Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The top passes the sag check.
- The shelf passes the sag check.
- The shelf rail passes the sag check.
- Leveling feet take out a sloped garage floor. Set them before loading the bench.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 2×4 stud, 8′ (board) | $33.60 |
| 1 | 2×6 lumber, 12′ (board) | $10.80 |
| 3 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $204.00 |
| 1 | 3″ exterior screws (box of 75) | $12.00 |
| 1 | 2 1/2″ wood screws (box of 100) | $10.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
| 1 | 1 5/8″ wood screws (box of 100) | $9.00 |
| 4 | 3/8″ leveling foot with threaded insert (each) | $16.00 |
About $300 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Top layer | 2 | 72″ | 30″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| B | Leg piece Two per leg, glued face to face. | 8 | 33 7/8″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| C | Top rail | 2 | 66″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| D | Top cross piece | 4 | 25 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| E | Shelf rail | 2 | 66″ | 5 1/2″ | 2×6 lumber |
| F | Shelf cross piece | 4 | 25 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| G | Shelf Notch each corner 5″ × 4 1/2″ around the legs. | 1 | 66″ | 28 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 3
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 2 of 3
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 3 of 3
2 × 2×4 stud, 96″ → C 66″ · D 25 1/2″ each
2 × 2×4 stud, 96″ → B 33 7/8″ · B 33 7/8″ · D 25 1/2″ each
2 × 2×4 stud, 96″ → B 33 7/8″ · B 33 7/8″ · F 25 1/2″ each
2×4 stud, 96″ → F 25 1/2″ · F 25 1/2″
2×6 lumber, 144″ → E 66″ · E 66″
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 30″, keep the rest.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 30″, keep the rest.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 28 1/2″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Make the legs
Glue two leg pieces (B) face to face, ends flush. Screw them together with 2 1/2″ screws, 6 per leg, staggered on both faces. Make 4.
✓ Each leg is straight and the ends are flush.
4Build the top frame
Screw the top rails (C) to the ends of the cross pieces (D): 2 screws, 3″, per joint. Cross pieces 21 1/2″ apart on centre, two at the ends.
✓ Diagonals match within 1/8″.
5Build the shelf frame
Build it the same way: shelf rails (E) on edge, cross pieces (F) flush with the rail tops, 21 1/2″ apart on centre.
✓ Diagonals match within 1/8″.
6Add the legs
Set the top frame upside down on a flat floor. Stand a leg in each inside corner, flush with the frame top.
Screw through the rail and the end cross piece into each leg: 2 screws, 3″, through each.
Slide the shelf frame over the legs, the bottom of the rails 4″ from the leg ends. Fasten it the same way.
✓ Turn it over. It stands without rocking.
7Add the shelf
Cut a 5″ × 4 1/2″ notch at each corner of the shelf (G). Drop it onto the shelf frame and screw down every 8″, 1 5/8″ screws.
8Attach the top
Lay one top layer (A) on the frame, 3″ past each end, 1 1/2″ past the front, flush at the back. Screw down into the frame every 8″, 1 5/8″ screws.
Spread glue and lay the second layer on top, edges flush. Screw through both layers into the frame every 8″, 2 1/2″ screws, countersunk and offset from the first row.
Keep the 2 1/2″ screws over the frame. Anywhere else they come out the bottom.
✓ The top is flat corner to corner. Plane or sand any high joints.
9Fit the feet
Tip the bench on its back. Drill each leg for a leveling-foot insert, centred, as deep as the package says. Tap or screw the inserts in, then thread in the feet.
✓ Turn the feet until the top is level both ways.
10Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.