Wooden Garden Bench – Surreal Design! 2026

Wooden Garden Bench – Surreal Design, a bench made for indoor or outdoor use. An off-axis loop connects to two legs, each of which is hand-carved (with some help from an angle grinder) into a fluid shape. Steam bent legs and slats add aesthetics to this great project.

The top of the seat swings on the loop thanks to tensioned cables at each end and a thin strut.

The bench was produced in European oak allowing for indoor or outdoor use and finished with a combination of blue and oil stained highlights. The bank measures; 1600 mm long, 450 mm high and 300 mm wide.

Main tools/materials I used:

• Sierra
• Circular and miter saw
• Router
• Angle grinder with a wood carving disc
• Drill
• Chisels
• Clamps
• Tape measure
• Drain pipe
• Exterior wood glue
• Sandpaper, wood stain, oil, etc.

Materials:

• European Oak: Good for bending and outdoors
• Aluminum tube
• Galvanized steel cable

Step 1: The design

In my original sketch for this bench, the loop was centralized, which would have allowed the top to be supported solely by the tensioned cables...

As the project came to an end and I started testing it, it became apparent that something was a little loose. I was able to support myself sitting on the other end, but I just didn't feel strong enough.

So, I ended up adding some steel rod to give it a little extra support (I always had a backup plan...)

I was able to get away with a thin enough diameter to not remove it from the focal point, loop or loop.

I have attached the cut list for the main components (for the legs you will need to cut several times to glue to the required thickness) and the PDFs of the rough templates I worked with. These were printed full size and give a pretty good starting point...

Download files

The bench has been in use for a couple of weeks and I've noticed something I probably need to rework... The bent legs bend and become flatter, making it difficult to tension the stability rig. A different way of making the legs is a good idea if you are planning to make something similar.

Step 2: The loop

I started by cutting a board to the correct width for the segments that would make up the loop. To calculate the width, you need to know how many segments you are using and the diameter you want the loop to be.

From the diameter, calculate the circumference and then divide it by the number of segments. This will give you the width of the segments.

The segments were then cut to length. I wanted it to berejected so that the segments were reduced in size, but could be the same length.

The segments needed to be mitered at the edges, I was using 18 segments, so I needed a 10° groin on each edge to make up 360°. I made a template with a stop that fit the required width of the sheet, this meant that each segment could be easily clamped and beautifully adjusted to the required dimension.

If you have a table saw, it would be better!

The segments were glued together, with ratchet straps to compress them during drying. Once dry, an angle grinder with a cutting disc was used to begin making the exterior round.

A combination of this, a spokeshave and a sander were used until I was happy with the 'roundness'.

Then I used a compass to follow the outside diameter and mark a line for the inside diameter to work with. Again, it worked until I was happy with the shape.

Two slots for the legs were then cut by drilling two holes and cutting the center with a jigsaw. I ended up putting a bit of a curve across the width of the loop as well.

Step 3: The legs

I started by cutting the rough profiles of the legs based on my CAD templates. For the longer leg I had to join two pieces of wood together to get the required length, a mortise and tenon was used for this.

The wood I was able to obtain was not thick enough for what I needed, so several pieces had to be glued together.

The difficult task was shaping the ends of the legs to fit snuggly into the slots I would cut in the loop, while also fitting the outside diameter of the loop.

I started by cutting out some card templates to fit the slot and then, using chisels and a little patience, I finally got a pretty nice fit.

Now the fun part, forming the legs. The curves/lines to work with were drawn... I just worked this out as I went along to get a shape I was happy with. It's very effective at removing a lot of material quickly and is what I used to use for shaping.

After this, I used a spokeshave to refine the shape, quite a bit of work, but I'm happy with the result.

Step 4: The base

I wanted to incorporate the steam loop into this project as something I hadn't used before. I took some pretty subtle curves for this first attempt.

First I made a plywood fold. A Router was then used to cut the wood to the required thickness ~20mm. I made a template to support the Router on the table.

My 'steam box' is made from some drain pipe wrapped in insulating aluminum foil (to keep warm) and a wallpaper vaporizer is used to produce the steam. TheWood was placed in the steamer for about an hour, after which it was immediately placed in the mold and pressed.

It is crucial to do this quickly before the wood begins to cool.

The joint to connect them to the legs was then cut. The groin depth stop was engaged to produce a recess which was then cleaned up with a chisel. Then they were glued to the legs and finally attached to the bow.

Step 5: Top of the seat

Another plank for the bottom and cut to the required width. 4 pieces of equal size for the slats and a slightly wider piece for the central column.

The curve of the spine was drawn and then cut with a saw. Notches were cut for the cross pieces and a hole was drilled for the pivot pin. The transverse parts were cut; corresponding notches cut to attach to the spine and others for the slats.

More steam bend was used to bend the slats into the same curve as the top of the spine.

Again, a simple shape was punched into a piece of wood veneer I had and individual slats fastened to this. Once folded, the slats were moved to a cooling jig.

Once all the slats were folded and the gaps trimmed, the top was glued and fastened

Step 6: Finishing and assembly

Everything was sanded and I used a blue wood finish to color particular parts. An outdoor furniture oil was then applied to seal the wood, 3 coats total.

The top is seated on the loop and an aluminum pin inserted to join them together. A thin rod was added to the end of the travel side and the cables were then tensioned to prevent sway.

The last thing was to add some pieces of rubber to the bottom of the pates and that's it!

The bank endednado is very stable and works as intended.

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