Rustic Relaxation

Once you’ve made this rustic lounger and bench set for your patio you’ll always have a place to relax. Their frames are pine wood and their rustic character comes from their covering of thin wooden poles – the same poles that are often used to form the horizontal rafters under Thatching.

What you Need (for both)
• SA Pine (see diagrams, slats are
100 mm wide x 20 mm thick)
• 150 CCA-treated rafter
poles (1800 x 35 mm)
• 2 x shutterply boards
(2440 x 1220 mm)
• +-500 screws
• 100 full-thread screws (4 x 38 mm)
• wood glue
• 5-litres Woodgard Double

Tools
• handsaw or electric saw
• pencil and tape measure
• combination square
• countersink drill
• cordless drill
The materials and tools
are available from selected Mica
stores countrywide

Making the Lounger Step by Step

Cut the 100 x 20 mm slats to the lengths shown in the diagram. The bottom slat should be 260 mm shorter than the top slat to get the correct angle. The slats are used to make a frame with 2 long sides and 2 short sides.

Glue and screw the pieces for the framework together and then join them to form the box-like framework.

Stabilize the framework by first cutting to size and then attaching three ‘ribs’ to the top and 3 to the bottom. (To get the angles required measure 40 mm from the edges and draw lines from the corners to the edges before sawing the wood.)

Cut the first pole to size so that it fits along the top of the framework. Attach it to the framework using full thread screws at 200 mm intervals.

Attach more poles, starting just underneath the first, cutting to size and using full thread screws. Cut poles into 320 mm lengths(you will need 172) and attach each length to the top and bottom