Building a Backyard Bar With Some Recycling

Building a backyard bar is a great deal easier than you think and it can be made from new and recycled material. Building a backyard bar from Fastclamp, galvanised tube and recycled wood gives you an industrial look and the pleasure of knowing you did it yourself. I was recently furloughed in the United Kingdom and was left with little to do. The reason was that in the previous weeks when we were all on lockdown, I was working with my wife to create a garden in our then ugly backyard. In a time when suddenly our weekends did not have football, nights out in Manchester’s Northern Quarter or weekends away.

We had created decking areas and built a metal shed bought from Argos, something I will never do again, it was like tiny screw armageddon. We created a vegetable garden from two old pallet sides and pallets even more garden spaces. With the hanging pots on purple pallets, the space is a tranquil vista to sit and play cards and enjoy visitors. Amid all this plant life is a hammock chair, perfect for reading or reflecting on a stressful day. A space that was not filled was an area of decking outside the entrance to our home.

Offcuts and Recycled Decking

This looked like it needed a bar to enjoy a beer or a glass of gin and eventually when lockdown finally ended. A place for kegs of beer to be enjoyed by friends and family, pints pulled by the amateur landlord, my favourite ale is Marble Brewery Pint, also known as Metric. All that was needed was the materials to build it and a plan of how to put it together. A simple sketch put together on Microsoft Publisher gave us the layout; and the knowledge to select the fittings required to put it together. The main plan was to build it from as much recycled material as possible, the only purchase required would be the Fastclamp fittings to complete a backyard bar.

There are several tube sizes you could select to build a Fastclamp backyard bar, from 25mm nominal bore to 40mm nominal bore. The size selection in this case was governed by the fact that here at Besseges (Valves, Tubes and Fittings) Ltd. We had a few crates of 40mm galvanised steel tube offcuts, that were effectively scrap material. The structure could therefore be built with mainly reclaimed material, the only additions to the structure were the fittings and supports. However, if you had access to some old handrail, it could all be built from reclaimed materials.

Next time your local council highways department dismantles some old safety rails. Rather than see them go to scrap, buy them for your next project; the possibilities with this material are varied. Today building a backyard bar is tomorrow building bench seats or even clothes rails. The last of the major items required to complete the backyard bar is the bar top. The possibilities here are again wide and varied, in the case of this bar. I already had some reclaimed decking, that was once part of a florist shop display, that had been headed for the tip. One of our customers who also had a go at building a backyard bar used railway sleepers to create the bar top.

Building a Backyard Bar How To

To build a Fastclamp structure, the only tools required apart from the one doing the heavy lifting are an Allen key and a level. The first job to do is connect the style of base support you are going to use; in this case, it was C11G40 Fastclamp Wall Flange and cut lengths of the 40mm galvanised tube. The tube slides into the fitting and using the Allen key to tighten up the grub screw completes the job. Once you have four supports completed, this depends on the length of the structure you are creating. My one-metre mini backyard bar only required four supports whereas anything over 1.2 metres would require further supports.

Next is to attach two of the supports using three Fastclamp CO3G40s and a pre-cut piece of 40mm galvanised tube, do not tighten the grub screws on these fittings. The third tee is placed in the centre of the tube as later it will connect the two support structures. This piece of the tube being the same length as your bar will also become the footrest when you are sitting at the bar, drinking your first beer or cocktail. Next, we move to the top of the support structure where the two C20G40 Fastclamp three-way elbows are fitted. Before these fittings are tightened to the support legs another tube across the width must be fitted.

A Note of Caution

Once this task is completed you have built one side of your bar support, all I would say now is not to overtighten the fittings at this point. Just in case you need to make any minor adjustments or put right the odd mistake. The next task is to complete the opposite side of your support structure, once this has been completed; the frame for your bar is almost complete. The next job is to fit the three long pre-cut tubes that finish the job on the support frame, two are fitted between the C20G40 Fastclamp three-way elbows. The third is the centre strut between the two C03G40 Fastclamp short tees, that make the footrest and strengthen the frame.

At this point, you will see why I kept the fittings loose on this section because depending on the height you are happy with. The footrest and strengthening bar can be slid into position and by using the level ensures it is at the right angle and true. At this point check your backyard bar is level by placing it on a flat surface and once you have made the minor adjustments required. Tighten all the grub screws on the frame and you will have completed the first stage of building a backyard bar.

The next task is to create the top of the backyard bar, in my case, I used as I said earlier, reclaimed timber decking. But the choice is really up to you, dependent on your skills with wood. In my case, my relationship with wood ended when I gave up a woodworking class at Secondary Modern in the late 1970s. I tend to look at wood and know what I want to create, this does not always translate well to my hands doing the work. What I did find though was the wood I was about to use was slightly warped, making me careful where I cut it.

A plan for the bar top came into my head and so I used my newly acquired hand saw and cut the planks to length. This was a new experience for me as I usually borrowed a saw from my skilled next-door neighbour. Since then I have acquired all the tools, I used to borrow to complete various other garden projects, which include a wheelie bin tidy. Once the planks had been cut to length, I used two pieces of 41mm x 41mm decking posts to connect the planks.

My intention at this point was to use the same 41mm x 41mm decking posts to fasten the completed top to my backyard bar. The fact that the wood as previously referred to had warped, presenting me with a problem, the bar top would not sit true on the structure. To resolve this final problem so I had a satisfactory backyard bar, I used three Fastclamp C66G40 Mesh Clips and 30mm wood screws to fasten the top to the Fastclamp structure; job done.

The Coolest Spot in the Garden

Although my version of building a backyard bar is not the height of perfection, it has been used regularly by myself and my lovely wife. When the weather is very warm, a rarity in Northwest England, it is the coolest spot in the garden. Rather than build bar stools in the same way I built the bar; we bought two from Argos for £30. It is a great place to sit and enjoy a beer if you want your backyard bar. Even if you have the most basic of skillsets, try building a backyard bar from Fastclamp and reclaimed material. Once the job is finished, the sense of satisfaction is enormous; and you will impress your friends at the same time.  For advice and assistance in building your backyard nar, contact our sales team.