Simple Potting Bench — board plan

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

Buy 10 boards at 8 ft.

1 1/2" × 3 1/2" — 2x4, 8 ft, cedar or exterior treated

7 boards · 25.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 92% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 10 3/4" left over
48"36"
1. Back legs — 48"
2. Shelf boards — 36"
Board 2 · 10 3/4" left over
48"36"
1. Back legs — 48"
2. Shelf boards — 36"
Board 3 · 3 1/8" left over
36"36"19 1/2"
1. Shelf boards — 36"
2. Shelf boards — 36"
3. Shelf side supports — 19 1/2"
Board 4 · 3 1/8" left over
36"36"19 1/2"
1. Shelf boards — 36"
2. Shelf boards — 36"
3. Shelf side supports — 19 1/2"
Board 5 · 3 1/8" left over
36"36"19 1/2"
1. Shelf boards — 36"
2. Shelf boards — 36"
3. Shelf side supports — 19 1/2"
Board 6 · 3 1/8" left over
36"36"19 1/2"
1. Shelf boards — 36"
2. Shelf boards — 36"
3. Shelf side supports — 19 1/2"
Board 7 · 22 3/4" left over
36"36"
1. Front legs — 36"
2. Front legs — 36"

3/4" × 5 1/2" — 1x6, 8 ft

1 board · 2.6 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 83% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 16 3/4" left over
39"39"
1. Top shelf boards — 39"
2. Top shelf boards — 39"

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3, 8 ft

1 board · 1.2 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 83% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 16 3/4" left over
39"39"
1. Back supports — 39"
2. Back supports — 39"

3/4" × 1 1/2" — 1x2, 4 ft

1 board · 0.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 42% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 55 3/4" left over
19 1/2"19 1/2"
1. Shelf center supports — 19 1/2"
2. Shelf center supports — 19 1/2"

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, 8 ft, cedar or exterior treated

Board 1 · 10 3/4" left over

Board 2 · 10 3/4" left over

Board 3 · 3 1/8" left over

Board 4 · 3 1/8" left over

Board 5 · 3 1/8" left over

Board 6 · 3 1/8" left over

Board 7 · 22 3/4" left over

3/4" × 5 1/2" — 1x6, 8 ft

Board 1 · 16 3/4" left over

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3, 8 ft

Board 1 · 16 3/4" left over

3/4" × 1 1/2" — 1x2, 4 ft

Board 1 · 55 3/4" left over