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WILLIAMS SONOMA INSPIRED DIY OUTDOOR BENCH

JUNE 8, 2015 |

 174k  801    29  2.56k  

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Every porch needs a bench, at least that’s what Steve and I decided the other day.
Actually Steve has had the concept for this bench in his head for awhile. He wanted to
make something without screws and hardware . . . completely with adhesive. Yet he had
some other qualifications as well – the bench had to be modern, inexpensive, load bearing
(no falling apart please), and look great.

This bench meets all those qualifications and more!

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And it was quite a coincidence that we were flipping through a Williams Sonoma Home
catalog the other day and found this Larnaca Outdoor Coffee Table that looks somewhat
similar:

yet has one BIG difference. The Larnaca coffee table costs $1,295, while Steve’s version is
$35. Now ours is a bench while the Larnaca is technically a coffee table, but the idea is the

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same, and you can always modify the size of this modern bench to fit your desired
specifications.

So here’s how to build this bench, with a finished size of 16″ high x 40″ long x 13.5″ deep.

Gather These Supplies

Regular 2 x 4s – pine, not pressure treated (see Cut List below; also you may want to
use pressure treated wood if your bench is going to be exposed to the elements,
though it is more expensive)
Exterior grade Liquid Nails (or other construction adhesive made for wood)
Bar clamps
Thompsons water seal and stain (Nutmeg)
Paintbrush
Rag
Table saw
T square – or something to make sure edges are square
Hand held belt sander with a 80­grit and 120­grit
Sanding blocks – 80­grit and 120­grit
Surface protection – cardboard box, tarp, etc
Optional – drill and four feet if you don’t want the bench to touch the patio or ground
directly

Cut List – you might notice that the measurements don’t quite add up – this is because
the ends were milled off and sanded to get the resulting finished size bench.

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33.5″ long (five pieces)

40″ long (four pieces)
16″ long (ten pieces)
12.75″ long (eight pieces)

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Step One: Do this before you cut your pieces down to size. Using the table saw, “mill” the
2″ edges of every piece of wood so that you get a very square edge (as opposed to the
rounded edges that come on a 2×4). This will give your bench a more modern look.

You can also use a planer to create perfectly parallel faces on your wood. Wood purchased
from the hardware store is hardly ever even, hence the need to cut it down as Steve has
done.

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Step Two: Cut the pieces of wood according to the cut list above. Keep in mind, these
measurements produced a finished bench that is 16″ high x 40″ long x 13.5″ deep . . .
AND a little extra was left for the milling and sanding process. If you want to customize the
size of your bench, you’ll need to adjust these cut lengths.

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Step Three: You’re going to use your pieces of wood to essentially create a box joint –
and this is kind of like a puzzle (Jenga?). So try to follow me as I describe it! You’ll need to
have your box clamps on hand and ready, along with the Liquid Nails.

Place a 40″ piece of wood on the ground, with a 33.5″ piece in the center. On each end,
you’ll place a 16″ long piece perpendicular to the other two pieces, as shown in the photo
above. Make sure everything is even and as flush as possible (and use a t­square or other
item if necessary to for a right angle), then glue into place and clamp.

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Step Four: These additional photos show you what you’ll be doing. You’ll be adding Liquid
Nails to the wood, setting it up in your pattern as shown, then adding clamps to hold it
together. Remember that you’re doing a modified box joint, so you’ll have one long piece
of wood, then one short piece, then long, then short, and so on.

Your best bet is to follow this process:

1. organize the pieces of wood without gluing FIRST so that you understand how the
bench goes together;
2. begin at one end of your bench and start assembling with the Liquid Nails, using the
clamps as placeholders as you go along;
3. continue add Liquid Nails, wood, and increase the size of your box clamps until the
bench is fully assembled

It’s seriously way easier than it sounds – and doesn’t take long to do once you get into
your rhythm!

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Step Five: Once your bench is full assembled as shown, keep it clamped and let it dry
overnight. You’ll see that some of the edges aren’t even, but we’re going to remedy that!

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Step Six: Undo the clamps and sand with the belt sander to get everything even. Don’t
forget to sand with the grain! Sand until it’s completely smooth and flat. Do this on the
legs, too. Then wipe away all of the sanding dust.

If your bench needs quite a bit of even­ing out, start with the 80­grit and finish with the

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120­grit.

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Step Seven: Use your stain to paint your bench. Applying stain is relatively easy. You can
use a brush, paint it on, then wipe it off. You can read the instructions on your container to
make sure you are following the process for that particular stain. Some people even apply
stain with a rag and then wipe it off with a second rag to get a look they like.

