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A potting bench earns its space in spring and is in the way the rest of the year, so this one folds flat. Hinged legs collapse it down to store against a wall or in a shed, and a slatted work surface lets soil and water fall through instead of pooling. It's all 1-by lumber and pocket-hole joinery, sized as a compact garden workstation.
Build the two side leg frames and the back leg frame first. The back frame includes an angled brace — the 12-1/2" 1x2 cut at 45° on non-parallel ends — that gives the folding geometry its rigidity when open. Take the source's flagged correction seriously: one diagram measurement is wrong, and the shelf 1x4s should be cut 37-1/8" to fit, not the printed number.
Since it lives outside, plank the top on a scrap board with a slight gap between boards — the gap drains water and lets the boards expand and contract without cupping. For the folding action, before you screw hinges on, stand the two sides to be hinged next to each other and test-fold with the hinge in hand to confirm you're mounting it on the correct face; getting a hinge backwards is the classic folding-furniture mistake. Use exterior screws and an outdoor finish.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x6 board, 8 ftTop boards. | 1 each |
| 1x6 board, 4 ft | 1 each |
| 1x4 board, 8 ftShelves. | 4 each |
| 1x2 board, 8 ftLegs and frames; one extra per step 7. | 7 each |
| 1-1/2" butt hinges | 3 set |
| Exterior pocket and wood screws, 1-1/4" | 60 each |
| Waterproof wood glue | 4 oz |
| Exterior finish | 16 oz |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Side leg long1x2 | 8 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 27 1/4" |
| Side leg cross1x2 | 8 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 17 3/4" |
| Back leg rails1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 14 1/2" |
| Back leg brace1x2Ends cut 45°, not parallel. | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 12 1/2" |
| Back leg uprights1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 21 3/4" |
| Shelf frame long1x4Cut to fit — corrects the diagram error. | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 37 1/8" |
| Shelf boards1x4 | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 21 3/4" |
| Shelf frame short1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 13 1/8" |
| Top boards long1x6 | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 37 1/8" |
| Top boards short1x6 | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 23 1/4" |
Buy 12 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
4 boards
6 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 →
Build the two side leg frames with the jig set for 3/4" stock and 1-1/4" pocket screws. Make them match.
Build the back leg frame to the given dimensions. The angled piece is the 12-1/2" 1x2 with 45° cuts — it braces the folding geometry. Pocket holes set for 3/4" stock, 1-1/4" screws.
Note the corrected length — the shelf frame 1x4s are 37-1/8", cut to fit, not the printed diagram number. Inset your 1x2s 3/4" from the ends of the 1x4s and attach with 1-1/4" screws and glue, two screws per shelf per side.
Evenly space the remaining shelf boards, gluing and screwing each in place with two screws per board per side.
You can pocket-hole the top boards together, but planking them on a scrap board with a slight gap between boards is better for an outdoor piece — the gap drains water and lets the boards move. Arrange them inside the 1x6 frame.
Before screwing hinges on, stand the sides to be hinged next to each other and test-fold with the hinge in hand to confirm the correct orientation, then scribe the screw locations. Mount the hinges, sand, and apply an exterior finish. Now it folds flat for storage.
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