DIY front porch glider seat plans?

March 5, 2023 5:15 PM

Title pretty much says it all, I haven't been impressed so far with what I found on Google.

Just looking for a two person glider style bench that I can build for my wife and I to sit on the front porch and watch the sunset together. Bonus points if the plans are sized to accommodate cushioning, so that we're not just sitting on naked wood. I'm in the U.S., so non-metric dimensions please. Thanks y'all! ❤️

posted by ZakDaddy to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

I see a whole bunch of glider plans out there (once I filtern through some of the Pinterest plans, ugh), so maybe a bit about what your woodworking capabilities are, and what seems sketch about what you've seen so far?

Are there cuts you don't know how to do with the tools you have? Materials you plan on using that don't adapt well to the plans you've seen (eg: big stash of a hardwood like Ipe and you think that won't substitute easily for cedar? Want to build rather than buy the hanging mechanism hardware?
posted by straw at 8:43 PM on March 5, 2023

Response by poster: Great questions, straw. Thank you for posting.

I'm a rank amateur, but I'm willing to learn. We have a small table saw, mitre saw, various hand tools (Ryobi 18-volt) and a stash of construction-grade pine 2x4 but I'd be willing to buy material as needed. I'd also rather buy the suspension hardware.

My stepdad is a master carpenter, but I was too busy being a jerk ass teenager to learn anything from him.

I guess I was hoping a fellow mefite had built one that they're really proud of and that would inspire me. :)

Maybe an Adirondack-style?
posted by ZakDaddy at 7:48 AM on March 6, 2023

Ana White's website has a rough cut plan that relies only on basic tools. I generally I would also suggest downloading the sketchup software and looking through the library of objects - many people just upload their project plans there. Note: those simply provide a 3d schematic and may not offer enough information about actually assembling it.
posted by zenon at 7:50 AM on March 6, 2023

Best answer: So this LumberJocks thread points to this set of glider plans and instructions from Kreg tools. I generally have a positive opinion of Kreg, even if the plans are gonna be "using your Kreg® pocket hole jig, attach the boards using Kreg® screws with the Kreg® brand driver bit..."

And I have found LumberJocks to be a great site for discussion about this sort of thing, this time I searched it by adding 'site:lumberjocks.com' to my Google search.

(My own experiences are biased towards track saws and exotic hardwoods, but now you have me thinking about a live edge slab of redwood I've got, and the bench it could become...)
posted by straw at 1:13 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: LumberJocks! Never heard of 'em, brilliant. This is great info, thank you!
posted by ZakDaddy at 2:21 PM on March 6, 2023