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Note: Steve used two coats of stain and the stain lifted the grain of the wood slightly so
that it doesn’t feel 100% smooth as it did right after sanding. To prevent this, you’ll
probably want to apply a coat of stain, then sand with 120­grit, then stain again.

Our stain was outdoor stain AND sealer, and our project is currently under a porch
covering (though it is exposed to the elements). Depending on how much your bench will
see sunlight and rain, you’ll likely want to make the final project a little tougher with some
hard core polyurethane.

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Step Eight: This step is completely optional. Our bench is sitting near ground and with the
amount of bugs we have in the south, we wanted it a little raised up off of the ground.

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Steve purchased furniture feet, drilled holes in the legs, then inserted. It’s very easy.

And that’s it!

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Your bench is done. And it pretty much looks amazing.

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We already had a rain here so I also wanted to show you how well the stain works – the
water just pools on top and comes right off . . . no soaking into the wood!

So let’s review: $35 in supplies, easy to cut, easy to assemble, no nails or screws required.

What do you think? If you have any similar projects or if you’ve done something like this
and would like to share your tips, we’d love to hear them in the comments! Thank you!

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 174k  801    29  2.56k  

FILED UNDER: CRAFT TUTORIALS, DIY HOME DECOR

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COMMENTS

Kara says
June 9, 2015 at 4:43 am

Gorgeous bench!! Love how it turned out. Great tutorial too!

Robin says
June 9, 2015 at 6:40 am

Amy your bench is gorgeous­what craaftsmanship and the instructions

are perfect. Love it!

Shannah says
June 9, 2015 at 7:09 am

This bench is gorgeous. Thanks for the detailed tutorial.

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Erin Spain says

June 9, 2015 at 7:55 am

Wow! He did an awesome job. It turned out amazing!

Claire @ A Little Claireification says

June 9, 2015 at 8:32 am

Oh my gosh – I LOVE it! WHat a great project – I want one! Pinned!

Rachel says
June 9, 2015 at 8:33 am

Oh my goodness! I love this bench! I’m going to save this so that my

hubby can build a couple for my outdoor space. Great tutorial. Thank

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you!

Debbie @ Refresh Restyle says

June 9, 2015 at 8:39 am

No way this amazing bench was $35! Love it! I’d love to try to make
one!

linda(burlap+blue) says
June 9, 2015 at 8:52 am

This is absolutely amazing! Just bought a console table that has this
exact same look for much more than $35. Such a great diy!

Malia says
June 9, 2015 at 9:12 am

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It’s Gorgeous! Your man friend is super talented just like his lady!

Kat@Home. Made. Interest. says

June 9, 2015 at 9:32 am

This is beautiful and now I want to go buy a belt sander and make one!
This needs to be in my backyard…

Rachel (Lines Across) says

June 9, 2015 at 9:33 am

Wow it’s gorgeous!!! And I love that it is just glued together. I don’t
have a ton of experience with power tools and I think I might possibly be
able to pull this off. It really does look like a very expensive piece of
furniture!

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Mary Beth|Cupcakes and Crinoline says

June 9, 2015 at 9:41 am

This bench is awesome and for only $35.00??!!! Wow!

amy @ one artsy mama says

June 9, 2015 at 9:53 am

That looks amazing!!! I have been wanting to build a bench for our {will­
be} rose garden. I’m pinning this for later!

Laura / Pet Scribbles says

June 9, 2015 at 10:01 am

Wow! Totally impressive – not only for the cost difference, but for the
end result too! I’ts a gorgeous piece of furniture ANd I love it much
better than the Williams­Sonoma piece!

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Jennifer says
June 9, 2015 at 10:09 am

This looks great! i’d love to try making this. Thanks for the easy tutorial
too!

Jessica says
June 9, 2015 at 10:31 am

Gorgeous, clean lines!

Laura Kelly says

June 9, 2015 at 10:31 am

What a keeper! (the man and the bench…) It looks awesome sauce
fabulous.

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Dinah says
June 9, 2015 at 11:25 am

This. Is. Awesome!!!! It fits my decor perfectly too.

Condo Blues says

June 9, 2015 at 12:33 pm

i CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH i LIKE THE CLEAN LINES OF YOUR
BENCH. i NEED TO BUILD NEW FURNITURE FOR MY PORCH AND YOUR
BENCH IN DEFINITELY IN THE idea pool!

Leanne says
June 9, 2015 at 12:56 pm

This is just what I needed. THank you for the great tutorial. It’s gorgeous

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and I can’t wait to make it.

