Another Way
to Make Rhododendron Furniture

My first nine pieces of rhododendron furniture took a long time to make because removing the bark was so tedious. They also need to be restained periodically. I am leaving the bark on the next set and leaving the seats and backs unstained. In this bench, bark is appropriate since I plan on using a branch from a live rhododendron for one of the armrests. Many of the steps are similar to the first method, and some of the steps here can be used for either kind of bench.

The first step is to fabricate a rectangle of cedar (vertical in this picture) with the two sides of the rectangle left long. They can be cut off later. The back of the rectangle is set back from the from the depth of the seat. I like 17 inches. (The seat back decreases the distance by 3/4 inch, but a finish board on the front increases it the same amount.) The finished rectangle will look like an "A" (on its side in the picture.) The back of the triangle should be angled for the seat back. I like 100 degrees.

Next I attached boards for the seat back to the angled board of the rectangle with shake nails, and added a reinforcing board higher on the seat back. The size and shape can vary to suit your visual ideas.

I screwed temporary legs to the rectangle. To get the angles, I set the bench on a cement floor and supported it with blocks so that the seat front was 15 inches off the floor and the back was 11. (The temporary front legs could go on the front of the rectangle instead of the front corner if you need that space open to screw the assembly into the rhododendron legs.)

For most of the rhododendron benches, I make an "X" of two interlocking branches for the front and back legs. (The left side of this one is kept low to allow for the live armrest.) I added other braces so that every branch is secured with deck screws in three or more places. Check all legs and the back to make sure they are solid, and look for triangles of strength. Braces across the top and bottom of the bench back assure sideways rigidity.

Click here to see the completed bench in place.