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This bench is meant to sit alongside a chunky farmhouse table, so it borrows the same visual language: solid 4x4 legs splayed outward, joined into truss-shaped end assemblies, carrying a wide top built from two 2x8 planks. The end assemblies are the one part that takes real care — each is built from a leg top, two angled legs, and an angled stretcher, all cut at 10° so they lean outward slightly rather than standing dead vertical, which is what gives the whole piece its truss-beam look instead of reading as a plain bench on four straight legs.
Build your bench top as its own flat assembly before attaching it to the base — glue and pocket-screw the two 2x8 planks together, add the end pieces (sized to exactly match your dining table if you're building this as a companion piece), then set the finished top onto the base and screw down through the aprons.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 4x4 board, 8 ft | 2 each |
| 2x4 board, 6 ft | 2 each |
| 2x8 board, 6 ft | 2 each |
| 2x10 board, 3 ftBreadboard ends — 2x8 scraps work too if you have them. | 1 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 2-1/2" | 40 each |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Leg tops4x4 | 2 | 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 13 1/2" |
| Legs4x4Long point to short point, both ends cut at 10° off square, ends parallel. | 4 | 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 13 1/4" |
| Leg stretchers4x4Long point to long point, both ends cut at 10° off square, NOT parallel. | 2 | 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 8" |
| Base stretcher4x4 | 1 | 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 65" |
| Side aprons2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 65" |
| Top planks2x8 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 7 1/4" × 68 1/2" |
| Breadboard ends2x8 or 2x10Size to exactly match your table if building as a companion piece. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 7 1/4" × 14 1/2" |
Buy 6 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
2 boards
2 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Join a leg top to two angled legs using pocket holes — there are a lot of ways to join 4x4s; a Kreg jig set for thick stock is the cleanest, since the pocket holes end up hidden underneath the assembly.
Attach the base stretcher between the two leg-end assemblies, checking the whole base sits flat and even before the joints are fully tightened.
Add the two side aprons — these give the seat structure and read as part of the 4x4 leg language from the outside even though they're 2x4. Drill 1-1/2" pocket holes facing upward on the inside of the aprons now, before attaching, so you can drive up into the bench top in the next step.
Build the bench top first, as its own assembly: pocket-screw the two 2x8 planks together edge to edge, then attach the breadboard ends. Once it's built, set it onto the base and screw up through the apron pocket holes to attach it.
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