A flower garden is a great place to relax, but that's hard to do if you don't have a place to sit. One solution is to build a simple garden bench. Materials: Miter saw
Band saw or saber saw
Handsaw or coping saw
Router
Drill with assorted bits, including a countersink bit and screwdriver bits
Clamps
Carpenter's glue
Biscuit joiner and "biscuits"
2" and 3" galvanized wood screws
Tape measure
Square
Pressure-treated lumber
Hardwood buttons
Clear water repellent
Safety goggles - The back legs of the bench will require some custom cutting. Measure and mark 16" from the bottom of a 34"-long 2" by 8" to create the straight portion of the leg. Beyond the 16" mark, measure the rest of the board at a 15-degree angle to create the backrest support. The legs should be approximately 3 1/2" wide, and you can round off the top of the backrest support by tracing around a paint can or other round object. If you have a band saw, cut the two legs at the same time by screwing them together. Otherwise, cut the legs individually with a saber saw.
- Cut out the arms from 23 1/2"-long 1" by 4" boards. Round off the fronts of the arms (figure A), and taper the ends down to 2 5/8". For a more polished look, as well as a more comfortable seat, round off the edges of the arms and seat slats with a router (figure B).
- Create the top of the seat back from a 2" by 6" board. Contour the seat back to create raised backrests for two people (figure C).
For strong joints, use wood glue and thin wooden wafers known as biscuits. You'll need a biscuit joiner to cut the slots for inserting biscuits. Wooden dowels are an acceptable alternative to biscuits.
- Lay the seat and side supports in place, and mark the locations for cutting the biscuit joints. Place the seat support 13" from the floor and the side support 5" from the floor.
- After making the joint cuts, apply carpenter's glue to the joints, and insert the biscuits (figure D). Clamp the pieces in place until the glue has dried. Be sure to wipe up any excess glue before it dries.
- Dry-fit the slats for the back of the bench, and mark the locations for joint cuts.
- After making the appropriate cuts, assemble the back, using wood glue and biscuits (figure E). Make sure that the pieces are square, and clamp them together. Leave the pieces clamped for at least five hours to allow the glue to dry completely (figure F).
- After the glue has dried, trim off any exposed biscuits with a handsaw or coping saw.
- Notch the back of each armrest so it will fit snugly against the back leg (figure G).
- Position the front of the armrest on top of the front leg. Drill and countersink pilot holes, and secure the armrest to the front leg with screws (figure H).
- Drill and countersink pilot holes, and attach the front seat support to the front legs with 3" screws. Cap the pilot holes with hardwood buttons (figure I).
- Notch the ends of the back-seat slat, and attach it to the seat support with 2" screws. This will help hold the frame square while you attach the back.
- Position the back of the bench. Drill and countersink pilot holes through the back legs, and secure the legs to the top and bottom side supports, using 3" screws (figure J).
- Position the remaining seat slats (figure K), and secure them with 2" screws.
- Attach the bottom seat support by toenailing it in place with 3" screws (figure L).
- Glue hardwood buttons in place over each countersunk hole.
- After the bench is completely assembled, treat it with clear water repellent.
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