Around-the-Tree Bench — board plan

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

Buy 18 boards at 8 ft.

3 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 4x4, 12 ft

4 boards · 25.8 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 70% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 11 7/8" left over
16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"
1. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
2. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
3. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
4. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
5. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
Board 2 · 11 7/8" left over
16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"
1. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
2. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
3. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
4. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
5. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
Board 3 · 11 7/8" left over
16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"16 1/2"
1. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
2. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
3. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
4. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
5. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"
Board 4 · 78 3/8" left over
16 1/2"
1. Leg set legs — 16 1/2"

1 1/2" × 5 1/2" — 2x6, 8 ft

6 boards · 31.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 84% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 3 7/8" left over
26 1/4"26 1/4"26 1/4"11 7/8"
1. Deck boards, outer — 26 1/4"
2. Deck boards, outer — 26 1/4"
3. Deck boards, outer — 26 1/4"
4. Deck boards, inner — 11 7/8"
Board 2 · 3 7/8" left over
26 1/4"26 1/4"26 1/4"11 7/8"
1. Deck boards, outer — 26 1/4"
2. Deck boards, outer — 26 1/4"
3. Deck boards, outer — 26 1/4"
4. Deck boards, inner — 11 7/8"

1 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 2x4, 10 ft

5 boards · 19.6 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 99% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 3/8" left over
19"19"19"19"18"
1. Leg set tops — 19"
2. Leg set tops — 19"
3. Leg set tops — 19"
4. Leg set tops — 19"
5. Leg set sides — 18"
Board 2 · 3/8" left over
19"19"19"19"18"
1. Leg set tops — 19"
2. Leg set tops — 19"
3. Leg set tops —

3/4" × 3 1/2" — 1x4, 10 ft

3 boards · 4.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 74% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 15 7/8" left over
26 1/4"26 1/4"26 1/4"
1. Deck trim — 26 1/4"
2. Deck trim — 26 1/4"
3. Deck trim — 26 1/4"
Board 2 · 15 7/8" left over
26 1/4"26 1/4"26 1/4"
1. Deck trim — 26 1/4"
2. Deck trim — 26 1/4"
3. Deck trim — 26 1/4"
Board 3 · 42 1/4" left over
26 1/4"26 1/4"
1. Deck trim — 26 1/4"
2. Deck trim —

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.

Around-the-Tree Bench — board plan

3 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 4x4, 12 ft

Board 1 · 11 7/8" left over

Board 2 · 11 7/8" left over

Board 3 · 11 7/8" left over

Board 4 · 78 3/8" left over

1 1/2" × 5 1/2" — 2x6, 8 ft

Board 1 · 3 7/8" left over

Board 2 · 3 7/8" left over

1 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 2x4, 10 ft

Board 1 · 3/8" left over

Board 2 · 3/8" left over

3/4" × 3 1/2" — 1x4, 10 ft

Board 1 · 15 7/8" left over

Board 2 · 15 7/8" left over

Board 3 · 42 1/4" left over

Board 3 · 8 3/4" left over

Board 4 · 9" left over

Board 5 · 6 1/2" left over

Board 6 · 59" left over

Board 3 · 3/4" left over

Board 4 · 3/4" left over

Board 5 · 3/4" left over