Woodworking Plans - Cedar Potting Bench Plans

8/13/2019 Woodworking Plans - Cedar Potting Bench Plans

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Build cedarpoeting benchDirect ionss shown on pages 8 and 9

The potting bench measures 59-1/2 h. x49-1/4 w. x 24 d. It can be used outdoorsor inside. When using it outdoors or formore visual effect, finish it with a good-quality exterior preservative or stain. Pinecan be substituted for cedar but must bestained or painted. The plastic sink-tub isoptional. If you decide to omit it, simplyuse four 47-1/4 pieces of5/4 6 cedarfor the main surface (but do install a beamunderneath to support this surface).t e p 1 Measure and cut cedar

Cut cedar pieces to the following mea-surements:2 pieces 2 x 4 6 (back legs)2 pieces 2 x 4 7 (front legs) .5 pieces2 x 4 2 (4 eg braces; 1 sink

support brace)2 pieces5/4 x 6 7-1 A (main surface)1 piece 5/4 x 6 8 47-1 4 (backsplash)4 pieces5/4 x 6 44-1/4 bottom shelf)pieces 2 x 4 29-1/4 with a 45 mitre

on both ends (back braces) (see Diagram 1

1 piece 2 x 4 @ 15 (spacer bar)2 pieces 5/4 x 6 @ 2-1/4 (main surface)2 pieces5/4 x 6 0-1 4 (main surface)2 pieces5/4 x 6 pproximately 23-1 8

(main surface side trim/apron measure andcut these pieces once the bench is assembledto ensure a proper fit)

1 piece5/4 x 6 @ 49-1/4 (main surfacefront trim/apron)2 pieces2 x 8 @ 47-1/4 top shelf and shelfbacking)

pieces2 x 8 (top shelf ends trimmed asper Diagram 2)

t e p 2 Construct bench sidesLay out two legs (a front and a back) infront of you so that the bottoms of the legsare facing you and the shorter (front) legis on the right. Lay a leg brace on the legswith the bottom of the brace 11-1/2 upfrom the bottom of the legs. Use thesquare to ensure that the legs and thebrace are at 90 to each other. Screwthrough the brace into the legs. Lay theupper brace on the legs so it is flush withthe top of the front leg and the bottom ofthe brace is 37 up from the bottom of theback leg. Screw through the brace into thelegs. Lay out the second set of legs as youdid the first butwith the shorter leg on theleft (see photograph, below). Attach thebraces as you did on the first set.

t e p 3 Attach bench top and back tolegsOne 47-1/4 main surface piece must betrimmed to fit around the back legs. Atboth ends, measure and cut 3-1/2 intothe width and 1-1/2 into the length (seeDiagram 3).

Position the two bench sides so that thebraces attaching the legs will be inside thelegs. Attach the uncut 47-1/4 main sur-face piece to the top of the top braces atthe front of the top braces, flush with the

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3 tep3Lfront of the front legs. This will be part ofthe main surface of the bench. The ends ofthe main surface piece should be flushwith the outer edges of the legs. Screw the47-1/4 piece with the corners cut out tothe top of the top leg braces at the back ofthe bench. To create the backsplash forthe main surface, attach the 47-1/4 back-splash piece to the back of the legs so thatit is perpendicular to the main surface andrises 2 above the top of the main surface.Screw through the back of the backsplashinto the back of the rear legs (see photo-

graph, left). Use the square to ensure thatthe backsplash and the legs are at 90 toeach other.tep 4 ttach bottom shelf to bottom

leg bracesPlace one 44-1/4 bottom shelfpiece flushwith th e back of the lower leg braces inbetween the two legs. Using two screws oneach end, screw through the shelf boardinto the brace. Position and attach anoth-er bottom shelf board flush with the frontof the lower leg braces. Repeat for the lasttwo boards, spacing them evenly betweenthe fron t and back boards with the endseven with the edges of the braces.tep 5 ttach back braces

