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Modern Backyard Garden Bench — board plan

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

Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.

1" × 3"

4 boards · 6.3 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 70% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 14 5/8" left over

    1. Bench lengths — 48"
    2. Vertical boards for bench ends — 16"
    3. Vertical boards for bench ends — 16"

  2. Board 2 · 14 5/8" left over

    1. Bench lengths — 48"
    2. Vertical boards for bench ends — 16"
    3. Vertical boards for bench ends — 16"

  3. Board 3 · 4 1/4" left over

    1. Cross beams for bench ends — 15"
    2. Cross beams for bench ends — 15"
    3. Cross beams for bench ends — 15"
    4. Cross beams for bench ends — 15"
    5. Cross beams for bench ends — 15"
    6. Cross beams for bench ends — 15"

  4. Board 4 · 79 7/8" left over

    1. Bench seat cross support — 15"

3/4" × 3"

3 boards · 4.5 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 89% of each board consumed

  1. Board 1 · 4 3/8" left over

    1. Bench slats — 18"
    2. Bench slats — 18"
    3. Bench slats — 18"
    4. Bench slats — 18"
    5. Bench slats — 18"

  2. Board 2 · 4 3/8" left over

    1. Bench slats — 18"
    2. Bench slats — 18"
    3. Bench slats — 18"
    4. Bench slats — 18"
    5. Bench slats — 18"

  3. Board 3 · 22 1/2" left over

    1. Bench slats — 18"
    2. Bench slats — 18"
    3. Bench slats — 18"
    4. Bench slats — 18"

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.