How to Build a Simple Porch Bench

Purchase one 2- by 12-inch plank, 8 feet long, and one 2- by 6-inch plank, at least 4 feet long, from your local home improvement store. Ask the lumber cutter to cut the 2- by 12-inch boards into three sections, one 60-inch-long plank and two 17-inch-long planks. The 2- by 6-inch plank is cut to 44 inches long.

Lay the lumber pieces on a flat surface. Measure to find the transverse centers of each board. Use a pencil and yardstick to draw a longitudinal line down the center of each board, from end to end. Turn the boards over and draw longitudinal lines down the centers of the opposite sides of the boards. The longest plank will be the bench seat. The two shorter planks will be the legs of the bench. The 2-by-6-inch plank will support the bench and be attached to the seat and the legs. Decide which side of the seat plank will be the seating surface, or face.

Mark the center lines of the leg planks, 4 inches from a cut end. Use a carpenter's square and pencil to scribe a 90-degree V-shaped notch, 4 inches deep, on one end of each leg plank. Use a saw to cut the notches from the planks. The notched surfaces of the legs will rest on the floor.

Lay the seat and the support planks face-down. Measure and mark the longitudinal centers of the planks. Use a carpenter's square to draw a perpendicular line across the middle of each plank. Set the support plank on the seat plank, resting on a 2-inch-wide edge. Carefully align the center marks of the support plank to the center marks of the seat plank.

Position the leg planks on either end of the support plank with the notched ends of the planks facing upward. The legs should be firmly butted against the support plank. Carefully align the centers of the leg planks to the centers of the support plank and seat plank. Use a carpenter's square to ensure that the leg planks are oriented perpendicular to the long axis of the seat plank. Use a pencil to trace the outer edges of the legs onto the bottom side of the seat plank.

Measure and mark the center of the 2-inch-wide edges of the leg planks, where they meet the seat plank. Mark this position on the 2-inch-wide edge of the seat plank. Disassemble the bench. Turn the seat plank face up. Use a pencil and a carpenter's square to draw perpendicular lines across the top of the seat plank, aligned with the marks indicating the positions of the centers of the legs.

Measure and mark pilot-hole positions on the seating surface of the seat plank. Marks on the longitudinal center line should be evenly spaced, approximately 6 inches apart. Mark four evenly spaced pilot hole positions on each of the transverse lines on the seat. Place the leg planks on the flat surface. Mark two pilot-hole positions on the center line of each plank, the first 2 inches from the upper un-notched edge and the second 2 inches below the first.

Insert a countersink drill bit in the drill and tighten. Drill a 1/4-inch-deep countersunk hole through each pilot-hole mark. Begin assembling the bench by standing the leg planks on the flat surface approximately 44 inches apart with their notched ends on the flat surface and 12-inch-wide surfaces parallel. Rest the seat plank across the leg planks. Adjust the positions of the planks so the outer edges of the legs are aligned with the traced edge marks on the underside of the seat. Place a brick on either sides of the legs to steady them while you screw the seat to the legs.

Replace the countersink drill bit with a standard wood-drilling bit that is smaller in diameter than the threaded shanks of the wood screws and at least 3 inches long. Insert the bit into a countersunk pilot hole in the transverse line on the bench seat. Drill a pilot hole, approximately 3 inches deep, through the seat plank and into the top of the leg plank. Repeat to drill pilot holes through each countersunk hole to attach the seat to the legs of the bench, being careful to maintain proper alignment of the planks. Screw the bench seat to the legs.The screws should be driven slightly below the seating surface.

Lay the bench seat side down. Position the 2- by 6-inch support plank between the legs so it is flush with the underside of the seat and centering marks are accurately aligned. Drill pilot holes through the countersunk holes on the outer surfaces of the legs, into the ends of the support plank. Screw the legs to the support plank. Turn the bench over so it rests on the notched surfaces of the legs. Drill pilot holes through each countersunk hole on the longitudinal center line on seating surface, into the support plank. Screw the seat to the support plank.

Fill the countersunk holes with wood putty and smooth with a putty knife. Once the putty has dried, your finished bench may be sanded, painted or stained.