Bench Tutorial A

This is a bench I made to hold some forming stakes. It is a nice stable and heavy base. I know it is not terribly hard to make but it is still nice to have blueprint to take some of the research and guessing out if it. Enjoy!

Supplies:		40’to 44’ of 2x12 pine or better wood
		1 x 60" angle iron (1")
		12 x 3/8” threaded rods (3' long)
		56 x 3/8” nuts
		56 x 1 ¼” or larger washers
		56 x 2 ½" washers (optional)
		22 x 1" wood screws
		1” flat iron (optional)
		Oil (mineral)

1) First cut these boards (or have them cut out at the yard where you buy your wood like I did) out of 2”X12”
		12 x 36"
		10 x 12" (if you can, get 16" pieces for more stability)

2) Cut your 12 bolts about 20” long. Half of the remaining 16” pieces will be cut in 2 and used for the legs. Cut them following the thread and use a file to remove any burrs.

3) Line the 12 boards on their side on the floor like they will stand once assembled. You can move them around to get the best fit and if you have some boards that are a little bent, put the curve to the outside so that they will straighten out once you tighten the bolts.



4) Number the boards from 1 to 12 and drill the 12 x 3/8” holes in the first using this template. Using a drill press if you have one will help keep the holes more aligned.



5) Take the #2 board and clamp it to first the same way it is going to be once assembled. Using a hand drill, drill pilot holes about ½” deep in the #2 board through the #1 board holes. Remove the clamps and finish the holes in the #2 board in the drill press. My drill press is too small for 2 boards at once but if yours is not, just clamp the boards and drill the holes right through.

6) Repeat step 5 using #2 and #3 boards and so on.
7) Use the same procedure for the legs using this template.



8) If you have already the stakes you will be putting in the bench you can cut the part where they will fit in now. It is less work than after it is assembled. Here are 2 of the stakes (in progress) that I have on the bench.



9) Assemble the bench and legs using a rawhide or heavy rubber mallet to drive the bolts through the holes. A metal hammer will ruin the tread on the ends of the bolts.

	I used smaller 1¼" washers but also bigger 2 ½" ones that I drilled myself out of 1/8" thick steel.

10) Cut the angle iron (2 x 30") and drill the holes like this. I didn’t put any measurements because you can just use a permanent marker to be sure the holes are aligned in the center of a board.



11) Fix the legs using this template.

I added 1" steel strapping to the bottom of the legs for solidity. This is up to you. If you use a better wood (denser) you may not need this.
12) Apply a generous amount of oil to help with the drying. I used mineral oil myself. Do not forget to tighten the bolts periodically.

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