4x4 Truss Bench — board plan

What to buy, and which parts come off which board.

Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.

3 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 4x4, 8 ft

2 boards · 15.8 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 85% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 2 5/8" left over
65"13 1/2"13 1/2"
1. Bottom stretcher — 65"
2. Leg top pieces — 13 1/2"
3. Leg top pieces — 13 1/2"
Board 2 · 25 1/4" left over
13 1/4"13 1/4"13 1/4"13 1/4"8"8"
1. Leg diagonal pieces — 13 1/4"
2. Leg diagonal pieces — 13 1/4"
3. Leg diagonal pieces — 13 1/4"
4. Leg diagonal pieces — 13 1/4"
5. Leg feet — 8"
6. Leg feet — 8"

1 1/2" × 9 1/4" — 2x10, 3 ft (breadboard ends)

1 board · 3.2 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 32% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 65 3/4" left over
14 1/2"14 1/2"
1. Breadboard ends — 14 1/2"
2. Breadboard ends — 14 1/2"

1 1/2" × 7 1/4" — 2x8, 6 ft or 12 ft

2 boards · 11.9 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 73% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 26 3/8" left over
68 1/2"
1. Bench top boards — 68 1/2"
Board 2 · 26 3/8" left over
68 1/2"
1. Bench top boards — 68 1/2"

1 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 2x4, 6 ft or 12 ft

2 boards · 5.5 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 69% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 29 7/8" left over
65"
1. Side aprons — 65"
Board 2 · 29 7/8" left over
65"
1. Side aprons — 65"

Cuts are listed longest-first, which is how they should be made: the awkward pieces get placed while there is still board to place them on. The layout assumes one end of each board is squared off (1") and that every cut costs 1/8" of kerf — the reason six 16″ parts do not fit on a 96″ board.

3 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 4x4, 8 ft

Board 1 · 2 5/8" left over

Board 2 · 25 1/4" left over

1 1/2" × 9 1/4" — 2x10, 3 ft (breadboard ends)

Board 1 · 65 3/4" left over

1 1/2" × 7 1/4" — 2x8, 6 ft or 12 ft

Board 1 · 26 3/8" left over

Board 2 · 26 3/8" left over

1 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 2x4, 6 ft or 12 ft

Board 1 · 29 7/8" left over

Board 2 · 29 7/8" left over