The simplest metal bench can be made with your own hands in literally one day; it is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. It is much more difficult to choose a suitable project so that the design is reliable, but does not create the impression of a bulky homemade project or a dull park bench. In general, in making a metal bench with your own hands you will need to show the skills of an artist and a mechanic at the same time.
Metal bench with cast back and sides
Design options for metal benches
Before purchasing material and tools, you need to choose the structure of your future garden furniture. More precisely, you will need to choose a design for the supporting structure, make a metal frame for a bench with a wide seat, or try to assemble a more advanced option in the form of a park bench.
Both schemes are available for manufacture, you just need to choose the right material and method of assembling the frame of an iron bench or bench with your own hands:
- Simple furniture on a powerful steel frame without a back, such benches without sidewalls and back support are often used in the home or country house as a universal stand, therefore, with rare exceptions, they are built from a powerful square profile, with a cross-section of at least 30x30 mm;
- A traditional bench with a backrest can be made from steel strip, profile, or even wrought iron reinforcement. If you make an iron bench with your own hands, you will need to correctly assess your capabilities and skills, since, in addition to welding, you will have to master a bending machine, forging and cutting reinforcement.
The first ones turn out to be simple in design, so there are no special problems.
Bench made of metal strip and round pipe
In the second case, it makes sense to make metal benches with your own hands, photo, if you need a beautiful design and expressive style of courtyard furniture.
Benches made of forged strip and reinforcement
What is needed to make a bench
Steel profile pipes
Regardless of which particular bench model will be made, the following materials and tools will be required:
- profile pipe of the required diameter,
- boards for making a seat,
- welding machine and electrodes (diameter 3 mm),
- grinder or hacksaw for metal,
- file, drill with polishing attachment or grinder,
- building level,
- meter and square,
- plane (if the boards are not planed),
- anti-corrosion paint,
- wood paint or stain,
- round head bolts and nuts,
- hammer, drill and pliers.
Bolt for benches
Benches made from profile pipes can be decorated with bent elements. To do this, you will need a device designed for bending pipes. In this capacity, a “Snail” mini-machine, a bench vice, or a bending tool made from old brake discs for a car are usually used.
To ensure that the bending of paired parts is identical, a plaza is used, made from a piece of plywood with the outline of the future part applied to it. To obtain smooth and graceful bends, you may also need a blowtorch - it is used to heat the bend areas.
Before the flexible pipes, they are densely filled with sand, so its availability should be taken care of in advance. The bending procedure is simple: sand-filled pipes are placed on the machine between the stop and the central protrusion, and then bent at the desired angle by hand. Below is a drawing of a pipe being bent on a machine made from a car wheel.
The principle of bending steel parts on a machine
For the manufacture of bent parts, preference should be given to round or oval pipes - they are easier to bend.
What tools and materials will be needed
To make country furniture from metal, you will need a profile, strip or pipe made of metal with a transverse size of at least 25 mm. The total length of the workpiece is determined by the dimensions of the bench. In addition, you will need to stock up on material for finishing the seat and backrest; usually a soft wood strip is used for this. The trim is attached to a metal base using ordinary bolts or screws with a nut.
The list of tools includes:
- Welding inverter with electrodes for welding thin metal;
- Grinder with cutting and cleaning discs;
- Clamps;
- Electric drill;
- Construction tape.
In addition, you will need to stock up on sandpaper, a chemical rust remover and a good alkyd enamel in black or copper brown.
Drawings and dimensions of a garden bench made of metal for a summer residence
Of course, the amount of work and complexity of operations for different types of furniture differ significantly. If you have experience in making decorative metal fences, window bars or any other similar products, then you can make outdoor metal benches with your own hands, even without drawings, having only a sketch of the frame.
A simple shop for all occasions
The simplest option is shown in the diagram below. Such an iron bench can be assembled with your own hands in a couple of hours, and taking into account finishing operations, for example, selecting a pattern and method of upholstering the seat, everything can take a whole working day.
Important! The number of U-shaped supports is selected depending on the length of the bench.
For a bench with a longitudinal dimension of up to two meters, you can use two racks. For furniture 2-3.5 m long, it is recommended to make drawings for a homemade metal bench and accurately calculate the locations and welding points of the additional third support.
Dimensions and drawings of a bench with a metal back
All existing bench models with a backrest are largely similar to each other, only the details of the assembly pattern and design of the backrest and uprights differ. If you rely only on your own strength, then the easiest way is to make metal benches yourself in two versions:
- Bend the side posts of the bench in the form of several arches from a water pipe or square pipe, steel tape or fittings;
- Weld the sidewalls from square profile sections.
You can come up with the rest of the metal parts yourself or borrow from the most interesting projects. Drawings for a bench with a metal base are given below.
