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This bench proves how much furniture is hiding in one wide board: the top and both legs come off a single 2x10, with nothing bought beyond a short length of 2x2 for an optional stretcher. Oak gives the best result because the finish (tung oil, no stain) is meant to show the wood's natural figure, but pine works fine and costs a fraction as much if you'd rather practice the technique before committing good hardwood.
The legs get a tapered jigsaw cut at the top and a cutout at the bottom — purely decorative, there to keep the legs from reading as plain rectangular blocks — so cut both at once, stacked or clamped together, so they match. Square-head nails driven into the top purely for looks is a nice period touch if you want it and skippable if you don't; either way, the joinery that actually holds the bench together is three pocket holes per leg.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x10 board, 8 ftTop and both legs all come from this one board. | 1 each |
| 2x2 board, 30 inOptional stretcher between the legs, for extra stability. | 1 each |
| Wood screws, 2-1/2" | 8 each |
| Wood glue | 2 oz |
| Tung oil | 8 oz |
| Square-head decorative nails (optional) | 10 each |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Top2x10 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 9 1/4" × 42" |
| Legs2x10Jigsaw a tapered profile at the top and a cutout at the bottom before sanding smooth. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 9 1/4" × 16" |
| Stretcher (optional)2x2 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 30" |
Buy 2 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
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 →
Decide your top length and cut it from the 2x10 (42" is a comfortable entryway-bench length). Cut the two legs at 16" from the same board.
With a jigsaw, cut a tapered design into the top of each leg and a cutout at the bottom. Cut both legs' profiles as close to identical as you can — clamp them together and cut through both at once if your jigsaw and stock thickness allow it. Sand each profile even and smooth before assembly.
Drill three pocket holes on the inside face of each leg and attach to the top with pocket screws and glue. If you want a stretcher for extra stability, add it now between the legs — pocket holes work here too, or simply screw through the outside of each leg into the ends of the 2x2.
If you like the look, drive a few square-head nails into the top where it meets each leg, purely for visual effect — they aren't doing structural work, the pocket screws are.
Sand thoroughly, working up through the grits, then apply tung oil to bring out the natural grain — this is the finish that makes oak worth using over pine here. If you built the stretcher from pine and want it to read differently from the oak, a vinegar-and-steel-wool stain under the tung oil ages it to a darker tone.
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