Simple Outdoor Dining Bench — board plan

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

Buy 6 boards at 8 ft.

1 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 2x4

3 boards · 7.7 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 65% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 5 3/4" left over
44 1/2"44 1/2"
1. Frame sides — 44 1/2"
2. Frame sides — 44 1/2"
Board 2 · 12 1/2" left over
17 1/4"17 1/4"17 1/4"17 1/4"12 7/8"
1. Legs — 17 1/4"
2. Legs — 17 1/4"
3. Legs — 17 1/4"
4. Legs — 17 1/4"
5. Frame ends — 12 7/8"
Board 3 · 82" left over
12 7/8"
1. Frame ends — 12 7/8"

3/4" × 3 1/2" — 1x4

3 boards · 4.0 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 68% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 15" left over
15 7/8"15 7/8"15 7/8"15 7/8"15 7/8"
1. Bench slats — 15 7/8"
2. Bench slats — 15 7/8"
3. Bench slats — 15 7/8"
4. Bench slats — 15 7/8"
5. Bench slats — 15 7/8"
Board 2 · 15" left over
15 7/8"15 7/8"15 7/8"15 7/8"15 7/8"
1. Bench slats — 15 7/8"
2. Bench slats —

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.

1 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 2x4

Board 1 · 5 3/4" left over

Board 2 · 12 1/2" left over

Board 3 · 82" left over

3/4" × 3 1/2" — 1x4

Board 1 · 15" left over

Board 2 · 15" left over

Board 3 · 63" left over