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This is a dining bench built to run the length of a farmhouse table — roughly nine feet — carried on three pedestal bases instead of legs. The pedestals give it the heavy, planted farmhouse look, and a single long stretcher threaded through all three ties them into one rigid unit so the bench doesn't wobble along its length.
Build it from the center out. Each pedestal is a small assembly of 2x4 and 2x6 blocks with an arched 2x4 detail and beveled 2x6 caps — glue and nails handle most of it, since the pedestals are in compression under the seat. The arched pieces get cut with a jigsaw and sanded smooth; the 2x6 caps are beveled at 30° and 45° so the pedestals flare rather than sitting as plain blocks.
Two details make it live well: the feet are shaped so the bench rests on points rather than its whole base, which stops it rocking on an uneven floor (add felt pads to protect the floor), and the top is built first with pocket holes down its length, then dropped onto the finished pedestal-and-stretcher assembly. Because the top boards are over eight feet, buy nine- or ten-foot stock for them and pick the straightest boards in the rack — a bow reads badly over that length.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ftPedestal blocks. | 3 each |
| 2x4, 9 ftLong top rails — 106". Use 9-ft or 10-ft stock. | 2 each |
| 2x6, 8 ftBeveled pedestal caps and feet. | 2 each |
| 1x3, 4 ftStretcher spacers. | 1 each |
| 1x4 or 2x4, 8 ftTop seat boards. | 3 each |
| Brad nails, 2" | 60 each |
| Self-tapping wood screws, 2-1/2" and 3" | 30 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" and 2-1/2" | 30 each |
| Wood glue | 8 oz |
| Felt floor pads | 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestal uprights2x4 | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 11 1/4" |
| Pedestal cores2x4 | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 3 7/8" |
| Pedestal caps2x6Both ends beveled 45° off square, longest point, not parallel. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 15 1/4" |
| Arched details2x4Cut to an arch shape with a jigsaw. | 12 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" |
| Feet2x6Both ends beveled 30° off square, longest point, not parallel. | 3 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 17" |
| Stretcher spacers1x3 | 6 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 5 1/2" |
| Center stretcher2x4 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 90 1/2" |
| Top long rails2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 106" |
| Top cross supports2x4 | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 10 1/2" |
| Top seat boards1x4 | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 47 3/4" |
Some parts are longer than a 8 ft board, so there is no honest board count to show here. Open the board plan to pick a longer stock length — it names every part that does not fit.
2 boards
3 boards
6 boards
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 →
Start at the center pedestal and work outward — you're building three identical pedestal bases. Glue and nails do the job here since the pedestals sit in compression under the seat. As you assemble each core, make sure you can still thread the center stretcher through the opening; that stretcher has to pass through all three, so leave its channel clear.
Add the beveled 2x6 caps to the top of each pedestal. The 45° bevels flare the caps so the pedestals read as shaped bases rather than plain blocks. Glue and nail.
Cut the arched 2x4 details with a jigsaw and sand them smooth, then attach with glue and nails. You can attach these before assembling the pedestal core, from the inside, if that's easier for you — the order is flexible.
Attach the beveled 2x6 feet to the bottom of each pedestal. Shape them so the bench rests on points rather than flat — this keeps it from rocking on an uneven floor. Add felt pads under the contact points to protect the floor.
Pass the long center stretcher through all three pedestals and fasten the pedestals to it. This single member ties the three bases into one rigid line — without it, a nine-foot bench flexes and wobbles end to end.
Build the seat top first: join the boards with pocket holes down their length using 1-1/4" or 2-1/2" pocket screws to suit the stock. Pick the straightest boards for the long top rails — a bow shows badly over eight-plus feet.
Set the finished top on the pedestal-and-stretcher assembly and fasten the pedestal bases up into the top. Check that all three pedestals bear evenly on the floor before you drive the last screws, then sand and finish. One bench done.
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