How to Make a Cedar Top Bench
- 1). Nail your cedar top seat. The seating portion of your bench can be assembled from two pieces of cedar wood measuring 1-by-6 feet, and at least 1 inch thick. Make sure to clean off excess tar or pitch, and check the wood for any large cracks. Push the two pieces of cedar together and using three pieces of 10-by-20 inch wood, cover the crack, leaving 6 inches on either end for the legs. Nail in from the bottom and use wood screws for extra strength.
- 2). Build your base frame. Take two, 5 1/2-foot long by 4-inch wide wood pieces, and two 1-foot long by 4-inch wide wood pieces, and nail them together with framing spikes in a rectangular shape to mirror the shape of your cedar seat piece. The 1-foot by 4-inch sections should fit inside the longer pieces. Use four spikes on either end of the long pieces. Place the bench seat on your frame. Drill guide holes for wood screws and screw the seat piece to the frame through the top. Your seat should overlap on the front and back, leaving room for the corner braces.
- 3). Cut and screw in legs and corner braces. Take two 2-foot by 3-foot wood pieces and screw them in to either side of your base frame. These will act as the legs for your bench. Now, using plywood that is at least 3/4-inch thick, cut out four triangles measuring 1 foot on each side. Screw them in to the base frame and legs on the front and back top corners of your bench.
- 4). Sand and stain. Using medium grain sandpaper, sand down your finished bench and stain with a weatherproof stain. Make sure to clear excess dust off the bench before staining. Any screw holes that are not flush with screws can be filled in with a wood filler that you can find at any hardware store.