KC @ The Real Thing with the Coake Family says

June 9, 2015 at 9:15 pm

What a gorgeous bench! I love the look and you can’t beat the price!

Taryn @ Design, Dining and Diapers says

June 10, 2015 at 12:34 am

I am seriously in love with this bench! I really think I need to make one
for our home. It looks amazing.

Kathy @ Merriment Design says

June 10, 2015 at 11:17 am

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Whoa! That’s beautiful. I want one! My very favorite DIY projects are the
ones that look handmade and not homemade, and this nailed it!

Kristin Bergthold says

June 10, 2015 at 12:10 pm

Gorgeous bench and great tutorial – I’d love to try my hand at making
this!

Heidi @ Happiness is Homemade says

June 10, 2015 at 12:43 pm

This looks incredible! I think I just found a new project for my

neverending to­do list!

Vanessa says

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June 10, 2015 at 12:44 pm

Gah, this is absolutely beautiful!!! Thanks for the great tutorial, definitely
pinning for future use!

Stacy Risenmay says

June 10, 2015 at 1:05 pm

I love this! I might just need to make one now!

Melanie says
June 10, 2015 at 2:54 pm

This bench is lovely!

Katrin says

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June 11, 2015 at 8:21 am

Looks gorgeous!

Love the planters – did you DIY those as well? Is there a tutorial
somewhere? Thanks!

Amy says
June 11, 2015 at 2:45 pm

Thank you so much – and yes, those were DIY’d – check them out
here:
http://modpodgerocksblog.com/2015/04/how­to­build­a­paver­
planter.html

Jessica says
June 11, 2015 at 9:45 am

It”s a great bench, And even with the added purchase of a table saw and
clamps it would still be a better deal than the williams sonoma item. I’ve

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been wanting a table saw for a while now…

susan sobon says

June 15, 2015 at 11:29 pm

wow this is truly gorgeous. why am i yelling?

Pickles says
June 17, 2015 at 9:16 am

Fantastic. Great how­to pics. One word of caution, regarding your

suggestion to use pressure treated wood. It is a wood saturated with
arsenic and is considered a product that can cause cancer. It’s not ideal
for a furniture item people would be touching.

Jim says
June 20, 2015 at 4:52 pm

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They quit using arsenic years ago. The new treated wood is safe.
Naders raiders or one of them groups successfully campaigned
against the old treatment of the wood. don’t understand why this
site is typing in caps. the caps lock is off.

Nelson says
June 17, 2015 at 4:47 pm

I love this bench!!! I was wondering if it would be strong still if it was 65­
70 inches in length? Thanks

Amy says
June 26, 2015 at 5:27 pm

Yes, we think 70″ would work just fine! Thank you

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Jim says
June 20, 2015 at 4:56 pm

That is great. I am going to make one. the planters are like wow also.
Search the web for the coffee table made by the 10th grade first year
wood shop student using mirrored glass &led lighting inside. it will make
you want to build one. totally amazed me but I am going to try it first
with a picture frame sized build.

James says
June 21, 2015 at 5:02 pm

killer bench.. I’m gonna make two for the back patio out of redwood
instead of pressure treated. looks better, doesn’t cost that much more,
you don’t have to deal with the warping as bad, and i wont have to stain
it. I’m also thinking about screwing all of the inside pieces together to
speed things along and saving the clamps for the outside layers.

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John says
June 22, 2015 at 10:27 am

GREAT

Paige says
June 23, 2015 at 2:14 pm

This bench is gorgeous! You did an amazing job!

Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com

Ana White Admin says

June 23, 2015 at 2:18 pm

this is so great! thanks for the amazing tutorial, featured on Ana­

white.com today!

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Amy says
June 23, 2015 at 4:01 pm

Thank you so MUCH! What an honor!!

Ashley says
June 24, 2015 at 1:50 pm

This looks great! What’s that orange thing you used to make sure your
joints were square? Looks a little more handy than using my speed
square.

Amy says
June 26, 2015 at 5:26 pm

It was an angle locator! http://www.homedepot.com/p/Johnson­

Magnetic­Angle­Locator­700/100161689

It was all he had to ensure a perfect 90 degree angle . . . but

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something with a square edge might work.

Tracey says
June 27, 2015 at 12:31 pm

Very attractive bench. Can i ask how many 2X4 boards Did you
purchase?

Amy says
June 27, 2015 at 5:31 pm

Thank you so much – Steve says 4!

KJ says
June 27, 2015 at 1:26 pm

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WHat a beautiful bench! Can you please provide the link to the furniture
feet you used? I searched lowes site and could not find them. It is
exactly what we’ve been looking for. THanks!

