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About This Project
We designed this bench to be strong without complex joints. An experienced woodworker can complete this potting bench in a day. If you're a beginner, allow two or three days.
You'll need basic carpentry tools like a tape measure, large and small squares, and a chisel. You could make most of the cuts for this potting bench with a circular saw. However, a power miter box will ensure perfectly square end cuts, and a table saw is almost essential for cutting the grate slats. If you don't have a table saw, ask a friend, neighbor or the staff at the lumberyard to cut the pieces for you. You'll also need a drill with the bits mentioned in the story and a jigsaw.
Choose Straight, Nice-Looking
Lumber
Use the Shopping List above to buy your materials. We used
cedar for our bench, but pine is cheaper. Consider using pressure-treated pine
if you'll be leaving the bench outside. All of these are available at
home centers and lumberyards. But make sure to pick straight boards with at
least one nice-looking side. You can hide a few minor defects on the back or
underside of the bench. Also, avoid boards with large knots, which will weaken
key parts and make it harder to cut the notches.
When you get your materials home, cut the pieces to size using the Cutting List above. Many of the parts, like the 1 x 1-in. slats for the grate and the 2-1/2 in. wide legs, have to be cut the length of the board. This operation, called ripping, is possible with a circular saw, but it's much quicker, easier and more accurate with a table saw.
Make Tight-Fitting Joints for a Strong
Bench
Notching looks tricky, but
it's simple if you follow these key steps: First clamp each pair of legs
together, and using dimensions from
Fig. A, mark the lower edge of each notch. Use a
square to draw lines across the boards at these marks. Then align the
corresponding horizontal board with this line and mark along the opposite edge
to get an exact width. Using the boards in this manner to mark the width of the
notch is more accurate than measuring. When you saw the notch, cut to the waste
side of the pencil line, leaving the line on the board. You can always enlarge
the notch or plane the board to fit a notch that's too tight, but you
can't shrink a notch that's too wide. Tight-fitting joints
strengthen the bench and look better too.
Assembly is Quick Once the
Parts are Cut
Before you
screw the horizontal pieces to the legs, pick the best-looking side of the
boards and make sure it's facing the front of the bench. Drill 5/32-in. clearance holes through
the cross members to avoid splitting them and to allow the screws to draw the
boards tight to the legs.
Use only one 1-1/4 in. screw to attach parts F and G to the front legs. Center the screw so it doesn't interfere with the 3-in. screws you'll be installing to secure the leg assembly. Use a 3/4-in. spacer block to align the cross members (E) before you drive in the 3-in. screws.
If you'll be leaving your bench outdoors, use stainless steel screws or corrosion-resistant deck screws. For extra strength and durability, put a small dab of construction adhesive on each joint before you screw the pieces together. To hide the 3-in. screws that secure the front legs, use a 3/8-in. brad point drill bit to drill 1/4-in. deep recesses before you drill the 5/32-in. clearance holes. Then glue 3/8-in. wood buttons into the recesses after you screw the parts together.
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