Arches can be easily bent on a homemade machine
Benches with arched sides are somewhat more difficult to manufacture, since metal blanks have to be bent on a machine or even decorative inserts made from forged fittings must be used. As a result, more force and metal are required, but it is possible to give the bench a more elegant look and style of classic garden furniture.
If you don’t want to tinker with decorative trim, then it’s quite possible to make a bench with your own hands from a metal profile with stands in the shape of an inverted number “4”.
How to make a bench with a back
A bench made of a profile pipe with a back will require more time and materials, but these are the models of this garden furniture that are more convenient and loved by vacationers. Below is a drawing of a bench made of a profile pipe with a back.
Drawing of a bench with a back
Bench details
To make such a bench, you will need 8 meters of profile pipe with a cross-section of 25x25 mm, as well as boards for the seat (30 mm thick) and backrest (25 mm thick). Frame parts should be prepared from metal pipes:
- 1 piece 1550 mm (crossbar between supports);
- 2 bent sections with a span of 100 mm and a height of 780 mm (for the back and rear of the supports);
- 2 pieces of 350 mm each (for the base of the seat);
- 2 pieces of 390 mm each (for the front part of the supports);
- 2 pieces of 200 mm each (to strengthen the front supports);
- 4 metal plates 40x40 mm (for a stand on supports);
- 2 bent metal strips 450 mm (for connecting supports on each side).
To create a seat, you also need to prepare boards of the required length:
- 3 boards 1600 mm long, 60 mm wide and 30 mm thick (for the bottom of the seat);
- 3 boards 1600 mm long, 60 mm wide and 25 mm thick (for the back).
To connect the frame to the wooden boards, you will also need 24 round-head bolts and nuts.
How to make a simple garden bench from metal with your own hands
If this is your first experience working with metal and welding, then experts advise choosing a scheme with a minimum number of welds. This will not only simplify metal processing, but also make the bench more durable.
Important! In the absence of even minimal experience in handling a welding machine, the strength of the seams for beginners is obtained at the level of 20-25% of the required value.
In principle, this is enough for welding simple parts, but it is better to reduce their number and bend the bench frame from a metal tire.
The simplest bench made from a metal tire
For production, you will need a metal tire or tape 6 mm thick and 30-40 mm wide, 2.1-2.2 m long. In addition, you will need to stock up on wooden blocks with a cross-section of 75x50 mm with rounded ends.
Initially, we cut the tape into two parts 105 cm long and, using clamps and bars, bend the sides of the future bench. The joint will need to be welded and cleaned with a grinder.
The metal must be annealed before processing.
The next step is to weld metal plates onto the vertical part of the cross member, with which the back and wooden base of the seat will be attached.
We fasten the cladding using ordinary screws with rounded heads.
The result is a lightweight and at the same time durable metal bench that you can carry with your own hands, like an ordinary chair.
Bench on a metal frame
This is a classic version of a village bench, which has long attracted the attention of most summer residents and gardeners. First of all, we cut the 25x25 profile blank into four equal parts.
We lay out the metal blanks and use a magnetic corner to align the ideal U-profile. All that remains is to weld the parts together. To make the sidewall more stable, we additionally weld a cross member at the bottom of the support.
Stand assembly
The next step is to weld the horizontal parts of the frame.
Magnetic square makes working with metal much easier
All that remains is to weld an additional lower metal cross member into the frame; it will give the entire structure strength and stability.
We cover the upper part of the bench with wooden boards, after which the surface of the wood must be sanded and covered with varnish or paint.
Technical requirements
Metal benches, which are manufactured by industrial enterprises and furniture workshops, must meet a number of requirements:
- high strength, wear resistance, durability, reliability;
- smoothness of surfaces.
- environmental friendliness, the material should not emit harmful substances during operation;
- resistance to temperature changes, prolonged exposure to moisture and chemicals.
To fulfill the last requirement, it is necessary to use anti-corrosion compounds in the form of powder paint, primer, or liquid. Without additional treatment, the metal will begin to rust in the area of connections, cuts, and damage.
How to make and weld a bench with a back from a metal profile with your own hands
The process of making a classic bench with a back is no more complicated than the previous options. First of all, you will need to cut the metal profile into several main parts. One piece is cut 85 cm long; this will be the back support and backrest. Two more parts, 60 and 45 cm long, will be the horizontal support for the seat and the front leg of the bench.
We weld them in the form of an improvised letter H, cut off part of the horizontal blank, and you can assemble the frame of the bench. To do this, you will need to weld a horizontal cross member and thereby connect the two sidewalls into one structure.
After cleaning the metal surface from rust with emery cloth and painting the frame, we drill holes for fastening wooden slats for the seat and back of the bench.
The wood will need to be treated with a protective varnish, otherwise after the first rain the structure may be deformed and twisted by the propeller.