Amy says
June 27, 2015 at 5:34 pm

They have such a weird name – but I found them

http://www.lowes.com/pd_78072­255­4603695N_0__ (and thank
you!)

KJ says
June 27, 2015 at 6:14 pm

Thanks so much for the link!

Randy purcell says

June 28, 2015 at 3:59 pm
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This will be my next project. The design is simple and elegant. Thank
you for sharing the details.

Andrew says
June 29, 2015 at 9:11 am

Thanks for sharing. Did Steve run the 2X4s thru a plainer or joiner first
to get them so square? Normally the corners are more rounded..

Great job.

Amy says
June 29, 2015 at 9:58 am

Andrew, he used a table saw. But we JUST purchased a planer and

are very excited about it

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Nathan says
June 29, 2015 at 9:42 am

How many 2 x 4’s did you buy?

Nathan says
June 29, 2015 at 9:43 am

nevermind, saw the answer in an earlier post! love this bench!

salman says
July 2, 2015 at 9:23 pm

If you use polyurethane, do you need to stain first?

Amy says
July 3, 2015 at 12:25 am

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Salman, you don’t HAVE to stain. You can simply seal the wood as is
if you like the color

Salman Sheikh says

July 5, 2015 at 5:11 pm

I am currently building this bench (not sure why all caps is on

thought I turned it off) but anyway, how long do you clamp
between adding new layers? A few minutes, a couple
hours..cause the clamps are in the way of adding more..

Amy says
July 6, 2015 at 12:01 am

Steve only clamped it long enough to hold it together to add

new pieces – so I’d say about 10 minutes.

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Tim says
July 6, 2015 at 1:24 pm

You said he used 4 2×4’s but at what length?

Amy says
July 8, 2015 at 9:02 am

Hi Tim! They were 8′ 2x4s

Danny says
July 8, 2015 at 12:02 am

Nice looking bench. Curious about the planters though, did you make
those as well?

Amy says
July 8, 2015 at 9:02 am

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Hi Danny! Yes – that tutorial is here!

http://modpodgerocksblog.com/2015/04/how­to­build­a­paver­
planter.html

Chris says
July 8, 2015 at 11:42 am

Just commenting about the picture of cutting the wood on the table saw.
The way shown is incorrect and dangerous. You always want the small
cut to be on the open side of the blad, not trapped between the blade
and fence.

Amy says
July 8, 2015 at 2:24 pm

Thank you for the tip!

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Jay says
July 8, 2015 at 2:19 pm

I made something very similar out of strips cut from some reclaimed
birch plywood, with the edge boards made from walnut. Pic –
http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww269/Waldo56/5e12a57a­d1f7­
4485­b472­650b7c1d9e07_zpsqo6mba1j.jpg

A couple points:

– a type 3 wood glue like Titebond 3 would be a lot stronger than

construction adhesive. Type 3 glues are waterproof and are suitable for
outdoor use.

– PolyUrethane would be a very poor choice for a finish. UV rays break it

down quickly, it is not made for exterior exposure. Use a marine (spar)
varnish instead or even better, untinted base 4/5 oil based siding paint,
which dries clear and is incredibly durable outside. Spar varnish should
be right next to the poly; it isn’t quite as durable as the paint, but it is at
least made for exterior exposure.

– A hand plane, if you have access to to a decent one (not a block

plane), will do a better job than a belt sander, it’ll leave a better finish
and make the surface flatter.

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Amy says
July 8, 2015 at 2:27 pm

Thanks for the tips Jay! We’re going to look into both the Titebond 3
and the 4/5 oil based siding paint. Do you use it for indoors too?

Jay says
July 8, 2015 at 4:13 pm

Use the paint on the interior? No. Each finish has its purpose,
exterior finishes need to be flexible (wood expands/contracts A
LOT outside), have strong UV inhibitors (sunlight will destroy
interior finishes within weeks), and be waterproof. Most of these
properties are useless indoors, where harder, abrasion resistant
and wood enhancing finishes are preferred.

Wood glue should always be used for gluing wood to wood.

Modern wood glues are incredibly strong once cured, stronger
than the wood itself.. Titebond 3 is >10x stronger than liquid
nails. Type 3 glues are a bit pricier than basic wood glues, but
the waterproof property is needed outdoors.

