simple bench made from 2x4’s

Just to refresh your memory . . . this is the lumber I used.

The only lumber that was salvageable were the vertical 2x4’s that made up the spindles. See those thin little horizontal pieces? Those were put up by moi a couple of years ago to keep this little fella in--

I think he’s already figured out that he can’t escape the new deck!

This is the simple construction of these little benches. I made a box as long as the longest board.  I made the end pieces so that the benches would be about 14 inches wide.

The little scrap piece at the end is a guide. I made the bench so that it would have an overhang the width of a 2x4 thickness. While I had my box laid out, I put a 2x4 on each of the 4 sides to measure to see if everything was going to fit correctly.

I cut the seat slats 11 inches long.  You can see here that it is resting on the scrap piece. I was very fortunate that I did not have to rip any of the slats. I did not take a table saw and I didn’t really want to use Handy Graham’s saw that is kept in Jamie’s garage.

It was very hot, and I am so accustomed to working in the yard, so that is how I worked at Jamie’s too. I didn’t have an extra table, so I just put the saw on the ground. Jamie took these photos.

  

I constructed the box with screws and glue. I also used glue and screws on the inside brace pieces. I didn’t use a countersink bit because typically 2x4’s are soft enough to sink the screws. However I did make pilot holes for EVERY screw. The wood was brittle and and didn’t want to take any chances of splitting it. That is why you see 2 drills. One was manned with a drill bit, the other with a screw bit. That makes things go so much faster. If you only  have one drill, I suggest investing in a second one. Pawn shops are great places to shop for small power tools.

Meanwhile, Jamie left and I didn’t take anymore pictures of the construction process.

I attached all the slats first. I screwed the end one on, then used glue and my nail gun to attach the rest of the slats. When I got to the last one (the other end) I used screws again. Being away from home, I didn’t have a good supply of screws, and I was afraid I would run out.

After attaching all the slats, I worked on the side pieces to box in the slats.

Because I used the longest board to make the box, when it came time to “box” the slats in, I didn’t have a board long enough to have “overhang”.  Handy Graham used this type of system to connect the top rails of the deck. So I decided to give it a try. I made a 45 degree cut on two boards. Then on one board I made the straight cut. After I had that laid out, I then measured where the other straight cut needed to be made on the other board. These boards laid directly on top of the outside board (of the box).  That means they overhang the thickness of a 2x4 all the way around. I used screws on these boards also.

After I added both side boards, I attached the legs.  Because there is an overhang, the legs fit perfectly under the side boards. I used screws on the legs. These benches are VERY heavy. I can move one by myself, but to carry one from the very back of her yard to the deck was nearly impossible to do by myself!

I am not a math whiz! I came up with the simplest way to make this table!  Jamie wanted it to be a square, the same size as the bench. I cut enough boards to make it that size. Then imagine  laying all of those boards down  on a table (upside down), laying those small scraps on each of the four sides. That is what I did, then I measured the inside dimensions to figure out what size box I needed to make. Remember, I needed the overhang to allow the legs to fit perfectly on each side. This table would have been made so quickly had it not been for a sudden downpour. It delayed me for a couple of hours, forcing me to finish the construction inside the garage.

As I mentioned yesterday, the wood had some rough places.  Jamie used my orbital sander to smooth them out some. I love the way these benches and that little table turned out! Blue is my favorite color, and I love how aged they look. I also love the fact that she now has some of her original deck. Of course we did not build the original deck, it was there when she bought the house.
We built the deck on Saturday, and I made these benches on Sunday. Monday (Memorial Day) we went to Andy’s mom’s (Phyllis)  for a cookout. It was her birthday!  Monday evening after the cookout we added the lattice to the bottom of the deck.  All in all it was a fabulous weekend! I love it when I get to  visit Jamie and help her improve her home. Louie was very excited to see his momma!
gail

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