Prototypist

Field manualRevision 0

How to buildPine bench

A four-leg bench from 70 × 35 pine and a laminated top

The whole build, seen from the front right: 900 mm wide, 300 mm deep and 450 mm high.
Size
900 × 300 × 450 mm
Parts
9
Steps
4
People
two for some steps
ContentsPage 2

Pine bench

A low bench or hall seat: a laminated pine top on a four-leg frame with aprons all round.

This build
Overall
900 × 300 × 450 mm
To buy
1 × 3.6 m length of 70 × 35 MGP10 pine; 1 × sheet of 1800 × 450 × 18 laminated pine panel
Revision
0

Order of work

  1. 1
    Step 1 of 4, Build the front frame (fix), seen from the back right.
    Build the front frame
  2. 2
    Step 2 of 4, Build the back frame (fix), seen from the front left.
    Build the back frame
  3. 3
    Step 3 of 4, Join the frames with the end aprons (fix), seen from the front left.
    Join the frames with the end aprons
  4. 4
    Step 4 of 4, Fix the top (fix), seen from the front left.
    Fix the top
Pine bench, revision 02
Before you startPage 3

Before you start

  • Wear safety glasses whenever you cut, drill or drive.
  • Wear hearing protection with power saws and the router.
  • Wear a P2 dust mask when you sand, and when you cut treated pine or MDF.
  • Step 3 needs a second pair of hands.

Worth knowing

  • Sizes are in millimetres.
  • Timber and sheet sizes are the actual sizes sold. Measure yours before you cut, and test fixings in scrap.
  • The checks catch clashes and weak fixings. They are not engineering: ask someone qualified about anything that carries people or hangs overhead.
Pine bench, revision 03
What to buyPage 4

To buy

  • 1 ×3.6 m length of 70 × 35 MGP10 pine
  • 1 ×sheet of 1800 × 450 × 18 laminated pine panel
  • 12 ×8g × 25 pocket-hole screw10 needed, the rest spare
  • 10 ×8g × 50 pocket-hole screw8 needed, the rest spare
  • 10 ×8g × 63 pocket-hole screw8 needed, the rest spare
  • 120 grit sandpaper

Tools

  • Tape measure
  • Square
  • Pencil
  • Hand saw
  • Circular saw
  • Pocket-hole jig
  • Drill
  • Impact driver
  • Clamps
  • Sander
  • Safety glasses
  • Hearing protection
  • Dust mask (P2)

Scan for this list on your phone, with boxes to tick in the shop.

Pine bench, revision 04
Cutting planPage 5

Saw kerf 3, ends trimmed 10. Mark every cut on a board before you cut any, then cut the longest pieces first.

70 × 35 MGP10 pine

1800 × 450 × 18 laminated pine panel

Pine bench, revision 05
PartsPage 6

Everything to cut, by letter

Pine bench

A
Part A, leg (leg-fl): cut 432 mm from 70 × 35 MGP10 pine.
Leg432 mm4 ×
B
Part B, front apron (apron-front): cut 710 mm from 70 × 35 MGP10 pine, with 9 holes.
Front apron710 mm1 ×
C
Part C, back apron (apron-back): cut 710 mm from 70 × 35 MGP10 pine, with 9 holes.
Back apron710 mm1 ×
D
Part D, end apron (apron-end-1): cut 180 mm from 70 × 35 MGP10 pine, with 4 holes.
End apron180 mm2 ×
E
Part E, top (top): cut 900 mm × 300 mm from 1800 × 450 × 18 laminated pine panel.
Top900 × 300 mm1 ×

Each part is drawn to fill its square. The bar under its size shows how long it is beside the longest part, 900 mm.

Pine bench, revision 06
Fixings at full sizePage 7

Drawn at full size. Hold each fixing on its drawing to check it, and lay each bit on its circle.

8g × 25 pocket-hole screwBuy 12
8g × 50 pocket-hole screwBuy 10
8g × 63 pocket-hole screwBuy 10

Print at 100%. This bar is 100 mm long; measure it before you mark anything.

