Project #2 - Benches & Tables

2.  WOODWORKING/CARPENTRY – This is really an important project for us.  As I think I mentioned at some time in the past, our benches for patients are falling apart – and we have not had money to replace them.  This will be a HUGE help to us.  Also, during Kids’ Club – the kids have to color on their laps or squat down to use the seat of a bench as a table.  We would really like to get the tables made to provide them a better area for coloring and projects. 

So – first, the material.  The carpenter that we use when we are able can help us get wood.  We are planning to use pine.  It is a fairly good wood for the coast, and is fairly resistant to termites.  The wood stock that is available comes in “planks” that measure 230 cm in length by 25 cm in width.  They start out 5 cm thick, but we can ask for it planed (I’m not sure what word to use there) and it then comes out 4 cm thick.  I am sure that we want to get it “planed” to cut down on the amount of work.  Each of these “planks” costs roughly ten dollars.  We’ll get the exact price when we talk to him about how much we want to order – and we’ll see if we can’t talk him into a little better price for the amount we are going to buy.  Benches – once again, I’m not sure if this might be a bigger project than you might have been thinking.  Please let me know if this is too much – or if it will turn out to be too expensive.  The same goes for the courtyard project above.  If it looks like things will be becoming too expensive – just let me know.  I took some pictures of one of benches that we have currently to give you an idea of what we are talking about.  The benches that we currently have, are 260 cm in length, the seat of the bench is 42.5 cm off the ground, and the backrest of the bench extends for 50 cm above the seat.  As you can see, both the seat and the backrest are made of multiple pieces of wood that measure only four to five centimeters in width.  We don’t need that same design – we thought the backrest could have just two wider pieces of wood – and the seat could be the same – made from two wider pieces of wood – that would cut down on the amount of work needed to make each bench.  One thing we do really like about the benches that we have, is that the top of the bench (where the backrest ends – the highest part of the bench) does not extend out farther posteriorly then the back legs of the bench.  I hope I am being clear.  When the highest part of the bench sticks out farther in the back than the back legs – that highest part rubs against the walls and damages our paint and finish on the walls.  So, we would like for the top of the bench not to extend out farther than the back legs.  That being said – we think it would be great if Mark and the team would like to create the design for the benches.  These are the dimensions that we would like - - - because the planks of wood come in lengths of 230 cm – it doesn’t make much sense to ask for a 260 cm long bench.  So, we think the easiest thing to do would be to make the bench 230 cm in length, with the seat approximately 42.5 cm off the ground, and the backrest going up about another 50 cm.  I hope you are sitting down - - - we could actually use 12 of these benches.  Then, using the same design – we could use four more benches for inside the Clinic – but they would need to be a bit shorter.  These would measure 120 cm in length, with the same measurements for seat and backrest height.  So – that is a total of 16 benches……
As far as the tables go – we would like two sizes of tables.  Tables to be used in Kids’ Club (and they would probably be used for Sunday School at church as well), and two bigger, “normal” sized tables for the sala/breakroom in the Clinic where we eat during surgery week and when we have groups.  This is what we are thinking for the tables for the kids – we don’t have a small table to use an example, or from which to get the measurements.  I measured the small chairs that the children sit in for Sunday School and Kids’ Club.  The seat is 27.5 cm off the ground.  Using the ratio of seat height to table height in adults (about 43 or 44 cm seat height, and about 76 cm table height) and a seat height of 27.5 for kids – we came up with a table height for the kids tables of about 47.5 cm.  I don’t know if it would be better just to go to 50 cm…..  Anyway – I don’t know if there is a “standard” height for kids’ tables – but if we need to decide, I would go for between 47.5 and 50 cm.  We would like long tables that would be able to seat quite a few kids – so – once again we thought the easiest thing to do would be to make the tables 230 cm in length.  Long tables would also be better for us as far as space goes.  For width – 70 cm.  So – we are thinking for the kids’ tables – 230 cm in length, 70 cm in width and 47.5 to 50 cm for height.  Because we have very little storage space, and these tables will not be in use constantly, we would like for the tables to be folding tables – like card tables – where the legs can be folded up into the top of the table to make storage easier.  I hope that is do-able.  Then – the last two tables are for adults – and will be used mostly for meal times.  We were thinking of the following measurements – length of 230 cm, width of 80 cm, height of 76 cm.  If we could, we would like for the legs to be folding on these as well.  Another important thing here is tools.  As I mentioned, we have very little in the way of tools here – and we don’t have any electric saws.  I will need you to tell me exactly what you need and how many.  I don’t know if anybody on the team is planning to bring any of their own tools.  Please let me know what you think here.  Another thing that is highly possible – is that our carpenter would cut the planks into the size pieces that we need.  Then we wouldn’t have to figure out how to get an electric saw, and we could have the pieces cut along their length to be able to achieve the measurements that we are hoping for in each item.  We will call the carpenter on Monday and see if he could do this for us.