Shou sugi ban/Yakisugi Bonsai Shelf.

[InstilledChaos]

I’ve been needing a better way to display my bonsai nicely on my back deck, but really didn’t want to take up a lot of deck space with a bench. I decided to design a shelf to sit on the deck rail. The shelf is made it out of cedar I treated with the shou sugi ban/yakisugi Japanese wood burning technique. Basically you char the outer layers of wood with a blow torch, and if desired you can brush it with various wire brushes to remove some of the char and achieve whatever look you are going for. I did not apply any topcoat for minimal maintenance, however I sealed the end grain with anchor seal to increase longevity. It will be interesting to see if the natural slivering of the wood will pop the grain pattern even more.

I secured it to the rail with tarp straps so I can easily move it to any position for varying sun/shade conditions. The shelf is 8” wide, which works great for most of my bonsai, but I’m thinking I will make my next one 12” wide to accommodate my bigger trees.

 

[InstilledChaos]

Here are a few pictures during the shou sugi ban process for anyone interested.

 

[Captain.Bonsai]

Well done. It looks nice.

Although burning it does a good job of sealing the pores, I think brushing it likely undoes some of that. After brushing I treated mine with boiled linseed oil and paste wax to give it a little extra protection. It was probably overkill. I like the looks both ways.

I would be terrified to rely on those tarp straps on a windy day, or if a squirrel or bird gets up there. If you drop some screws through the bench into the handrail they would be easy to fix with a little wood filler later. Or if that’s not an option maybe consider c-clamps or rope/paracord at least. Any elastic quality in a tie-down is certainly unreliable for this purpose. Also, eye hook screws or cleats would be better than wood screws for tie downs if you stick with that method.

 

[InstilledChaos]

Thanks! I’d love to see pictures of yours. I think it undoubtedly looks a whole lot better with a topcoat on it. I’m sure brushing minimizes the preserving properties of the burning, but cedar is good outside anyways, and I love the aesthetics of it. The trouble I have is that outside it won’t last either way, and I have no interest in recoating a couple times a year. We shall see how it holds up.

I was originally going to screw it down, but after seeing how secure the straps are I am sold on them. They are heavy duty rubber that takes a lot of force to stretch, unlike bungee cords. There are also cleats on both from and back to prevent any sliding. Any major storms I usually put stuff on the deck against the house under the eaves or inside anyways.

 

[Captain.Bonsai]

Thanks! I’d love to see pictures of yours.

This is my little shou sugi ban bench, the post just above it is the pergola bar/bench I built this year.

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