Model 2: Bench Stadium by Andrew Crombie

"Bench Stadium" is a bench designed by Andrew Crombie and placed in Urban Redevelopment Authority building in Singapore.

Picture above is the real Bench Stadium, and this project is an imitation to it, with slight adjustment to my liking.

Let's start with the process.

I first modelled the bench in Sketchup to get the precise dimensions of every details. The bench would be made in real life size, approximately 450mm in all width, length and depth.

I then plotted out the design in A2 papers, and then cut them out so that I could trace the shape onto the timber.

Speaking of timber, the timber selected in this project is Radiator Pine, which is readily available in the workshop. Moreover it is the most affordable timber in the workshop, which is perfect as I did not want to break my bank making this model.

After tracing the shape, I proceeded to band saw to cut out the shape.

After cutting out the shape, I continued to disc sander to refine the shape, which was to create a curvy shape by adjusting the base of the disc sander to a certain angle.

After that, I marked the position of the holes and drilled them using drilling machine. The holes are all in 10mm diameter, which was intended to fit in bolts afterwards.

After drilling all the holes, i started assembling the timber together with the bolts.

After assembling them, I used sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges.

Issues

Compared to the first project, I had less issues with this model, because this model was more straightforward, although the amount of work needed to complete the bench is far more than the first project.

The first issue I had was the workmanship. During drilling process, the drill bit pushed through the timber rather than drilling, which resulting in these rough finishes. I then drilled slowly to reduce the issue, but the finishes was still imperfect. I then used sandpaper to remove the debris on the holes.

Second issue was that some of the holes were not aligned with the bolts, making the assembly a difficult task. I then use the bolts to thrust through the timber before assembly them, which allowed the holes to be slightly larger. Yet, even though the holes became larger, there were some that was completely not aligned, which I had to forcefully adjust them to slot into the holes. However, surprisingly it created stiffness on the bench, which in turn increased the overall strength of the bench.

Below are some pictures to showcase the model.