I’ve been thinking for some time that it would be really nice to have a another bench out front. We have one near the front stairs, which Tuffy P has just repainted yellow.

Quite a few years ago we were given a lovely pressure bench by a fellow we know from the story-telling community. A pressure bench has two metal “leg” units. The bench-top fits into these. The idea is that you spread out the legs and stake them into the ground. There are no nails or screws or anything else holding the bench together. Weight-bearing solidifies the bench structure.

After years in the garden the original live-edge bench-top began to rot. The bench sprouted some mushrooms and buggy critters started turning it into condo units. Finally some variety of wasps moved in, making sitting on the bench a dangerous proposition. Time for a new bench top.

I found a lovely piece of live-edge maple at a wood place in Oakville the other day. It was just the right size in all respects. I’ve oiled it up with Danish oil and assembled the bench in the front yard, near the Shishigashira Japanese maple. Hopefully if I re-oil it periodically and bring it inside for the winter, the bench will get several seasons of use before I need to replace the board.

The only thing left to do is bring a banjo outside, sit down on the bench and do a test.