The finished project below was made from local cedar finished with spar urethane
I also wanted some park style benches using the cedar slabs I had, but the bench frames cost $185.00 ea +ship. So, I drew up some simple plans,bought the metal, bolts, paint & wood finish and made four of them for $57.00 each.
You need a chop saw and welder(or a friend with one) to do this project. I used true 2" wood, so if you use typical one and half inch thick wood the bolts can be 4" long. I tried the plastic 2x2" end caps, but they fall off, so used 2"strap & made my own 2x2" caps. The angle of the back is important, but by cutting one piece at 35 degrees, the remaining piece when turned over will get the correct 110-115 degrees for the back board. Found the benches to be comfortable and light enough(60lbs) to move easily..
