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This bench is an exercise in restraint: five 8-foot 2x6s, thirteen cuts, no angles, and a design that gets its modern look from proportion instead of ornament. The leg sets are stacked 2x6 slabs — chunky, flat-faced, and screwed together three per joint — and the seat and low back are full-width 48" boards.
With only two assembly steps, the build quality lives entirely in the prep: pick the five straightest 2x6s in the store (crowned boards ruin a design this minimal, because there's nothing else to look at), and take the finishing tip seriously — stain the boards BEFORE cutting and assembly, then touch up the cut ends. A slat bench is all corners and gaps after it's together; pre-finishing is half the labor for twice the result.
The two leg sets must be identical — clamp them together and compare before the top goes on. That's the whole quality control step, and the difference between a bench and a rocker.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x6, 8 ftSight down every board and reject crowns — the design is too minimal to hide a bad one. | 5 each |
| Self-tapping wood screws, #9 x 2-3/4", star drive | 50 each |
| Exterior wood stainDeck/fence-rated. Apply to the boards BEFORE cutting; touch up ends after. | 1 quart |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Back legsRun full height to carry the low backrest. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 34 1/2" |
| Leg supportsThree per leg set, stacked. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 16 1/2" |
| Seat and back slats | 5 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 48" |
Buy 5 boards at 8 ft.
5 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 →
Stack and screw each leg set per the diagram — the tall back leg with three 16-1/2" supports — using three screws per joint. Three, not two: a two-screw joint in wide 2x6 faces can still pivot; three triangulate it dead.
Build the second set clamped against the first, matching edge for edge. Identical leg sets are the entire structural story of this bench.
Stand the leg sets on a flat surface, spaced so the 48" boards land flush at the ends, and screw down the seat slats and the back slat — three screws per joint into each leg set, even gaps between slats.
Sit-test it, touch up the cut ends with stain, and put it by the front door, at the foot of a bed, or against the fence. A design this quiet works everywhere.
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