Position one mitred back brace so that oneof its mitred ends rests on the bottom shelf(flush with the back of the back board)and the other fits tightly in the corner cre-ated by the insides of the upper leg braceand the main surface's backsplash (seephotograph, righ t). Position the othe rback brace, resting it against the back ofthe bottom shelf and the other back cor-

ner created by the upper leg brace and themain surface's backsplash. The two backbraces should sit tight up against each oth-er on the bottom shelf.Affix each backbrace with two screws through the bottomof the shelf into the bottom of the braceand one screw through the back of thebacksplash and into the back brace.

tep 6 Finish main shelfTo support the left side of the sink-tub, a

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Build a ced arpo tting benchContinued rompugbrace must be installed underneath themain surface. Attach the 22 sinksupportbrace underneath the two boards that are

already installed for the main surface and13 from the inside edge of the top legbrace on the right side of the bench. Screwthrough the two top boards down into thesupport brace. (This support brace can be

seen in the photograph, left).To support the 2-1/4 end pieces at the

right-hand end of the main surface, placethe 15 spacer bar in between the legs out-side the leg brace and flush with the topof the legs and the top of the brace andscrew through the spacer bar into the legbrace. Leaving 1/4 between each board,attach the two 2-1/4 end pieces on theright side of the main surface (drill coun-tersink holes in these small pieces before-hand so they won't split when you screwthrough them). These should be flushwith the outside edges of the legs and thespacer bar. (Therewill be a3/4 lip of theleg brace to support the sink-tub.)

On the other side of the sink hole attachthe two final main surface pieces, screw-ing the left-hand ends to the left-hand legbrace and &right ends to the sink brace(see photograph, left). Space these pieces1/4 apart and 1/4 from the alreadyinstalled front and back main surfacepieces. These final two pieces should alsobe flush with the outside edges of the legs(i.e. theywill protrude 1-1/2 beyond thebrace). On their right-hand ends they will

leave a 3/4 lip of sink brace for the sink-tub to rest on . You now have a recessededge for each end of the sink-tub. Trimthe front and back boards of the top sothat the tub will drop easily into the benchtop. Place the tub upside down on thebench top, aligning the ends so that theywould fit into the recessed ledges. Tracethe front or back edges onto the two longboards of the top. With ajigsaw, trim thefront and back boards of the top so thatthe tub will drop into the top and rest onthe two ledges at its ends.Step 7 Attach main surfacetrim apronAttach one piece of trim/apron to oneend of the main surface, screwing throughthe trim/apron into the front and backlegs in two places. The trim/apron pieceshould be flush with the top of the mainsurface and flush with the front of thefront legs, but will protrude about 1beyond the back legs (to be flush with thebacksplash). Repeat for the trim/apronon the other end. Attach the fronttrim/apron piece to the main surface so


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that it is flush with the main surface topand with the outside edges of the sidetrim/apron on either end. Screw throughthe front trim/apron into the legs at twoplaces at either end. Screw the fronttrim/apron to the sink support brace intwo places as well.Step 8. ttach top shelfScrew the top shelf to the tops of the backlegs so that the shelf is flush with the backand outside edges of the back legs. Thetop shelf backing is attached to the backof the shelf and legs, protruding aboveand descending below the top of the shelf.Screw the top shelf backing to the legs intwo places at each end and screw throughthe backing into the top shelf in two placesalong the shelf. The part of the backingthat descends below the shelf can be fit-ted with nails, hooks or thumbtacks tohold tools or tack up seed packets. Attachshelf sides flush with the top of the shelfback, screwing each to the top shelf in twoplaces and to the top shelf backing in twoplaces see photograph, above).Step9. Stain the benchWe did not stain or treat our bench. Anuntreated cedar bench that is left outsidewill weather to a silvery grey colour, andwill last many years. If you would like tofinish your bench, stain it or treat it witha clear+reservative particularly if youhave used pine). When stain is dry, placethe plastic tub in the sink hole.

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Woodworking Plans - Cedar Potting Bench Plans