Los Altos, CA - A Custom Gardening Work Bench accessible via Bridge into Deer-Proof Plant Nursery

 Garden work bench project
Los Altos, CA

My proposed garden work bench w/ pull out shelves...

 the granite top is getting installed 

on the top half of work bench 

by 3rd party. 

Dry creek bed going around plant nursery needed a bridge incase of rain.
The dirt will be cut back to make the approach more linear.
The deer won't stop giggling until someone digs a moat
 and upgrades this to a draw bridge

My first draft of a bridge wasn't accepted
Some people were not fond of the arch
(I heard a bridge w/o nice hand railings is a jetty
or a plank)

In my never ending quest to make people stop trippin'
I changed the bridge boards to run vertical.
Don't want anywho's catching a toe
and not know'n how to swim.
SAFETY FIRST

6 planter boxes with irrigation ran into each box.
Obviously a genius built these
 bc the corners are lapped not mitered =D  

Looks like a carpenter wizard was here

 

Adding a Privacy Panel or Fence Extension for propogating persimmon vine clones to grow over. Without digging post holes or mixing any concrete!

test fitting all the joints one last time before onsite assembly glue-up
4" redwood strips 1/4" thick weaved into frame

Steam bending the weaved boards was necessary to prevent breaking

Privacy panel was supported by (3) 2 1/2" galvanized steel pipes pile driven >30" below grade. there was no way to dig any post holes or pour cement without destroying the existing vegetation  

6 months later

1 year after installation. Almost seams silly to have weaved anything now.  

Webster St Redwood Deck Project Oakland June 2017

New Deck is 99% done.
I'm just mocking up the handrails before the final inspection from City of Oakland. 

before...

extra wide stairs

No screw holes or seams

My 3D rendering made from home owners drawings

another convenient side staircase 

City of Oakland code compliant 42" tall railings w/ all gaps <4" diameter

old deck

New side-stair landings poured

Breathable Redwood Planter w/ vented panels to extract excess moisture

Redwood Planter with venting slits

2x6 top   3x3 posts    2x3 top rail    2x4 bottom rail    4x4 feet     1x2.5 paneling

SIKKENS matte clear coat is still drying...

you can almost see the drip rail detail added around the bottom edge of the 2x6  

I was going for a floating top look. I routed the same channel along the bottom edge to act as a drip rail

I liked the corner detail left from recessing the 4x4 to fit the panels.
Added some  depth to an otherwise square post. Note the sweeping terminations.

The tv is just there as an earthquake warning device.

I used my shaper to cut the vent slots then biscuit joined the panels.