Build A Dining Bench

Build a dining bench to complement your dining table.

Dining benches hark back to the old days of communal meals around long trestle tables in the mess of a castle or manor house. A simple country style bench can work well in a number of different settings. And a sturdy and attractive dining bench is well within the reach of amateur woodworkers and do-it-yourself enthusiasts.

Instructions

1. Form two planks of 60-inch and two planks of 12-inch 1-by-3 lumber into a rectangular frame with the shorter pieces on the inside edge of the longer ones, making the corners. This is the end and side apron frame of the dining bench.

2. Drill two pilot holes at each joint on the apron frame and secure the frame together with 1 5/8- inch wood screws.

3. Space five planks of 12-inch 1-by-2 lumber evenly along the apron frame, with these support planks flush with the top of the side aprons. Secure with two 1 5/8-inch wood screws through the side aprons into the ends of the support planks.

4. Turn the frame over so that the support planks are flat on the ground. Abut four pieces of 18-inch 4-by-4 lumber, the bench legs, on either end of the short side of the apron frame. You should have 4 inches between them and the bottom of the legs will be up in the air for now.

5. Drill four countersunk pilot holes through the inside of the end aprons into each leg and secure the legs to the frame with 2 5/8-inch lag bolts.

6. Lay two planks of 72-inch long 1-by-7 lumber (the bench top) side by side on a work surface and place the leg and apron frame unit on top. The side with the support planks should be flat on the bench top planks, which means the legs will still be upside down.

7. Adjust the apron frame and legs so you have 2 inches of bench top over on each side and 4 inches over on each end of the bench. Secure the frame to the bench top with four 1 5/8-inch wood screws through each 12-inch support plank into the underside of the bench top planks.

8. Invert the bench so that it is standing on its legs; then finish it as desired with paint, stain, varnish, wax or oil.

Tags: apron frame, support planks, dining bench, frame with, wood screws, 8-inch wood, 8-inch wood screws