6 FINE woodworkINg
Build a Better Backyard
From late spring through early fall, Connecticut has wonderful weather,
perfect for spending time outdoors. So, when my family and I moved here,
we looked for a house with a big deck in the back. We were fortunate
to find one, but after moving in we realized that we didn’t have enough
outdoor furniture to fill it. If I weren’t a woodworker, we probably would
have been off to the home center to buy a table and chairs. But my love
for wood furniture led me into the shop instead, and I made a pair of
garden benches.
Making those two benches taught me a lot about how to tailor furniture
to survive outside. It needs to shed water and be able to dry quickly, so
mold and fungi don’t start growing. I also learned that you should relax
and have fun when you’re building for the outdoors. No matter how well
you design and construct outdoor
furniture and projects for the
yard and garden, eventually it all
loses the battle against Mother
Nature. Accept that truth and you
won’t be nearly as stressed when
building for the outdoors as you
might be when making indoor
furniture, which we hope will last
for several lifetimes.
This collection of outdoor
projects covers every area of the
living and working space you find
out the back door. There are compost bins and raised beds to improve
your garden, an arbor to create a beautiful and shady spot for resting,
and plenty of chairs, benches, and tables to use for relaxing. Some of the
projects can be made in just a few hours (or even less) with the basic
tools that most homeowners already have, while others will satisfy that
desire to challenge ourselves that pushes every woodworker from one
project to the next.
Now is the time to get out in the shop (or yard) and start building.
Spring and summer are closer than you think. And remember to have fun.—Matt K enney,
Outdoor Projects editorGroup Publisher Anatole Burkin
[email protected]
VP, Advertising Sales Rick Straface
[email protected]
Advertising Director Peter Badeau
203-304-
[email protected]
Custom Solutions Brenden Delaney
Manager 203-304-
[email protected]
Senior National Linda Abbett
Account Manager 203-304-
[email protected]
Advertising Sales Diana Mackey
AssistantSenior Advertising Karen Lutjen
Marketing and
Operations Manager
Assistant Advertising Kandace Doyle
Marketing ManagerMember Audit
Bureau of CirculationDigital Marketing Sara Ezrin Larsen
Director
Senior Consumer Melissa Robinson
Marketing Manager
Director, eCommerce Michael StoltzIndependent publishers since 1975
Founders, Paul & Jan Roman
President Timothy Rahr
CFO Richard Browning
Group Publisher Anatole Burkin
Group Publisher Maria Taylor
SVP, Creative & Editorial Susan Edelman
SVP, Operations Thomas Luxeder
SVP, Taunton Interactive Jason Revzon
VP, Single Copy Sales Jay Annis
VP, Consumer Marketing Nancy Hallberg
VP, Advertising Sales Rick Straface
VP & Controller Wayne Reynolds
VP, Finance Kathy Worth
VP, Human Resources Carol Marotti
VP, Fulfillment Patricia Williamson
Publishers of magazines, books, videos, and online
Fine Woodworking • Fine Homebuilding
Threads • Fine Gardening • Fine Cooking
http://www.taunton.comeditor’s letter
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