Pine bench, revision 07
TechniquePage 8

How to make

Pocket screws

Angled screws from pockets drilled in the hidden face of one piece. Strong, quick and out of sight: aprons to legs, frames to tops.

Step 3 of 4, Fit the post and rail (fix), seen from the back right.
  1. Set the pocket jig and its drill collar for the thickness of the piece with the pockets.
  2. Clamp the jig to the hidden face and drill each pocket with the stepped bit.
  3. Clamp the pieces flush, then drive the pocket screws until they just pull tight. Do not overdrive.
RightPockets on the hidden face, screws sized to the piece. They stop inside the wood.
WrongScrews too long for the receiving piece break out of its face.
Pine bench, revision 08
AssemblyPage 9
1of 4

Build the front frame

Step 1 of 4, Build the front frame (fix), seen from the back right.
  1. Drill 2 pocket holes in the inside face of the front apron (B), at the end that meets the leg (A), with the jig set for 35 mm stock.
  2. At each of the 2 joints: clamp the front apron (B) to the leg (A) so the faces are flush, then drive the 63 mm pocket screws.

Check The frame is square: the diagonals match.

4 × 8g × 63 pocket-hole screwPocket-hole jigDrillImpact driverClamps
Pine bench, revision 09
AssemblyPage 10
2of 4

Build the back frame

Step 2 of 4, Build the back frame (fix), seen from the front left.
  1. Drill 2 pocket holes in the inside face of the back apron (C), at the end that meets the leg (A), with the jig set for 35 mm stock.
  2. At each of the 2 joints: clamp the back apron (C) to the leg (A) so the faces are flush, then drive the 63 mm pocket screws.
4 × 8g × 63 pocket-hole screwPocket-hole jigDrillImpact driverClamps
Pine bench, revision 010
AssemblyPage 11
3of 4

Join the frames with the end aprons

Step 3 of 4, Join the frames with the end aprons (fix), seen from the front left.
  1. Drill 2 pocket holes in the inside face of the end apron (D), at the end that meets the leg (A), with the jig set for 35 mm stock.
  2. At each of the 4 joints: clamp the end apron (D) to the leg (A) so the faces are flush, then drive the 50 mm pocket screws.
8 × 8g × 50 pocket-hole screwPocket-hole jigDrillImpact driverClamps
Pine bench, revision 011
AssemblyPage 12
4of 4

Fix the top

Step 4 of 4, Fix the top (fix), seen from the front left.
  1. Drill 5 pocket holes in the inside face of the front apron (B), along the edge that meets the top (E), with the jig set for 35 mm stock.
  2. Drill 5 pocket holes in the inside face of the back apron (C), along the edge that meets the top (E), with the jig set for 35 mm stock.
  3. At each of the 2 joints: clamp the front apron (B) and the back apron (C) to the top (E) so the faces are flush, then drive the 25 mm pocket screws.

Lay the top face down on a blanket and centre the frame on it.

10 × 8g × 25 pocket-hole screwPocket-hole jigDrillImpact driverClamps
Pine bench, revision 012
FinishingPage 13

Finishing

The whole build, seen from the front right: 900 mm wide, 300 mm deep and 450 mm high.
  1. Ease every edge with 120 grit and sand the faces you will touch.
  2. Check every fixing is tight, and re-tighten bolts after a few weeks.
Pine bench, revision 013
SizesPage 14

Sizes at a glance

The build, drawn flat: 900 mm wide, 300 mm deep, 450 mm high.
HeightWidthDepthWeight
450 mm900 mm300 mmabout 6.7 kg

Print at 100%. This bar is 100 mm long; measure it before you mark anything.

Pine bench, revision 014

Prototypist field manuals

Pine bench

Every size, cut and fixing in this manual was worked out from the design, so the pictures, the cut list and the steps agree.

Checks look for clashes, loose parts and weak fixings. They are not engineering certification.

Revision 0

Open this design online