Design and Fabrication Podcast By Benham Design Concepts cover art

Design and Fabrication

Design and Fabrication

By: Benham Design Concepts
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 Mixed media artist Brian Benham from Benham Design Concepts demonstrates how he designs and fabricates high-end custom furniture and works of art he makes from concept to completion. This is a Video Podcast, Please vist https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/podcast/ to watch.© 2024 Benham Design Concepts Art Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Building a Bench with a Stone Leg

    Building a Bench with a Stone Leg
    Jun 30 2025
    A Unique Woodworking Journey

    Woodworking often blends creativity, craftsmanship, and problem-solving. In this project, I set out to build a bench unlike any other—one that incorporates a massive granite boulder as a leg, refined joinery, and an elegant wooden arch. This custom bench project was built for a Colorado Springs Client. Here’s how it all came together.

    The Stone Leg: The Most Demanding Part

    The project began with the most physically challenging task—working with the granite boulder. Since the stone was too heavy to lift alone, I used an engine hoist to move it from my truck. Once positioned, I scored the base with an angle grinder and broke off the excess with a coal chisel to reduce weight.

    But that wasn’t enough—I wanted the bench to be movable by one person, so I spent an entire day hollowing out the rock with a 4-inch angle grinder. By the end, my arms felt like they’d grown three sizes!

    Inspiration Behind the Design

    The idea for this bench came from architect Erick of 35×40 Design. He once designed a house where a boulder was craned through the roof to become a fireplace. That got me thinking: How can I incorporate raw stone into fine woodworking?

    After some brainstorming—and a hike through Oregon’s Cascades—the vision clicked: a bench that bridges organic stone with precise joinery.

    Carving the Bench Top to Fit the Stone

    With the rock hollowed and manageable, I milled lumber for the bench top. The next challenge? Carving an opening in the wood to fit the irregular stone shape.

    1. Initial Layout: I drilled holes and chiseled out the rough shape.

    2. Tracing & Refining: Placing the board over the stone, I traced the outline from underneath.

    3. Power Carving: Using an angle grinder with a carving disk, I removed material up to the marked line.

    4. Final Fit: As I got closer, I switched to rasps and files for precision, ensuring a snug but slightly loose fit to allow for wood movement.

    Constructing the Wooden Arch & Supports

    The bench’s arched backrest required laminating thin walnut strips around a plywood form. After gluing, I:

    • Cut the arch to length with a Japanese pull saw.

    • Shaped the ends to match the leg’s angle using a bandsaw and hand plane.

    • Hand-cut through-mortises for the cross braces, carefully chiseling to match the arch’s curve.

    Assembly & Finishing Touches

    Before final assembly:

    • I reinforced the hollowed stone with spray foam to prevent cracking.

    • Added a steel bracket to secure the wood to the stone, carefully drilling and welding custom-fit rods.

    • Applied a water-based dye to the mahogany to enhance its grain.

    Finally, I epoxied the arch in place, using screws (later replaced with decorative dowels) for clamping pressure. The last step was bolting the top to the stone—tight enough to hold, but loose enough to allow for wood movement.

    Final Thoughts

    This project pushed my skills in stone carving, joinery, and design. The result? A functional yet sculptural bench that blends natural stone with handcrafted wood.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves

    Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves
    Jun 13 2025
    Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves and Sculpted Legs For today’s Custom Furniture project, I set out to build a unique oval table with abstract lower shelves and sculpted legs. The process was a mix of careful planning, improvisation, and a little bit of trial and error—especially when my daughter compared the Oval Table design to Squidward’s head from SpongeBob SquarePants! Milling the Lumber and Glue-Up I started by milling the lumber as usual, but when it came to the glue-up, I decided against using dominos for alignment—something I typically rely on. Since I was cutting an oval shape and some abstract curves later, I didn’t want to risk a domino being exposed on the edges. Instead, I cut some cauls and covered them with packing tape to prevent glue adhesion. These helped keep the panels flat during the glue-up. To make clamping easier, I spaced the clamps off the workbench with scrap wood, allowing room for the clamps to slide underneath the material. Cutting the Oval Shape After the glue-up, I crafted a quick shop-made oval-cutting jig. I’m no mathematician, but the basic idea is that the jig has two sliding pivot points—one controlling the length of the oval and the other controlling the width. I double-stick taped the jig to the center of my workpiece and made several shallow passes with the router until I cut all the way through. Shaping the Lower Shelves The lower shelves only extended halfway across the table, so I glued up two shorter blanks and traced half of the oval onto them. After rough-cutting them on the bandsaw (leaving the line for cleanup), I used double-stick tape to attach the top to the lower shelf. Then, with a bearing-guided bit on the router table, I matched the shelf’s curve to the tabletop. Where the oval transitioned into the abstract shape, I blended the curves with a disc sander. My daughter’s observation that it resembled Squidward’s head was too amusing to ignore—so with her approval, I refined the shape and cut it out on the bandsaw. After cleaning up the cuts at the spindle sander, I used double-stick tape again to make a matching copy for the second shelf. Designing the Legs Originally, I thought using the oval’s arch for the legs would be clever, but after sketching it out, I realized it looked too busy with too many steep curves. Instead, I opted for straight legs with a curved top section, resembling the shape of a calla lily flower. To cut the legs safely, I used a table saw for the straight portion and switched to the bandsaw for the curve. Then, I refined the shape at the spindle sander and hand-sanded with a flexible strip to ensure a smooth transition. To prevent kickback at the router table, I added small plywood blocks with CA glue at the start and end of the template. This gave the router bit a solid surface to engage before cutting into the workpiece. Joining the Legs to the Table The legs were notched to fit into the tabletop and shelves. A dado stack cut the notches, but since the tabletop was curved, there was a small gap. I fixed this by chiseling a concave curve into each leg to match the table’s shape. During a test fit, I noticed a gap on the lower shelf due to Squidward’s sharper curve. I marked the leg’s position, sawed a notch with a Japanese pull saw, and refined it with a chisel until everything fit snugly. Final Shaping and Finishing For a smooth roundover on the legs, I used a router table with starter blocks to prevent catches. After knocking off the blocks, I trimmed the leg tops at the miter saw (though in hindsight, the table saw might have been safer—lesson learned!). A hand-sanded chamfer along the edges softened the transition between the legs and the table. Before final assembly, I pre-finished the pieces with wipe-on satin polyurethane, masking the joints to avoid glue interference. Assembly With nine joints across seven pieces, I opted for slow-setting epoxy. The band clamp, as usual, proved frustrating and was eventually abandoned. Despite my daughter vetoing the name “Squidward Table,” I’m really happy with how it turned out!
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Building a Japanese Inspired Bench

