Next, join one of the side rails between the back and front leg at the 16” mark and the other side rail at the top of the front leg. This will form the arm rest.
Repeat this procedure to make the other side frame.
Taking these two side frames, lay them on the ground or your work- bench so that the back of the back leg is on the floor. Place one of the two 45” long rails between the side frames and secure it to the same.
Place the next as the bottom side rail which is 16” up from the bottom. Repeat for the front rail. Turn the semi complete frame over so that the under side of the seat area is facing upwards. Taking the three seat supports, and using a spacer of the same thickness as the seat slats, fix one seat support at each end and one in the middle. Now turn the bench over and it’s time to t the back rest and the seat slats.
The slats can be screwed into position but just using glue and some small nails is also as good. Space them apart equally using a shim of about a quarter inch thick or you can space them as you see fit.
For the back rest you don’t want it to be vertical as this will not make the bench very comfortable. To set an angle draw a line from the front of the timber of the back leg to the top. This will make the back perfectly comfortable when complete. The angle on the bench I have built is 9 degrees and this is measured and set from the top of the back leg.
Screw the back slats into place, spacing them using the same method as the seat slats.
Once complete I’d advise you to sand the whole bench down to remove any sharp edges or splintered ends.
Next Month:
Darren makes a really simple but really effective garden table based on a beehive stand!