Repurposing an Old Wagon Bench

Repurposing an old Wagon Bench

 

 

    I found this old wagon bench at a junk store in Blue Ridge, GA. I had been  looking for something to use as a coffee table for the front porch of our mountain cottage. How unique is this!! 

 

     I'm guessing this wagon bench is from the amish?? I found a mixture of hardware. Nails, flat head screws and phillips head.  The springs are definitely handmade, not machine made. Unfortunately most of the wood was rotten and was  not salvagable.  I only used two original pieces.

 

     After disassembling I cut new wood to replace what was rotten. I also wanted to add some height to the bench so I doubled the height of the pieces that support the springs. This brought the height up  from 10" to 14".

    I also added a 2x2 piece of wood in between the spring supports for added stability. My main purpose is to use this as a table but if need be it could double as extra seating. After sanding everything (don't want any splinters) I assembled the wagon bench using wood screws where you wouldn't see the heads and nails in places where the heads would show. I did not want to see any screw heads. Yes I could have countersunk the screws then filled in the holes but with a piece like this perfection is not what you want. Actually seeing the nail heads, just looks right. I also applied wood glue between all the joining pieces for added strength. A fresh coat of deep red paint and done!

  

  

My finished product! An outdoor coffee table that is unique and durable that my family will enjoy for years to come.

 

    Tip: When you are shopping at your local thrift and junk stores, think outside the box. Not everything needs to be used as intended.

Thanks for checking out my redo of an old wagon bench!
                                                           Have a blessed day!  Juliane