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A 6-foot laminated slat bench — alternating 2x4 and short 1x4 layers where the legs ARE the pattern, built face-down from the show side backward.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long slats Prefinish these if the bench gets color. | 7 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 72" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Legs Two per slat layer, laminated into the stack. Stop-block cuts — they must match. | 14 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 14 1/2" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Spacers | 12 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 18" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft or stud length Long slats and the laminated-in legs. Pick the straightest for the outer faces. | 9 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 8 ft The spacer layers. | 3 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping wood screws, 2" Or finish nails — with glue, either serves. | 80 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue Every layer, full spread. This is a lamination; the glue is the bench. | 16 oz | ☐ |
| Exterior stain or paint Applied to the long 2x4s BEFORE assembly — no brush fits between slats after. | 1 qt | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander, Speed Square. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft or stud length, 1x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, 2", Wood glue, Exterior stain or paint
If staining or painting: do the long 2x4s now, flat, and let them dry — the slots in the finished bench admit no brush.
Choose the best-looking long 2x4 and leg pair and set them BEST FACE DOWN (the show face self-levels against the bench). Lay out one long slat with a leg at each end, position 1x4 spacers on top, and glue and fasten the spacers to both the slat and the legs.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Speed Square. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft or stud length, 1x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, 2", Wood glue
Add the next 2x4 layer (long slat + two legs) onto the spacers — glue, fasten — then the next 1x4 spacer course, and repeat. Keep leg positions aligned layer to layer (a square held against the leg stack every course catches drift early) and stagger the screws so layers don't collide.
The source's step 4 is the honest instruction: continue until you run out of boards. Seven slat layers is the plan; the method doesn't care if you make it nine.
Tools: Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Exterior stain or paint
Flip the bench show-face up, let the glue cure fully (overnight — a lamination under seat loads earns its cure time), and sand: ease every slat's top edges and the leg corners, then touch up finish on cut ends and the top.
Set it against the long wall it was born for. The shadow lines do the rest.