How to Build a Bench Seat for a Booth

Events like school carnivals, county fairs, conventions and art fairs provide an opportunity to promote your causes or sell your goods. Unfortunately, a whole day on your feet, or worse, a whole weekend, is exhausting and likely to cause aching feet and backs. It's hard to be enthusiastic, even about your favorite widget, when your feet are talking louder than you are. In such circumstances, building an inexpensive bench can solve many problems. You don't want to put a back on your bench, even if that would be more comfortable, because the back will block your display.

Measuring tape
2-by-4-inch boards, 8 feet long
Saw
Drill with Phillip's bit
1/4-inch bit
2 1/2-inch wood screws
4-inch carriage bolts with washers and nuts.
Hammer
Wrench
200-grit sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Cut eight 18-inch pieces of 2-by-4-inch lumber.
- 2
  Assemble four 18-inch pieces into a rectangle by laying the pieces on their narrow edges and inserting two screws through each corner. Repeat to create a second rectangle. These rectangles will be the feet of your bench.
- 3
  Cut three 8-foot-long 2-by-4-inch boards in half. Stand the two rectangles you made earlier on their short ends, parallel to each other, 3 feet apart. Position five of the 4-foot-long 2-by-4-inch boards on top of the two rectangles. Spread the boards out evenly so they extend slightly over each side.
- 4
  Drill a 1/4-inch hole through the 2-by-4-inch boards into the tops of the rectangular legs on each end of the booth bench seat.
- 5
  Drop a 4-inch carriage bolt into each hole. Strike the top of the bolt with a hammer to set the bolt in place. Slip a washer over the end of the bolt and tighten a nut over the carriage bolt using the wrench.
- 6
  Sand any rough parts of the bench with 200-grit sandpaper.

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