Building a Bench Seat for a Breakfast Nook

Borrowing Ideas

• Borrow the design from a time-tested bench that's been around for centuries. Pew seating in churches is strong and attractive. It has an open design that doesn't impose or conceal, with adequate room for everyone. Pew bench seating relies on screw cleats and solid end-jambs for stability. It's basic, with only a minimum of materials, but provides enough strength and comfort for adults to enjoy themselves without worrying about flimsy materials and haphazard building techniques. The bottom remains open for extra foot room, and it's easy to sweep and clean underneath. Pew bench seating is attractive and reflects woodworking craftsmanship. It's more than the rectangular box seating often found in similar designs.

You Draw First

• Start with two 1 1/4-inch thick hardwood panels measuring 22-by-32 inches. Oak and mahogany are two good choices for availability and affordability. Any cabinet shop can make them for you. Draw a a cross section view of the seat and back on one of the panels. Draw the seat first. For reference, the top of the seat to the floor should be no more than 18 inches. Instead of a completely flat seat, taper the front of the seat 5 degrees from front to back. Draw the back -- attached at 90 degrees to the seat -- tilted back from vertical at 15 degrees. It's the standard angle for pew benches. This allows for a comfortable bench that doesn't cramp your back from sitting up too straight. When your drawing is finished, it should look like a backward tilted L-shape. The vertical, tilted part of the L-shape represents the back, the horizontal part represents the seat. Use a hand router to cut a 3/4-inch wide, 1/2-inch deep channel following the L-shape. The seat and back fit into the routing on both sides.

Shapes and Profiling

• At this point, you have two rectangular panels with routed L-shapes on one side. Draw the exterior outline, or profile, complete with the arm rests per your own design. Check out some pew ends online for ideas if needed. Use a band saw to cut the profile around the routed channels, leaving the back at 90 degrees, but tapering the profile above the arm rests to the top in back. If the bench is over 72 inches, include a third panel support in the middle, trimming it off flush with the bottom of the L-shape to fit centered underneath. Measure the length needed, and cut 3/4-inch hardwood plywood to represent the seat and back. Sand everything smooth and finish with stain and a clear finish such as lacquer. You can choose to assemble everything and then finish it, but it's better to finish everything beforehand ensuring a sealing coat of lacquer on all of the parts, inside and out. Add decorative trim to the front of the seat and along the top of the back for a woodworking flair, or round the edges with a hand sanding block for comfort and economy.

Build and Sit

• The assembly of the bench seat is basic: Apply wood glue inside the channels. Lay one of the panels flat, with the L-shaped channel facing up. Stand the back up vertically, placing the end of the back or tenon into the channel. Stand the seat up vertically, placing it into the L-shaped channel. The bottom edge of the back should overlap the bottom edge of the seat. Tilt the assembly down and fit the seat and back tenons or sides into the corresponding L-shaped channels on the other panel. Tap the panels from both sides with a rubber mallet to finish connecting the panels to the seat and back. Place bar clamps across the front and back of the bench and tighten. Drill pilot holes and screw the seat and back together where they overlap using 1 1/2-inch screws, spaced 4 inches apart. Cut 1 1/4-by-1 1/4-inch hardwood blocks or screw cleats the length of the seat underneath. Screw them onto the seat and to the side of the panels underneath. Add another set of screw cleats vertically along the back on both sides. If you're adding a center support, use screw cleats to attach it centered underneath the seat. Allow the glue to dry, remove the clamps, slip the bench seat into the nook and you're ready to eat breakfast.