Homemade Bench Rests

Draw guidelines on the underside of a rectangular tabletop that measures 30 by 42 inches. The guidelines will help you make a traditional L-shaped bench rest top. On one side of the table, draw a rectangle that measures 20 by 30 inches. Use the 30-inch side of the table as the top part of the rectangle. Along the bottom line of the rectangle, measure 18 inches in from the left side and make a mark. Use this mark as a guide and make another mark that is 3 inches lower; erase the mark you made at 18 inches. Measure 13 inches in from the right side of the bottom of the table, the side opposite the rectangle you drew, and make a mark.

Connect the dot that you drew at the 13-inch mark at the bottom of the table to the dot you drew that is 3 inches lower than the bottom line of the rectangle. Then connect that dot to the 20-inch mark at the right side of the table, which is the bottom of the original rectangle you drew. When you connect the points, you will have an L-shape whose dimensions, starting at the top, are 30-by-42-by-13-by-19-by-13-by-20 inches. Bear in mind that the 19-inch line and the second 13-inch line will slope slightly.

Use a circular saw to cut the tabletop with the guidelines you drew.

Remove the T-mold edging from around the tabletop if there is any.

Cut out a groove around the outer edge of the tabletop with a router equipped with a T-mold attachment.

Install new T-molding around the outer edge of the table after removing the old edging. Since you cut through the original T-mold edging, you may end up with jagged, unattractive edging. Installing new edging will give the outer edge of your bench rest a uniform look that is smooth. Apply melamine glue around the outer edge and use a rubber mallet to insert the T-mold into the groove you carved out with the router.

Center the tabletop over a double cross metal table base so the weight is equally balanced. Then use a drill to make holes in the tabletop that are in the same location as the table base. Use a countersink bit, which will allow you to sink the bolt so its top is flush with the top of the table.

Secure the tabletop to the table base with bolts, washers and nuts. If your bolts are too long, use a bolt cutter to make them shorter.