How to Build a Bench Seat

Cut All Boards For the Project

• With the electric miter saw, cut the three 36-inch square dowels each at 33 inches.
• With the electric miter saw, cut the 8-foot one-by-eight into eight pieces: four 14 1/2-inch pieces and four 8-inch pieces.
• With the circular saw, cut the 2-foot by 4-foot OSB board into a single piece that is 11 inches by 33 inches.
• With the circular saw, cut the one-by-eight seating board into two pieces, each 36 inches long.

Save all waste pieces for testing the paint and stains.

Paint the Pieces

All pieces except the legs will be painted; those will later be stained after they are assembled.

• For the three 33-inch square dowels, paint three long sides and the ends with black spray paint. It is not necessary to paint the fourth side since it will be on the bottom.
• For the OSB board, paint all edges and about 1 1/2 inches into the field with black matte spray paint. While the OSB board will mostly be hidden, the purpose of painting is to help mask the edges in the rare event that they are seen.
• For the two one-by-eight seating boards, spray them with the clear polyurethane to create a smooth surface for sitting.

Create the Front Legs

Each leg is a rectangle created from two 14-1/2 inch two-by-eights running vertically and two 8-inch two-by-eights running horizontally. Manually or with a pocket jig, angle-screw the front vertical piece to both the top and bottom horizontal pieces. Do this from the back so that the screws will not be visible.

Create the Back Legs

Due to space limitations and because the back of the bench will not be seen, you can directly face-nail or screw the rear 14 1/2-inch two-by-eights into place; there is no need to create pocket holes. Keep the bench legs in square by checking them with a carpenter's square or a Speed Square.

Stain the Legs

With the legs fully assembled, stain them on all visible sides. You do not need to stain the bottom or the top, but you should stain the back.

Install the Seating Base Board

Screw the OSB board directly onto the tops of the bench legs. The ends of the OSB board should be flush with the outer edges of the bench legs. Make sure that the screw heads are perfectly flat.

Install the Seating Boards

Lay the two seating boards upside-down, so that their finished sides are facing the floor. Make sure they are touching each other and are square. Turn the bench upside-down and on top of the seating boards. Maintain an even border around all edges. Screw the boards into place from the bottom with eight screws per board.

Add the Shoe Rack Rails

Turn the bench upright. Add the three square dowel rails by adding a dot of wood glue to the bottom at each end and gently tapping them into place with the finish nails.

Add Anti-Skid Pads

On the bottom, add the four anti-skid pads. Screw them into place with the included screws.