of pine; however, I happened to have several board feet of poplar that suites itself well to using a painted finish.  To be honest, I was a little skeptical of the design of the bench prior to building it - that being it seemed as though it'd rack from side-to-side.  Since it uses through tenons with wedges for the joinery, it ended up being considerably strong, with no flex whatsover.  Overall, I'm quite pleased with the design - simple, but effective.

For the finish, I used Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Barn Red.  If you've never used milk paint before, you're in for a treat.  It's easy to apply, and can be cleaned up easily with plain tap water.  Plus, it's environmentally safe.  The paint dries to a chalky consistency, so I'd recommend an overcoat of sealer to add more protection to the finish which I'll explain:

My method for applying milk paint is to mix it 50/50 with water, and apply 2 coats using a paint brush - sanding with 320 grit paper after the first coat.  Once the second coat dries (usually within an hour), I then apply boiled linseed oil using a paint brush prior to sanding.  While the oil is still wet I sand the surface with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and then wipe the oil off with a lint-free cotton cloth. I let that dry overnight, and repeat the process by adding a second linseed oil coat and sanding with 400 grit paper.  The result is a smooth, durable finish, with a satin luster.  If you want to take it a step further, you can brush or spray on a clear coat of oil-based polyurethane for additional protection.

My wife and I like the primitive look of painted furniture, so this style works well for us.  You can essentially build the majority of the furniture in your home in this manner - not unlike many American Yeomen did in the 18th century.  

For more examples of well-built, traditional country furniture that you can build for yourself and your home, I'd recommend the book American Country Furniture by Nick Engler & Mary Jane Favorite.  The book targets the woodworker with basic to intermediate woodworking skills, and covers just about every piece of furniture that you'd need for your home.  I've already built several examples in the book, and plan to build several more in the near future.  I'll most likely be posting additional furniture projects soon.