OT - wood workers how to build an outside sofa

[rinconryder]

Figured I would try here as I suspect there are some wood workers around.

I would like to build this outdoor day sofa for my house.

http://www.malibumarketdesign.com/store/sofas-outdoor/bali-teak-sofa/

1. I know teak is extremely expensive. What alternative wood would you use.

2. How do I attach the back so that it supports - I was thinking drilling small holes in the lower frame and back frame and then inserting some rebar like stuff to give it strength but am not sure

3. What type of finish would you put on it? It’s going to be at the beach so exposed to a lot of weather/salt air.

Thank you for any help!

Wes

[veggieburger]

Not a woodworker, but google some of the pallet couches that have been made. Of course it doesn't give you the identical look, but some neat and (essentially) free pieces of furniture out there!

[sokyroadie]

It appears the back goes inside the bottom frame so it should be plenty strong if you use biscuits or dowels when you glue the boards. If I was doing it I would go Poplar, but some people don't like it stained.

[C40_guy]

You could use oak or mahogany or even a good quality cedar. Whatever you do use, source it from a local lumberyard versus HD or Lowes. Wood quality is much better at a good lumberyard...and they can give you guidance on what kind of wood will stand up in your area. You probably want to avoid having to finish/refinish periodically.

With regard to the back...I would avoid any drillings. Easier to support using simple leverage -- extend a couple of vertical supports on the back down and into the base box. Build enclosures in the box so that when those supports are in, they won't move. No need to fasten them, weight alone will keep them from moving.

I did something like this when I built an oak platform bed and separate angled headboard.

[jmoore]

That's a cool project. Should not be too difficult to build at all.

1. Cedar.

2. I would build vertical braces that attach to one of the base cross members. Then screw the back boards into the vertical braces. It will be super strong.

3. Potential finishes: https://www.realcedar.com/decking/finishing/

Figured I would try here as I suspect there are some wood workers around.

I would like to build this outdoor day sofa for my house.

http://www.malibumarketdesign.com/store/sofas-outdoor/bali-teak-sofa/

1. I know teak is extremely expensive. What alternative wood would you use.

2. How do I attach the back so that it supports - I was thinking drilling small holes in the lower frame and back frame and then inserting some rebar like stuff to give it strength but am not sure

3. What type of finish would you put on it? It’s going to be at the beach so exposed to a lot of weather/salt air.

Thank you for any help!

Wes

[Tony]

Figured I would try here as I suspect there are some wood workers around.

I would like to build this outdoor day sofa for my house.

http://www.malibumarketdesign.com/store/sofas-outdoor/bali-teak-sofa/

1. I know teak is extremely expensive. What alternative wood would you use.

2. How do I attach the back so that it supports - I was thinking drilling small holes in the lower frame and back frame and then inserting some rebar like stuff to give it strength but am not sure

3. What type of finish would you put on it? It’s going to be at the beach so exposed to a lot of weather/salt air.

Thank you for any help!

Wes

Yellow cedar, nice wood to work with and has a pleasant smell.

I use tung oil on all my skin on frame kayaks. They see lots of salt water, the tung oil does a great job protecting the frames.

[General69]

I used leftover 2X4, 2X6, and 2X12 pine boards from my deck build. Looked pretty good after staining. I bought the cushions at Lowe's for $50/cushion and just sized based on those. I store the cushions in storage box off the side of the deck. I tried using cushion covers but it became a possum house over the winter. I live in Chicago and have to stain every 5 years.

[Ozz]

for a wood type....check out Purpleheart (https://www.wood-database.com/purpleheart/)

I met with a lumberyard client awhile ago and he was talking about how they use this for trailer decks and stuff. Heavy, durable, and not listed as endangered

[rinconryder]

Awesome! Lots of great information to run with here. I knew I could count on the forum :hello:

[metalheart]

for a wood type....check out Purpleheart (https://www.wood-database.com/purpleheart/)

I met with a lumberyard client awhile ago and he was talking about how they use this for trailer decks and stuff. Heavy, durable, and not listed as endangered

This is what I would do. I used it for accent pieces on a deck made with Ipe and it has proved to be very durable. It is pricey, but extraordinarily durable. I would probably use loose tenons (Festool or Rockler) to attach the back as a start....

[C40_guy]

This is what I would do. I used it for accent pieces on a deck made with Ipe and it has proved to be very durable. It is pricey, but extraordinarily durable. I would probably use loose tenons (Festool or Rockler) to attach the back as a start....

How do you like the Ipe? I need to resurface a 10x20' deck and am undecided between mahogany and Ipe...