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holden penley says

July 11, 2015 at 8:37 pm

FIRST OF ALL THANKS FOR EVERYTHING – MY FIRST BENCH IS DRYING

OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW AND ALTHOUGH I HAD MORE INCONSISTENCIES
TO FIX THAN YOU DID DUE TO A LACK OF PROPER WOOD CUTTING
EQUIPMENT (I’M USING POWER HAND EQUIPMENT FOR ALL THE 2X4
CUTTING SO IT CAN BE DICEY) IT STILL WORKED QUITE WELL.

MY QUESTION IS THIS, COULD’NT YOU HYPOTHETICALLY MAKES A

TABLE USING THE EXACT SAME METHODS AS THIS BENCH TO GO
ALONG WITH THE BENCH? I KNOW I’VE SEEN SIMILAR TABLES IN WEST
ELM AND STORES OF THAT ILK WITH THIS COMPOSITION – AND THIS
IS THE TABLE I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE FOR MY DESK. ANY ADVICE OR
GUIDANCE? I KNOW ITS GOING TO NEED SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
AND A LOT MORE WOOD, BUT STILL, I THINK ITS GOING TO BE A
GREAT TABLE. ALSO, WHY IS THIS ALL IN CAPS LOCK BY DEFAULT? ITS
REALLY CONFUSING.

Amy says
July 12, 2015 at 6:07 pm

Hi Holden! I’m so excited that you made the bench! That’s awesome!
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And yes, you can definitely make a table to go with the bench. What
you might want to alter is 1) either actually screwing things together
or 2) using braces underneath with screws that can’t be seen. So
that it looks on top like it’s glued only, but underneath you have
some support

Holden Penley says

July 13, 2015 at 7:46 pm

Thank you so much. I’ll let you know what I end up doing. This
project has me investing in some additional power tools so I’ll
get back on the project as soon as everything arrives from
amazon.

Thanks!

Christian Rymell says

July 12, 2015 at 5:53 am

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You’ve done a lovely job on this one guys. I really like that chunky look.
I’m often amazed & appaled at the prices some people / companies ask
for furnishings like this. A very good tutorial & with the extra tips from
your other readers anyone can safely make this. I’ve Pinned this for
future reference as I make all sorts of wooden stuff myself, benches
among them, just not so chunky looking…… not untill now that is. Wish
you luck with all your future DIY’S & thanks for a great job

Julie says
July 27, 2015 at 11:02 pm

Thanks for this post! My husband and I just made this as a console table
behind our couch. Everything is clamped and ready for sanding
tomorrow. May I ask what stain brand and color did you use? The color
would be perfect for our family room.

Sarah says
August 7, 2015 at 8:26 am

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I’m making this today and integrating some of jay’s suggestions. love it!
I’m going to make a matching console table, both for our contemporary
entryway.

Steve S says
August 12, 2015 at 8:02 pm

Thanks for the information, my wife and built it with some left over cedar
and pine, turned out pretty good. needed to let the liquid nails cure
longer than overnight, as began sanding and it came part, so re­clapmed
and let it set a few days and all was good. cutting the the ends of the
boards with a chop saw would have been great, instead i used a hand
circular saw, not so good. had to do some extra sanding as the cut not
square. as usual the right tool for the job saves time and work. ripping
the sides as seen in the pictures posted (blade close to guide) does seem
akward and not as safe as one of the other readers pointed out. i read
that after i already did it the way pictured. i hope those who try to build
this can learn from a few of my mistakes. i finished with cabots natural
color 3000 deck and siding stain. sanded with 220 and sttel wool
between coats, applied 4 coats and really brings out the natural wood
colors, great stuff. enjoy

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Natasha says
August 17, 2015 at 3:29 pm

just want to say this is ‘freakin’ awesome. And yours looks much better
than the inspiration picture. Now if only I could get someone to make me
one!

Scott says
August 27, 2015 at 4:39 pm

One of the pics below step six looks like there is some wood filler or
putty being used at the joints on top. Is that correct? If so, did you stain
the putty with the nutmeg stain? I did not see any listed in the supply
list. Great job with simple materials!

Amy says
August 27, 2015 at 9:24 pm

Hi Scott – that was just to fill a few accidental boo­boos in the

learning process . . . you shouldn’t need it! But if you do, yes, you

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can stain it Thank you!

D says
August 29, 2015 at 11:36 am

The wood alone would cost around 360​

€ (402$) in Europe. And I did
check the price for (cheap) pine wood. Wood seems incredibly cheap in
America Oo

Amy says
August 29, 2015 at 10:27 pm

Hi D! Yes, it’s very inexpensive here. Sorry that it’s so expensive

there! Is there another substitute you could use that would be
cheaper? Another suggestion – recycled wood from pallets, etc. I
don’t know how readily available that is there either :/

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