    Building a Japanese Inspired Bench
    Jun 9 2025
    How to Craft a Japanese-Inspired Bench: Carving, Bowties, and Joinery Today, I’m excited to share my process of building a Mountain Contemporary Japanese-inspired bench featuring a hand-carved crack with decorative bowtie inlays. Along the way, I’ll explore three or four different types of joinery to bring this piece together. This project was originally built for a Manitou Springs Client. Step 1: Preparing the Bench Top I started by cutting 8/4 cherry boards to approximate length for the bench top. While a live-edge slab with a natural crack would have been ideal, using standard cherry was more cost-effective, and I could control exactly where the “crack” would go. After milling the pieces, I arranged them to hide the glue line, ensuring the grain flowed naturally. Once satisfied, I used tracing paper to map out the crack’s path, following the wood’s grain to make it look as organic as possible. Carbon paper (yes, it still exists!) helped transfer my design onto the workpiece. Carving the Crack Using a power carver on an angle grinder, I carefully shaped the crack, starting at the top and working downward. A soft pad on my random orbit sander smoothed out the grinding marks. On the opposite side, I removed bulk material from the bottom and feathered it upward to meet my layout line. To enhance the crack’s realism, I applied a dark brown dye stain, then misted it with water to create a weathered effect. After speeding up drying with a heat gun, I sealed it with shellac to prevent any dye transfer onto clothing. A quick pass with 0000 steel wool toned down the shine. Floating Tenons for Alignment Before glue-up, I mortised the edges for floating tenons to ensure perfect alignment. Step 2: Inlaying the Bowties I experimented with different bowtie sizes and shapes on paper before settling on a layout. Using spray adhesive, I attached the templates to walnut scraps and cut them out on the bandsaw. Double-sided tape held each bowtie in place while I traced around them with a razor blade. This created a precise outline for chiseling. Chiseling the Inlay Starting just inside the razor line, I removed waste in small increments to avoid compressing the wood fibers. After several test fits and adjustments, I glued each bowtie in place, planed it flush, and used steam to swell any compressed grain for a tight fit. Step 3: Building the Legs & Joinery I laminated 8/4 lumber for the legs, carefully matching grain to hide glue lines. After squaring the ends, I cut bridle joints on the table saw using a shop-made sled, taking shallow passes to avoid blade strain. Tapering the Legs A quick tapering jig on the bandsaw (made from scrap plywood) helped shape all four sides of each leg. The jointer cleaned up saw marks, leaving smooth, even tapers. Upper Rails & Curves I shaped the upper rails using a template and double-sided tape. After rough-cutting at the bandsaw, I routed the curves with a flush-trim bit, switching between top and bottom bearings to avoid tearout. Step 4: Mortise & Tenon for the Lower Stretcher Finding the leg’s center, I marked mortises and used a mortising attachment (shimmed for squareness) to chop them out. A chisel cleaned up rough walls. For the stretcher tenons, I measured each leg’s angle individually (since slight variations existed from tapering) and cut matching angles on the table saw. Hand-sawing and chiseling finished the shoulders. Step 5: The Trestle & Final Assembly Before making the trestle, I dry-fit the legs to determine spacing. Using a naturally curved piece of wood, I traced an arch with a flexible strip and a nail as a pivot point. Half-Lap Joints A dado blade cuts half-laps on the trestle and stretchers. After test-fitting, I bandsawed the curve, smoothed it with disk and spindle sanders, and hand-sanded any imperfections. Final Thoughts This project combined carving, inlay, and multiple joinery techniques to create a functional yet artistic Mountain Contemporary bench.
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    Less than 1 minute
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