Easy, Elegant Bench — board plan

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

Buy 5 boards at 8 ft.

3" × 7"

1 board · 15.8 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 99% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 3/4" left over
47"47"
1. Seat Slat — 47"
2. Seat Slat — 47"

3" × 3"

2 boards · 10.9 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 81% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 14 3/4" left over
40"40"
1. Side Rail — 40"
2. Side Rail — 40"
Board 2 · 22 1/2" left over
18"18"18"18"
1. Leg — 18"
2. Leg — 18"
3. Leg — 18"
4. Leg — 18"

2" × 3"

2 boards · 6.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 71% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 6 1/2" left over
43"15"15"15"
1. Bottom Stretcher — 43"
2. Seat Rail — 15"
3. Seat Rail — 15"
4. Seat Rail — 15"
Board 2 · 49 5/8" left over
15"15"15"
1. Seat Rail — 15"
2. Bottom Rail — 15"
3. Bottom Rail — 15"

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" × 7"

Board 1 · 3/4" left over

3" × 3"

Board 1 · 14 3/4" left over

Board 2 · 22 1/2" left over

2" × 3"

Board 1 · 6 1/2" left over

Board 2 · 49 5/8" left over