The Lena Dining Bench

It's here! The bench for the Lena Dining Table. It measures 71" long and can easily fit 4 adults. The wood cost to build this bench is around $70.00. Not bad!

Materials:

-1x6x8 (3)

-1x4x8 (3)

-2x6x8 (2)

-2x4x8 (3)

-1 1/4" Pocket Hole Screws

-2 1/2" Pocket Hole Screws (or 3" Wood Screws)

-1" Brad Nails

-Wood Glue

-Wood Filler

-Sand Paper

-Stain or Paint and Polyurethane Finish

Tools:

-Tape Measure

-Pencil

-Square

-Table Saw or Miter Saw (table saw is required if you want to rip off the curved edges on the 2x stock)

-Kreg Pocket Hole Jig

-Drill

-Brad/Finish Nailer

-Sander

-Safety Equipment

The bench top is simply (3) 1x6s attached using 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws. You'll want to space the pocket holes at least every 12". Run a bead of glue along the edges before attaching them to ensure a secure fit.

Create a support frame for under the bench by attaching 1x4s with 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws. Attach the frame to the planked top using wood glue and 1" brad nails. Measure for the frame piece by piece to make sure everything lines up and fits nicely. You can hide the pocket holes by drilling the holes on the side that will be glued to the planked top.

I added these two additional 1x4 supports on a later step, you can add them when you make the frame to save yourself the headache of adding them later.

Next come the legs. There are 3 legs on this bench. I've added the center one as additional support to prevent any possible bowing in the middle. Measure carefully to ensure all legs are the same height (you don't want a wobbly bench) and double check the measurement between the long frame pieces on the top for the 9 1/2" 2x6s on the legs (adjust this measurement if needed). The legs are designed to mimic the style of the table legs, but if you would like a less chunkier design, you can use one 2x6 for each horizontal piece and one 2x4 for each vertical piece, just make sure to add 3" to the length of the vertical pieces so the overall height of the bench is still 18".

The 2x4s will be glued and nailed together using 2" finish nails. You can use 2 1/2" to 3" wood screws to attach one 2x6 to the top and one 2x6 to the bottom of the vertical pieces. (if you would like to attach the legs without nailing through the top of the bench, you can drill several 1 1/4" pocket holes along the top vertical edge of the second 2x6 to attach the leg with 1 1/2" pocket hole screws). Make sure the screws are counter sunk and then glue and nail the second 2x6 to the top and the bottom. Alternatively, you can use 1 1/2" pocket holes and 2 1/2" pocket hole screws to attach the vertical pieces to the horizontal pieces. You'll want to drill the pocket holes in the 2x4s before gluing them together, and you will need to fill all the holes before you sand and finish the bench. As a side note, it may be challenging to squeeze your drill in between the vertical pieces to screw in the center pocket hole screws, but you can decide which way will work best for you. The 1x6s for the feet can be attached using wood glue and 1" brad nails.

The center square that will hold the 2x4 stretcher is made using 2x2s and (2)1 1/2" 1x4 pieces. Attach the 1x4 pieces to the sides first using wood glue and brad nails, then add the 2x2s to the top and bottom using wood glue and brad nails, the brad nails can be toenailed (nailed at an angle) into the vertical leg pieces. It would be helpful to take a scrap piece of wood and cut it to the height you want to attach the 1x4s to the sides, and use this board to set your 1x4 on to nail it in. This will make sure all the squares are at the same height for the stretcher to fit into later.

The next step is to attach the bench top to the legs. This can be done with pocket holes and screws in the tops of the legs, or you can use finish nails to glue and nail the top to the legs.

The legs should fit snug between the frame under the planked top.

Cut the stretcher and thread it through the center squares. You can toenail or screw the stretcher in place if it moves around too much. Sand and finish the bench and you're done! Make one or more and enjoy tons of seating at a low price!