This is in New England...full sun exposure in the summer and lots of winter in the, um, winter. :)

[93KgBike]

Ipe is beautiful. But it is also a South American Rain Forest hardwood. There's no way of harvesting it sustainably. I have used it. It's almost as dense as metal and the smoke from cutting it is noxious. But the finish is almost without parallel.

[jimcav]

teak is pricey, but lasts if cared for--there is a reason it is used for outdoor furniture and boats. if you are near a woodworkers supply store like a Rockler etc they may have some great stuff. I've used teak, willow, redwood, padouk, and purpleheart. the last 2 are heavy and as dense as teak, probably cost more (been over 15 years since i purchased) and are used in South America in dock pilings etc, so very resistant to decay if cared for. all pricey and as someone posted, not exactly a "green" choice. Redwood is available where I am (CA); and it is light and strong for that weight, but i'd definitely only use 2x4 or bigger to ensure it is strong enough.

be very careful with pallets, many have been treated with chemicals to resist rot and that is not good stuff to breath when you work with it.

good luck

[rwsaunders]

Trex sells outdoor furniture and perhaps there are some kit plans out there on the web. I bet that it won’t be blown off of your porch either.

https://www.trexfurniture.com/rockport-club-sofa.html

[Hindmost]

I used leftover 2X4, 2X6, and 2X12 pine boards from my deck build. Looked pretty good after staining. I bought the cushions at Lowe's for $50/cushion and just sized based on those. I store the cushions in storage box off the side of the deck. I tried using cushion covers but it became a possum house over the winter. I live in Chicago and have to stain every 5 years.

Those look very nice. That would be my idea how to do it inexpensively and avoiding fancy wood joinery. The result is more outdoorsy as opposed to furniture furniture that you might be concerned about how it endures the weather

[Ozz]

teak is pricey, but lasts if cared for--there ...

We have a teak patio table & chairs, and a bench that we've had for 20+ yrs

I power wash (I know, but it is easy) and refinish with teak oil every couple years...finish lasts longer if I cover them in winter....

[dookie]

Can't speak to the wood side of things, but the toughest finish is what the wooden boat guys use...an epoxy sealant (which makes the wood invulnerable), followed by a bunch of marine spar varnish (which protects the UV-sensitive epoxy). Like sunscreen, the filter is sacrificial and you will need to revarnish every few years depending on exposure. Bulletproof, if done right.

[providence]

We had some cedar left over from another project. Threw this together based upon something we seen at West Elm and built to fit cushions we found. Picture was before sanding/finishing. Came together well enough for the cost. Building end tables and a coffee table this year after the deck is redone (and I buy more materials).

Haven’t had much issue using cedar outdoors if using quality cedar and finish.

http://i65.tinypic.com/20gxhfa.jpg

[Louis]

Who needs teak, when Trex and PVC are available? ;)

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/07/40/7d/07407da5d5ffbf1af562e5cf9f2dbb7c.jpg

[KarlC]

Figured I would try here as I suspect there are some wood workers around.

I would like to build this outdoor day sofa for my house.

http://www.malibumarketdesign.com/store/sofas-outdoor/bali-teak-sofa/

1. I know teak is extremely expensive. What alternative wood would you use.

2. How do I attach the back so that it supports - I was thinking drilling small holes in the lower frame and back frame and then inserting some rebar like stuff to give it strength but am not sure

3. What type of finish would you put on it? It’s going to be at the beach so exposed to a lot of weather/salt air.

Thank you for any help!

Wes

Cool design ! What will you use for cushions ?

.

[woodworker]

I think that it depends upon where you live and how close to the Coast. I'm less than a mile from the ocean here in San Diego, and the only woods that I would use would be teak or a South American hardwood, such as Ipe or its cheaper available alternative, Mangaris.

I haven't tried to make anything out of teak in quite a while, as you could buy teak furniture already made for less than the price of the wood.

Ipe and Mangaris are nice alternatives, as they are dense, stable and rot resistant. They are also very straight and generally resistant to cupping. They are a bit hard on cutting tools because of their density. Out here, they come in roughly 1X 5 1/2 inch planks in varying lengths, which would work perfectly for a platform type of sofa, such as what you're doing. It won't glue up well, so you should screw it together. In order to do that, you will need to use a countersink. They make nice torx drive stainless steel screws, no. 7 at 2" that won't end up staining the wood. My recommendation would be to use Penofin penetrating oil. They make several types, and you want the one for dense hardwoods.

I made a bunch of benches of a different types, and also some that might be used as either coffee tables or benches. I will try to attach an image.

