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Dual-Purpose Outdoor Bench — board plan

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

Buy 15 boards at 8 ft.

3" × 3"

3 boards · 18.7 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 92% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 3/4" left over

    1. Rear Leg — 60"
    2. Front Leg — 34"

  2. Board 2 · 3/4" left over

    1. Rear Leg — 60"
    2. Front Leg — 34"

  3. Board 3 · 22 1/2" left over

    1. Upper End Rail — 18"
    2. Upper End Rail — 18"
    3. Lower End Rail — 18"
    4. Lower End Rail — 18"

1" × 5"

7 boards · 21.8 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 83% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 3/4" left over

    1. Top Board — 47"
    2. Top Board — 47"

  2. Board 2 · 3/4" left over

    1. Top Board — 47"
    2. Top Board — 47"

  3. Board 3 · 8 3/4" left over

    1. Rear Top Board — 47"
    2. Shelf Board — 39"

  4. Board 4 · 16 3/4" left over

    1. Shelf Board — 39"
    2. Shelf Board — 39"

  5. Board 5 · 16 3/4" left over

    1. Shelf Board — 39"
    2. Shelf Board — 39"

  6. Board 6 · 16 3/4" left over

    1. Shelf Board — 39"
    2. Shelf Board — 39"

  7. Board 7 · 55 7/8" left over

    1. Shelf Board — 39"

1" × 3"

5 boards · 9.9 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 87% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 5 5/8" left over

    1. Top Rail — 39"
    2. Top Rail — 39"
    3. Lower Upright — 11"

  2. Board 2 · 5 5/8" left over

    1. Shelf Back — 39"
    2. Shelf Back — 39"
    3. Lower Upright — 11"

  3. Board 3 · 5 5/8" left over

    1. Shelf Back — 39"
    2. Shelf Back — 39"
    3. Lower Upright — 11"

  4. Board 4 · 2 3/8" left over

    1. Top Support — 22"
    2. Upper Upright — 22"
    3. Upper Upright — 22"
    4. Lower Shelf Rail — 18"
    5. Upper Shelf Rail — 8"

  5. Board 5 · 41 3/8" left over

    1. Lower Shelf Rail — 18"
    2. Lower Upright — 11"
    3. Upper Shelf Rail — 8"
    4. Upper Shelf Rail — 8"
    5. Upper Shelf Rail — 8"

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.