How to Build Wooden Benches

For those of you who are interested in building your own outdoor furniture, this is a must to try. Having a bench will allow for greater seating in your yard, and you can tell everyone that you made it. Here is a quick way build a wood bench. As long as you have basic knowledge of how to use tools (power or hand tools) you will be fine. These five parts, with simple steps, will guide from getting the tools and materials you will need to building the wood bench. Always be aware of where your hands are around a saw to prevent injury.

Part 1
Part 1 of 5:

Getting Started

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    1
    Pick the type of wood to use (e.g. oak, birch, cedar, poplar, pine). Oak is a nice looking hardwood, and cedar withstands the weather well.
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    2
    Gather the tools for the job:
    • Impact Wrench or Power Drill or hand drill
    • Miter Saw or hand saw
    • Tape Measure
    • Pencil
    • Drill Bits
    • Screw bits or screwdrivers that fit the heads of the screws you have
    • Ruler or other straight edge
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  3. Image titled Build Wooden Benches Step 3
    3
    Collect hardware you will need:[1]
    • 40 pieces of 4 inch long metal straps (they can be found next the L-brackets at a hardware store), and screws to fit them if they don't already come with screws.
      • Make sure the screws are no longer than an inch.
    • 34 screws that are 2 inches long (a box of 2" drywall screws will work fine that way you have some extra screws).
  4. Image titled Build Wooden Benches Step 4
    4
    Start cutting the wood to size:[2]
    • A) 3 - 2x6 @ 48 inches
    • B) 2 - 2x4 @ 19 inches
    • C) 4 - 2x4 @ 25 inches
    • D) 2 - 2x4 @ 18 inches
    • E) 9 - 1x4 @ 10 inches
    • F) 2 - 1x4 @ 17-1/4 inches (the 1/4 inch is for a future step)
    • G) 2 - 1x4 @ 48 inches
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Part 2
Part 2 of 5:

Assembling the Legs

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    You will need:
    • B) 2 - 2x4 @ 19 inches
    • C) 4 - 2x4 @ 25 inches
    • D) 2 - 2x4 @ 18 inches
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    2
    Connect the end of (B) 19" 2x4 to the butt of a (C) 25" 2x4 with two 2" screws.
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    3
    Attach the other (C) 25" 2x4 an inch in from the other end of the (B) 19" 2x4.
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    4
    Attach a (D) 18" 2x4 so that the top of this piece is 16.5" inches from the bottom of the legs, and so the ends are flush with the outside of the legs.
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    5
    Repeat steps above to make the second set of legs.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 5:

Assembling the Seat

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    1
    Attach the end of a (A)2x6 piece on top of the cross piece (D) on one leg, making sure that it is flush with the outside of the leg.
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    2
    Do the same with another (A) 2x6 piece, but on the opposite end of the cross piece (D).
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    3
    Put the third (A) 2x6 piece in the middle of the two other 2x6 pieces (there will be about ¾ inch space between each board).
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    4
    Attach the other end of each board in the same manner to the other leg, on part (D).
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Part 4
Part 4 of 5:

Assembling the Backrest

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    1
    To create a more comfortable backrest, cut an angle at the end of both (F) 17" 1x4 pieces.
    • Measure 9-11/16" on one side and 17" on the other side (This is for the skinny side of the board).
    • Connect the two spots.
    • Cut the line.
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    2
    Attach one (G) 48" 1x4 in between the two (F) 17" 1x4 pieces at the square end.
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    3
    Put the center of one of the (E) 10" 1x4 pieces in the middle of what you just built.
    • If you desire only put one strap per board.
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    4
    Install another (E) 10" 1x4 piece 1-5/8" from the edge of the center piece.
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    5
    Follow this same spacing for the remainder of the (E) 10" 1x4 pieces.
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    6
    Attach the other (G) 48" 1x4 to the ends of the (E) 10" pieces.
    • If you desire, only put one strap per board on the bottom.
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Part 5
Part 5 of 5:

Attaching the Backrest

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    1
    Attach the angled side of the backrest (F) to the back of the legs (C), using a minimum of two screws per side, allowing the bottom (G) to rest on the seat (A).

Community Q&A

  • Question
    What are the 40 4-inch long metal straps used for?
    Zack
    Zack
    Top Answerer
    Step 3 says, "Put the center of one of the (E) 10" 1x4 pieces in the middle of what you just built. If you desire only put one strap per board." Step 6 says, "Attach the other (G) 48" 1x4 to the ends of the (E) 10" pieces. If you desire, only put one strap per board on the bottom."
  • Question
    What are the 40 4-inch long metal straps used for?
    Zack
    Zack
    Top Answerer
    Step 3 says, "Put the center of one of the (E) 10" 1x4 pieces in the middle of what you just built. If you desire only put one strap per board." Step 6 says, "Attach the other (G) 48" 1x4 to the ends of the (E) 10" pieces. If you desire, only put one strap per board on the bottom."
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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

  • Impact Wrench or Power Drill or hand drill
  • Miter Saw or hand saw
  • Tape Measure
  • Pencil
  • Drill Bits
  • Screw bits or screwdrivers to fit the heads of the screws you have
  • Ruler or other straight edge
  • 40 pieces of 4 inch long metal straps (they can be found next the L-brackets at a hardware store), and screws to fit them if they don't already come with screws.
    • Make sure the screws are no longer than an inch.
  • 34 screws that are 2 inches long (a box of 2" drywall screws will work fine that way you have some extra screws).
  • 19 feet of 1x4
  • 16 feet of 2x4
  • 12 feet of 2x6

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2JmD5-r-X0
  2. ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-outdoor-wood-bench-231022
  3. https://www.buildeazy.com/garden-seat/
  4. https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/15-doable-designs-for-diy-outdoor-furniture-52116
  5. DIY Modern Outdoor Bench

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 43,478 times.
33 votes - 79%
Co-authors: 6
Updated: January 15, 2020
Views: 43,478
Categories: Building Chairs and Seating
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