Flat Pack Bench

Make your own bench that is designed to fit together like a balsa wood aeroplane – with no screws and no fuss.

What you Need
Scaffolding planks cut to:
4 x 1600mm x 235mm x 50mm
2 x 1240mm x 235mm x 50mm
28 x 18mm x 230mm dowels
Wood glue
Wood sealer

Tools
Planer, belt sander, electric drill and 19mm drill bit, saw, sash clamps, chisel

Download

1.Plane all the long edges of the planks to be sure that they are all dead straight.

2.Join two 1600mm planks together on their planed edges by drilling 19mm holes 120mm deep in each joining face at 160mm intervals. Make sure that the holes line up with one another on the joining faces.

3.Liberally apply wood glue in the holes and along each joining face. Insert the dowels and join the two faces. Use a rubber mallet to bring the planks together and then clamp the planks together securely using sash clumps. Wipe away any excess glue that squeezes out and leave to dry overnight.

4.Repeat with the other two 1600mm planks, and then do the same with the two 1240mm planks.

5.Once the planks are all securely laminated, sand them smooth with the belt sander.

6.Cut the 1240mm plank in half so that you have two 620mm planks. These will serve as the legs of the bench, so make sure they are the same length.

7.Using a saw and a hammer and chisel, cut out the slots in the base, back and legs according to the cutting diagram.

8.Give all the pieces a final sanding and seal with three coats of a good-quality outdoor wood sealer, allowing drying time between coats. We used ‘light oak’ for a nice warm colour.