Outdoor bench plans

This step by step diy woodworking project is about outdoor bench plans. If you want to learn more about building a sturdy bench for your garden, we recommend you to pay attention to the instructions described in the article. There are so many bench plans and designs to choose from, so make sure you take a close look over the rest of the related woodworking projects that are featured on our website. This article features a bench made out of 2×4 components, so every person with basic skills can get the job done with attention.

Before starting the actual construction project, we recommend you to plan everything, as to save money and to keep the costs under control. Adjust the size and the design of the patio bench to suit your needs. In addition, we recommend you to invest in high-quality materials, such as pine, redwood or cedar, as they have a nice finish and are highly durable, especially in a humid environment.

If you don’t have a rich expertise in woodworking field, you should ask a friend to give you a hand with the project. There are many things that you could go wrong, so make sure you plan everything and invest in quality materials. Select the lumber with attention, making sure the components are perfectly straight and in a very good condition. Use a carpentry square to check if the corners are right-angled. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

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Outdoor bench plans

Building an outdoor bench

Materials

• A – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 60″ long, 4 pieces – 18″ long FRAME
• B – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 24″ long, 2 pieces – 34″ long LEGS
• C – 5 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 60″ long SEAT
• D – 3 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 60″ long, 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 21″ long, 1 piece of 1×4 lumber – 60″ long BACKREST
• E – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 21″ long, 1 piece – 55″ long STRETCHER
• F – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 22 1/2″ long ARMRESTS

• 12 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 8 ft
• 1 piece of 1×4 lumber – 8 tf
• 2 1/2″ screws
• filler, glue, stain

Tools

• Safety gloves, glasses, Miter saw, jigsaw
• Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
• Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

• Apply several coats of wood stain to the wooden components
• Fill the holes with wood filler and smooth the surface

Time

• One Day

Related

• Free coffee table plans
• How to build a coffee table

Building an outdoor bench

Building the seat frame

The fist step of the outdoor bench project is to build the frame for the seat. In order to get a professional result, we recommend you to cut the components at the right size and to assemble them with 2 1/2″ screws. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the short components and secure them to the perpendicular components using 2 1/2″ screws. Add glue to the joints and make sure the corners are square.

Fitting the slats

Continue the project by fitting the 2×4 slats to the frame of the seat. Make sure you place the slats equally-spaced and drill pilot holes through them before securing them to the frame, to prevent the wood from splitting. Make sure you countersink the head of the screws, to get a professional result.

Attaching the legs

Cut the 2×4 legs at the right size and secure them to the frame using 2 1/2″ screws. Make sure the legs are plumb and check if the corners are square before inserting the screws. Add glue to the joints and make sure the seat is perfectly horizontal.

Attaching the back supports

Attach the 2×4 supports to the back of the outdoor bench, as described in the in the diagram. Plumb the supports with a spirit level and secure them to the seat using 2 1/2″ screws. Place the supports equally-spaced and make sure there are no gaps between the components.

Attaching the bottom braces

In order to enhance the rigidity of the outdoor bench, we recommend you to fit 2×4 braces to the bottom of the structure. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the components and secure them into place by using 2 1/2″ screws. Add glue to the joints and remove the excess with a damp cloth.

Attaching the backrest

One of the last steps of the outdoor project is to fit the 2×4 slats to the back of the structure. As you can easily notice in the diagram, we recommend you to place the slats equally-spaced and to secure hem to the supports tightly. Drill pilot holes through the slats and secure them to the supports using 2 1/2′ screws.

Fitting the armrests

Cut the armrests at the right size and secure them to the structure using 2 1/2″ screws. Add glue to the joints and make sure the edges are flush one with another.

Outdoor bench plans

Last but not least, you need to take care of the final touches. Therefore, you need fill all the holes with a good filler and let the compound to dry out properly, before sanding the wooden surface with 120-grit sandpaper.

Thank you for reading our article about outdoor bench plans and we recommend you to check out the rest of our home improvement projects. Don’t forget to LIKE and SHARE this projects to your friends, using the social media widgets, if you’ve found it useful.

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