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Modern Five-Board Bench

A modern low-back bench from exactly five 2x6 boards and one box of screws. Two steps, two identical leg sets, no angles anywhere.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L	Material	✓
Back legs Run full height to carry the low backrest.	2	1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 34 1/2"	—	☐
Leg supports Three 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"	—	☐

Item	Qty	✓
2x6, 8 ft Sight 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 stain Deck/fence-rated. Apply to the boards BEFORE cutting; touch up ends after.	1 quart	☐

Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.

Circular Saw
Thirteen straight crosscuts. That's the whole cut list.
Drill / Driver
Pencil
Random Orbit Sander
Sand before pre-staining — mill glaze on 2x6s blotches stain.
Safety Glasses
Speed Square
Tape Measure

1. Build two identical leg sets
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x6, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, #9 x 2-3/4", star drive
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.
2. Lay out the legs and add the boards
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x6, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, #9 x 2-3/4", star drive, Exterior wood stain
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.