DIY making
To make a bench from metal with your own hands, you do not need to have practical skills in construction or furniture assembly. Adequate knowledge of using hand and power tools. There are several ways to manufacture metal structures.
Material and tools
Before starting production, you need to prepare:
- metal corners, profile pipes, forged elements;
- welding machine;
- grinder with metal discs;
- metal brush;
- brushes, roller, primer, special paint.
If the seat will be covered with wood, you will need boards, a hacksaw or miter saw, a drill, bolts or screws.
Bulgarian (Photo: Instagram / tovarka.ekb)
Preparation and drawing up of drawings
Before assembling the structure, you need to draw up a diagram. It should indicate the dimensions and the appearance of the finished structure from different sides. When calculating sizes, you must take into account:
- minimum backrest height - 30 cm;
- minimum bench width - 30 cm;
- length of the structure - 60 cm must be allocated for one person;
- bench height is about 45 cm.
If you make the height greater than 45 cm, the legs will hang above the ground. If it’s less, they’ll push against it. The angle of the backrest should be chosen depending on personal preferences. If it is close to straight, it will be uncomfortable to sit.
Forged benches
To make a forged bench, you can buy ready-made parts or make them yourself. If the second option is chosen, there are two types of forging that can be used:
- Cold forging. Involves performing work on manual machines. In order not to spend money on purchasing equipment, you can assemble it yourself.
- Hot forging. It requires a forge and an anvil. The workpieces are heated to maximum temperature and processed with hand tools.
After preparing the parts, you can begin assembly:
- Weld the sidewalls through the longitudinal guides.
- Weld the back frame.
- Weld individual forged parts to the finished structure.
When the rough work is completed, you need to clean the welding seams and coat them with an anti-corrosion compound.
Forged bench (Photo: Instagram / lazarrgo)
Bench made of profiled pipe
This material is easy to work with. You need to prepare the required number of tubes. It is better to choose structures with a square or rectangular cross-section with a wall thickness of 3 mm. Assembly steps:
- Cut the tubes with a grinder.
- Clean the ends from burrs.
- Weld the parts.
- After making the frame, cut the lumber to size for the seat.
- Clean the boards with a sander.
- Secure the boards over the frame with bolts.
All that remains is to cover the wood with two layers of varnish or special paint.
Bench made from corners
The easiest way to make a bench for the garden. Assembly:
- Mark the corners and cut with a grinder.
- Clean the ends with a file.
- Lay out the parts on the table in the form of a finished structure.
- Weld the corners.
- Cut the boards for the seat with a hacksaw or miter saw.
- Sand wooden surfaces.
- Secure the boards to the metal frame with bolts.
Protect the wood from moisture and temperature changes with varnish or special paint.
Bench made from corners (Photo: Instagram / maksimliashchynski)
Scrap metal bench
To make your fantasies come true, you don’t need to buy sheet metal, corners, profiles, pipes. It is enough to go through the contents of the garage, basement, shed and select scrap metal. Any designs can be made from it.
Assembling a bench without a back
This is the simplest design option. You need to assemble a U-shaped metal structure from corners or profiled pipes and cover it with boards in the seat area.
How to make a bench with a back
It is more comfortable to sit on a bench with a backrest. It can be assembled from profile pipes, angles, forged elements:
- Prepare a template according to which the sidewalls will be assembled.
- Assemble the sidewalls from corners or profile pipes. Check the angle on the parts.
- Connect the sidewalls with horizontal guides in the area of the back and seat.
- Secure the boards over the guides.
- Treat joints and paint wooden surfaces.
Bench with back (Photo: Instagram / _kmcby_)
Design options
Often, summer residents try not just to weld a metal bench, but to make it especially comfortable and attractive. For example, the surface of the seat and backrest is often profiled or arched to make sitting and leaning much more comfortable than on a regular flat surface.
If the bench is planned to be installed on a hard-surfaced area, then the side posts are often supplemented with decorative elements made of forged profiles or reinforcement.
Often, owners of garden shops refuse to use wood and make benches entirely from metal, the result is original and quite stylish.
In this case, you can use metal mesh from old beds and chairs for the seat and back of the bench. An unusual solution in practice turns out to be quite comfortable and convenient.
Drawing and requirements for benches
To accurately determine the amount of materials, before starting work, draw up a drawing taking into account the requirements:
- the bench should be comfortable for relaxation, so it is advisable to have a backrest;
- the structure must be strong enough so that the seat does not sag under the weight of people sitting;
- the material must be weather resistant.
To avoid errors during assembly, the drawing is made in three projections. The designs of benches made from profile pipes can be traditional or developed independently. At the design stage, the method of attaching wooden or plastic elements of the seat and back is determined. Depending on the design, the connection of metal parts is performed at different angles, which must be indicated in the drawing.