[woodworker]

Here's the picture. The top shows the plank dimensions. The legs are made by screwing three pieces together fyi.

[William]

for a wood type....check out Purpleheart (https://www.wood-database.com/purpleheart/)

I met with a lumberyard client awhile ago and he was talking about how they use this for trailer decks and stuff. Heavy, durable, and not listed as endangered

Purple Heart is very good, and also very dense. I used it to build a frame for a Mook Jong and it was extremely hard on the tools. Also, do not breath in the dust/smoke from cutting it, very bad/poisonous to breath in. That said it looked great and was extremely durable.





W.

[Bentley]

Purple Heart is very good, and also very dense. I used it to build a frame for a Mook Jong and it was extremely hard on the tools. Also, do not breath in the dust/smoke from cutting it, very bad/poisonous to breath in. That said it looked great and was extremely durable.





W.

Did not know what that is, Google tool me right to it. Did not know that what those things are called, assumed it would be just a Karate Dummy. Very interesting

[Hardlyrob]

Lots of good advice here. I would recommend mahogany or ipe. Cedar is lovely, but it is a very soft wood - your couch will show every nick and ding in no time.

I've built outdoor furniture, raised beds, fire pit surrounds etc. I have not found a finish that will hold up. Any version of poly / UV stable varnish (really poly these days) and even Cetol fails over time as the wood moves. I have just resigned myself to gray outdoor wood - pick lively colored pillows.

A further warning on teak - it will kill your tools - there is a significant amount of silica in the wood - basically sand in the wood, which beats up any cutting tool. The smoke from cutting teak is also a problem. I wouldn't use purpleheart - Ive worked with it in the past really dense, beats up cutting tools, the smoke from cutting is noxious / toxic, and it has a tendency to shatter - worse than maple.

Good luck, and post pics when you're done.

Cheers!

[redir]

I would use cedar too. It will be lighter and easy to deal with and also cedar is very rot resistant. Purpleheart is nice stuff but be clear about one thing, in a year it will be brown and no longer purple. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it still looks real nice, but it surprises many people. Purpleheart is also relatively expensive. If you could get the cedar torrified that would even be better. I would not even bother finishing it. A finish in those circumstances won't last long. But you may as well learn from what boat builders do and use a spar urethane varnish of some sort.

[metalheart]

How do you like the Ipe? I need to resurface a 10x20' deck and am undecided between mahogany and Ipe...

This is in New England...full sun exposure in the summer and lots of winter in the, um, winter. :)

I have two Ipe decks, one about 15 years old, the other is 8 or so. Finishing a deck of any size is just a pain in the butt for me, so Ipe works well for me since it turns into a nice greyish color and looks fine to me without any finish. When finished, it is an attractive brownish color. Both decks get considerable summer California sun and a California amount of rainfall. I would guess it would hold up well in your weather.

As others have said, it is very hard on tools because it is so dense and the sawdust is toxic, so care has to be taken in working with it. But, for me it was worth it because it looks good without refinishing. At the time I bought mine, it was sold as acquired from a "sustainable source."

[woodworker]

I have Ipe on a deck here in San Diego near the Coast. South and West exposure, so it gets a lot of sun and coastal moisture. It's been there for around 7 years. I cleaned and re-stained it after five years, and it's held up well. I use this on it: PENOFIN HARDWOOD FORMULA.

As noted above, it's a bit hard on tools, but my chop saw and tablesaw blades seem fine. Just make sure to use stainless screws and countersink them. They make some really nice ss screws with a brown head coating that matches the Ipe. You can probably find them online.

[chrismoustache]

I picked up some Ipe from a resale store a few years ago. It was decking that someone had replaced with vinyl.

I didn't really have any idea about its properties, and it was definitely a challenge to work with. I ripped a bunch of boards into smaller sections and passed them through the router to make some photo frames. Instead of the chips I usually got from the router, the Ipe produced something with the consistency of cinnamon. And got everywhere.

Still, came out with a unique frame!

[CaptStash]

How do you like the Ipe? I need to resurface a 10x20' deck and am undecided between mahogany and Ipe...

This is in New England...full sun exposure in the summer and lots of winter in the, um, winter. :)

I built an Ipe deck. It's ironwood and wears as you would expect: like iron. Mine is unfinished and does just fine. I pressure wash it once a year to get rid of the moss that grows since the deck gets a lot of shade in the fall and winter. It is tough on your tools - you don't get sawdust so much as saw shards. Wear safety glasses for sure. I fastened mine with stainless. Be sure to carefully countersink the fasteners or you will break them left and right.

Saul aka CaptStash....

[Plum Hill]

White Oak.