If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
Chinese Proverb
When I first created the Bonsai Display House it was a case of whatever I had to display my trees on at the time would suffice.
My 160 year old White Pine stood on an old wooden rickety table until 2010. During 2002-2009 I was gainfully employed and boy it was stressful, not so much the work or the job, but the muppets I had to consider my seniors. Wet behind the ears does not do them credit. Anyway, I didn’t have much time to look after the trees so it was a ‘stood still’ situation.
Thankfully, the employer made me redundant in late 2009; my time with my trees therefore had begun again.
The first thing I needed to do was replace the old wooden table for the White Pine, then the engineers blocks and a bit of old trellis for the Beech Group, and finally a new table for the English Oak. Well, Welsh actually as that is where it was collected way back.
The following then are the tables I have just made out of old reclaimed hardwood (apart from the legs and that is decking posts 95mm x 95mm) All of the wood came from an office refit…yep, you guessed it, where I used to work and the lot was slung out. In the skip and out again and several trips later it was all safe at home waiting for a use.
All tables are bolted and or screw bolts utilised throughout, with five coats of sadolin ebony (water based) nipped in-between coats. My wife calls them Elephant tables … not because of the style but because of the weight they will cope with. After all, they have my pride and joy on-board … I don’t want any slip-ups.
If any Bonsai enthusiast would like a full breakdown just let me know.
I enjoyed this article about display tables. I get tired of digging post holes, which aren’t easy to move. Would you send me the detailson these tables?
Thank you
Bob
Sadly Bob I didn’t do any plans as I just made it up as I went along. Wood is mostly Beech which I managed to secure from an industrial skip, it was fire door frames all being ripped out and thrown …I felt that I could at least do something rather than waste them.
All joints are sealed with calcomite, and bolted together with stainless coach bolts. Where that fixing was not appropriate they are bolt screws threads. they are stained with Sadolin water based black. Four coats on all exposed areas.
The legs are simply decking posts.
Hi,
I love your bonsai display benches… beautiful design!
If you can send any blueprints or instructions which I
might use to make some for myself here in Katy, Tx., I
will certainly appreciate.
Thanks,
Henry
Sorry Henry, no plans nor blue-prints. All from my imagination of what I wanted and made it up as I went along. Pretty much all of is bolted together and any joins are treated with calcamite adhesive sealer to stop/eliminate water ingress. All aside from the legs is Beech.
I went dumpster-diving a while ago where some builders were ripping out loads of fire doors and frames. The cost of these must have been huge and they were just skipped. I asked and there was no surprises they were glad for me to take them home. I planed some up, others I used a belt sander on. Sadly I have now run out and must look for refit works and great big skips once again. I have several orders to fulfill here in the UK for next season. GULP … I need to source some wood first though.
The pictures should be sufficient to get the general idea.
I’ve removed your visible email to save you from the usual spam rubbish from trawlers.
Best wishes
Mike
Wonderful homemade benches, Mike! A very ‘professional’ result. Wish I could do something like this. Unfortunately not strong enough now and don’t have the equipment. The most I can manage is a few breeze blocks and some treated soft wood planks from Wickes. Doesn’t give that nice oriental finish of your black ones though. Very well done!
Thanks Gwen, really kind of you. I enjoy carpentry so these are fairly easy to make out of old hardwood that can be picked up as scrap. Decking boards are better than soft-wood as the treatment is better suited for outdoors. Not expensive either. Try out engineering blocks; they have two holes in each and make a good basis for a stand.
Take care
Mike
I was so impressed with your black benches and the ‘smart’ look they created, it provided me with an idea for a solid teak ‘Lutyens’ style bench which a friend made for me some ten years ago. The bench started off, of course, with its natural teak look, followed by a ‘Moroccan’ blue which was in vogue in about 2003. Following two house moves, it has been looking very sorry for itself the past two and a half years, neither teak nor blue. Last summer I half heartedly set about sanding it down without any idea of a new finish for it. Needless to say, the sanding down was never finished.
The look of your beautiful black benches has galvanised me into action. I have just spent three days finishing the job. A beautiful roll ‘n roll black Lutyens bench with a finish that will keep it in good nick for years to come. Will send a pic to your e-m.
Best regards, Gwen.
Loving it Gwen and so pleased I was able to provide a teeny bit of inspiration. I have a Lutyens in my display house and it is my favourite style of bench … it has a … well, oriental feel, well I think it does anyway
Take care
Mike
Thank you so much for the inspirartion!!!! I love my Bonsai and my partner loves woodwork. We have done a permenant display area but need tables for larger tree and groups of smaller that can be moved. Your excellent idea will help.
I have been using matt black exterior masonary paint for a more rustic finish and it will mix with water to make a colour wash for tree stumps (reclaimed from tree surgeon) to use for post’s for tree’s, a marine ply top works well and the paint seem to last well. I Like the tip for sadolin that seem to give a more polished finish!
I also note the dove cote in the back of the workshop. We have just finished building our own japan syled (mark 3) Dove cote, the Doves love it. Winter work now set out
Regards
Carole