Bench top attachment???

[dicka]

Hello,

Doing my very 1st garden bench, and need some advice and suggestions on how to attach the top to the legs. It's a very simple bench with the top just sitting on two stumps. The bench will be kept outdoors, so what is the best way to attach the top to the legs? If glue is used, what is the best outdoor glue?? Thanks to everyone for any and all answers.

Hancock Carver

[Backwater Bob]

I use the elmers brown stuff for glue.
One way to attach is to cut a dovetail into the top of the stump...a heart shaped one is cool. ( make the dovetail on the seat part and then trace onto the stump and cut out the hole for it.) another way is to attach dowels to the bottom of the seat fitting into holes on the stump. I like to see them built so they come apart.

[twoclones]

For simple benches, I have used Gorilla Glue to hold a dowel into the stump and put a generous clearance hole in the seat plank. It was my hope that by glueing the dowel into the stump rather than the plank, I'd avoid having water trapped in the center of my bench stump.