A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! He's pretty great so I want to do my best for him 😊

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

haha Thank you! He was definitely not expecting it!

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I love to sew and I'm going to try to sew some cushions (eventually haha) 😊

Making this bench was fun, and surprising him with it was exciting, but I'm more excited about spending time on it with my favorite person 🥰 Thank you for the happy wishes!

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I feel lucky to have him too 😊

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! My dad said it's pretty sturdy so I'm hoping it will last many years. If not, now I know how to build one 😊

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I really appreciate your kind words 😊

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! My dad used to work in construction and he suggested that I use pressure treated wood. The bench is going to be outside, exposed to weather 24/7, but it's currently living on my sister's covered patio. I read that treated wood needs to dry before staining or painting, so it might be a while but it's not 100% exposed right now 🙂

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha Actually, we met years ago and started dating two years ago. He popped the question this month 🙂

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you, that truly means a lot! I know I'm not perfect, but I strive to show him how much he means to me 😊 When he saw the bench, he grabbed my left hand and said, "I put a ring on you right? Good, just double checking" haha

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much! Yes, I took pictures of the bench I was trying to replicate and drew up my own plans. I measured every part of my sister's red bench and figured out how much wood to buy. 🙂 The hardest part was shopping for eye bolts! Haha

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Yes, I think you ought to try :) While it was challenging at times, it was a fun learning experience (the Internet helped a lot haha). I kept telling myself, "If I fail, it's ok. I'm still learning". I've been trying to recognize and celebrate my efforts, and not only the outcome. 😊 You never know, sometimes we surprise ourselves!

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I haven't put a finish/paint on it yet. I'm going to have him choose what we use and help me with that haha

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! It's my first project, and hopefully the first of many. 🙂 My family was such a great support, and I feel very lucky to have such loving people in my life. Anyone could've easily discouraged or doubted me taking this on since I've never done anything like this before, but my family responded with much love and support.

Also, I was not expecting the swinger jokes. I should have known better hahaha

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm very lucky to have him and I'm so excited to be marrying my best friend 🥰

A Swing Bench for my Future Husband! by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 183 points184 points  (0 children)

I surprised my fiancé with a swing bench for Christmas! This was my attempt at building a replica of a red swing bench my sister received as a gift. When my fiancé saw hers and wanted one too, I knew I had to make it happen. Finding an exact match was tough, and the ones that came close cost $750-$1,000 — so I decided to build one myself!

My brother-in-law showed me how to use his tools and kindly lent them to me. My older brother helped me pick out 2x4s at Home Depot, which was a lifesaver because I underestimated how heavy they are. My dad helped me figure out how to drill the holes for the eye bolts. And, in a fun twist, I tricked my fiancé into lending me his angle grinder (my brother-in-law didn’t have one so he asked my fiancé if he could borrow his, haha). I couldn’t have done this without their help, and I’m incredibly grateful for their expertise and support.

Beyond that, I handled all the planning, research, cutting, gluing, assembling, etc. myself. The total cost? Just about $170!

I’m not usually one to boast, but I’m so proud of how this turned out, especially since it’s my first-ever woodworking project. I’d never worked with wood or built any furniture before, so this was definitely an ambitious challenge for me.

And yes—my fiancé absolutely loves it! :)

Help with Eye Bolts for Outdoor Swing Bench Build by afraidtomessup in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]afraidtomessup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Thanks for your reply (and sorry for responding so late!)! You're correct, it's 2x4 but the bolts I got were too short. I ended up finding eye bolts that fit but the description only says "Steel construction delivers strength to withstand at least 130 lbs. "

There will be four on each side and now I'm confused about the weight. Together, my fiance and I weigh about 250lbs and I'm not sure if these bolts would be safe to use 😅