Outdoor Bench

The sleek, simple, and modern design of this backless bench adds architectural interest and a comfy seat to your outdoor living space.

Photography by Howard Lee Puckett

project_hero

Instructions:

General: Cut and label the parts as needed, using the Cut List and Cutting Diagram as guides and adjusting for fit.

1 Build the side assemblies.

a. Glue up three pieces of 1 x 3 stock to create each (01) leg.

b. Rip each (01) leg to 2 inches wide x 2 inches thick.

c. Using glue and pocket hole screws, assemble two side assemblies with the (01) legs and (02) short rails as shown in Figure 1.

2 Assemble the body.

a. Using glue and pocket hole screws, assemble the bench body with the (03) long rails and side assemblies as shown in Figure 2.

b. Using glue and countersunk 1 5/8-inch screws, attach the (04) cross braces as shown in Figure 3. Note: Evenly space the cross braces, and use two screws for each end. Countersink the screws approximately 1/4 inch below the surface.

c. Evenly space and attach the (05) seat slats to the (04) cross braces, (01) legs, (02) short rails, and (03) long rails. The (05) seat slats should extend 1/2 inch over the two ends.

3 Add finishing touches.

a. To plug the screw holes, apply glue inside the countersink, and then insert the 3/8-inch dowel, rotating as you insert it.

b. After the glue has set, use a flush-cut handsaw to cut the dowels flush. Tip: To keep the saw teeth from scoring the project’s surface, drill a 3/8-inch-diameter hole into a couple of note cards, and slip these over the dowels before you saw; the cards will protect the wood as you saw off the excess dowel. Remove the cards, and sand the plugs flush.

c. Sand, apply stain, and allow to dry.

d. Apply a coat of polyurethane, and allow to dry. Sand lightly, and apply a second coat.

e. Predrill and attach nail-on furniture glides to the bottom of the legs.



Cut List

PART NAME MATERIAL SIZE (in inches) QTY.
01 legs 3/4 x 2 x 15 1/4 1 x 3 x 6 12*
02 short rails 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 12 1/2 1 x 3 x 6 2
03 long rails 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 42 1 x 3 x 8 2
04 cross braces 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 15 1 x 3 x 6 3
05 seat slats 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 47 1 x 3 x 8 6

*Glue three pieces together to create each leg.

Finished Dimensions

Height: 16 inches

Depth: 16 1/2 inches

Width: 47 inches

Comments

Submit Comments & Photos
  • 1 out of 1 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 2 out of 2 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 1 out of 1 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 1 out of 1 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 1 out of 1 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 2 out of 2 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 1 out of 2 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 19 out of 22 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 0 out of 6 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 4 out of 5 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 2 out of 4 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 22 out of 23 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 13 out of 14 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 1 out of 4 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 3 out of 6 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 0 out of 7 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 19 out of 20 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.
  • 13 out of 35 people found this comment helpful. Was this comment helpful?
    Flag this comment.

Submit Comments & Photos

Please feel free to post a comment and someone from LowesCreativeIdeas.com will review your submission. You can check back after 24 hours to see if your comment has been posted.

Fields in BOLD are required to preview and submit your comment.

  • Instructions

    Your email will only be used in the event that one of our moderators needs to clarify your comment. It will be used strictly in the context of or relating to your comment.

    Your email will NOT be used for marketing purposes or shared with any 3rd parties.

  • Your Photo

    Have a photo? Attach it to your comment here.

    Make sure your photo meets the following requirements:
    Max File Size: 2 MB
    File Types: jpeg/jpg, gif

    Photos will be scaled to fit this space.

    Upload Photo
    Character count: 0
    (500 character limit)
  • If you do not see the security words image:

    • Make sure the version of your browser is current. For example, you need to have at least Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 6.0 or higher.

    • Make sure your graphics (pictures and images) are turned on or enabled in your browser.

    • Refresh your browser and try again. You may want to copy your comment though as it will not be saved.

    Instructions

    Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

    If you are not sure what the words are, either enter your best guess or refresh the browser for a new set image.

  • Terms & Conditions




Total Votes: 35

These "social bookmarking" services make it easier to share and manage your favorite online content.

StumbleUpon, digg, and del.icio.us help you gather content from around the web, describe it how you see fit, and tag it for easy sorting. These sites also allow you to see what other people are gathering and tagging (if they've made it public), and find new content that may interest you.

Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace also allow you to share content that you find interesting, with people who visit or subscribe to your personal profile.

Post to StumbleUpon! Post to digg! Post to del.icio.us! Post to Facebook! Post to MySpace!


Project Details
Lowe’s List
Skill Level: Beginner
Tools to Use
  • table saw (or circular saw with a straightedge guide)
  • miter saw (or handsaw with miter box)
  • power sander and various grits of sandpaper
  • drill/driver with bits including #10 countersink bit
  • Kreg Jig R3
  • flush-cut handsaw
  • note cards
  • tape measure
  • paintbrush/rags
  • gloves (when applying stain)
  • pencil

LUMBER*

  • 4 boards, 1 x 3 x 6
  • 4 boards, 1 x 3 x 8
  • 1 dowel, 3/8-inch-diameter x 36-inch-long

HARDWARE & SUPPLIES

  • 1 box (1 1/4-inch) Kreg pocket hole screws, coarse thread
  • 1 box (1 5/8-inch) screws
  • 1 package (1 1/8-inch) nail-on furniture glides
  • wood glue (Titebond II)
  • 1 quart of stain (Cabot Australian Timber Oil, Jarrah Brown)
  • 1 quart of exterior polyurethane (Cabot, semi-gloss)
  • *Availability varies by market.

Tags:

Tags are keywords or terms that have been assigned to a piece of content.

A tag list is simply a list of all the tags used on all content and a count of their frequency.

A tag cloud is a visual representation of a tag's popularity based on how often it is used throughout the site.

Click on a category below to view other projects and articles. (What are these?)

Display as: cloud | list