This How to Build a Wooden Bench page is for people who are planning to build a wooden bench. The earliest benches were probably long dining benches for families and friends to enjoy a meal together. Then followed community benches for villagers to meet up for specific purposes or just hang out to relax or enjoy scenic views or watch people. Anyone with some common sense can build a wooden bench from scratch. It doesn't take a lot of imagination or work to construct a wooden bench on your own. But like for any other human endeavor, it pays to do some research before jumping into wooden bench project to make it more functional, affordable, and faster to build.

The first part will address your specific wooden bench requirements. The second part will describe the best ways to obtain the construction materials for your wooden bench, and the third part will provide practical advice for the actual construction process of your wooden bench.

You may already know what kind of wooden bench you are anxious to build, but there might be a few wooden bench features your busy self has overlooked. The following questions are worth answering:

Do you really want a wooden bench? The best kinds of wood for building benches are old wood from trees you may want to leave alone in nature. Your beautiful wooden bench is not worth it if it goes against your ethical principles. An alternative is using recycled wood or wood that grows back easily. You may also consider buying a ready-made environmentally-friendly bench.

Do you want a wooden bench with the natural wooden look and feel? Unless the wooden bench is to be placed in a desert or the price of wood is not an issue, you will want to paint or varnish your bench with something to protect it from humidity, and the elements if placed outdoors. Certain types of lumber have natural resistance to the elements through the seasons, but these pieces of wood are pricey and may not be ecologically sensible.

Is it going to be an indoor bench or a bench well covered from the elements by a roof? Wooden benches well under a roof need less protection, and indoor wooden benches need the less protection from the elements.

Do you want arm rests on the wooden bench? Arm rests on the edges are great, but not on dining benches. They are okay for garden and park benches, but probably not for the often packed train or bus stop benches.

Do you want a back rest for the wooden bench? A poorly engineered bench with a back rest can tumble down and severely hurt people. A back rest is not really practical for dining benches or ad hoc benches. If you want to skip the math, consult professional information or advice on the internet or in real life.

How do you want the wooden bench to look? If you have a sophisticated design in mind, you might have to make or obtain some equally sophisticated plans and equipment.

How long, wide, high, and heavy do you want your wooden bench to be? Make sure to accommodate all your regular guests by allocating space for every one of them. If you don't want anyone sleeping on your wooden bench, don't make the seat too wide. The same applies with the backrest, make it short if you don't want people to be sleeping on them. If you want the wooden bench in a more permanent position, consider making it heavy. The weight must be properly distributed, especially in a bench with a backrest, to make the bench stable and sturdy.

Once you have a better idea of what your dream wooden bench is going to be, you can start buying the raw materials. That doesn't mean you just go straight to the most convenient hardware store. It is better to do some homework first so that you don't have to make many trips. A good idea is to buy everything or almost everything from one store and to go to the store only once.

Consider first what materials and tools you already have at home and how much you are willing to pay for the things you have to buy. You don't just need to acquire materials that will be part of the wooden bench like wood or paint. The more woodworking equipment you already have, the less you will spend on furniture-making tools. Some people just want to use a hammer, a paintbrush, and maybe a saw, and they already have them. If you're the type that wants to do everything from scratch, chances are you would also already have all or most of the tools you need. No matter how complete your current toolbox is, the important thing to consider is the cost of any additional tools you have to buy for the wooden bench project. This is especially important if one of the reasons you're building a wooden bench with your own hands is to save some money. If this wooden bench making project is a one-time or rare activity, consider borrowing tools from someone you know.

Salvage shops can be a good place to get pieces of wood and other materials. You can learn about these shops by asking around your friends and strangers who are likely to have some knowledge of such places. This is easy to do using popular social networking sites on the internet. Consult the yellow pages of your phone directory and definitely use the internet to your advantage. If you are pressed for time, go straight to a big hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes. Not only are they one-stop shops for wood and paint, they also have staff who can help you.

First go to the person in charge of the lumber department. There is a good enough wood for everyone, regardless of their budget and specific needs. Describe or show your plans to the wood specialist. The great thing about stores like Home Depot is that they usually have people trained to help you find appropriate products. Tell the wood expert how much carpentry work you want to do. Most people will be happy to just hammer nails, and as long as your requirements are pretty basic, you can have your wood perfect ready for assembly. If it's your preference to do a lot of sawing and sanding, mention that to the wood specialist.

Cedar and Cypress are resistant to the elements and make good outdoor furniture. Western Red Cedar is common in lumberyards. Some professional furniture makers like its smell in addition to its look.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbePd0CZW0Q Teak is an example of wood that does not need to be painted, because it has natural oils. However, it has to be imported from the tropics and can cost a lot of money. Pressure-treated pine is the most commonly used wood for outdoor furniture because it's cheap.http://www.ehow.com/way_5287177_wood-use-outdoor-furniture.html

While your wood is being gathered or cut to your specifications, you can proceed to the paint department, that is, if you intend to paint, varnish or stain the wooden bench. The same protocol applies. Engage in a conversation with the paint specialist, so they can help you find the best paint product you need.

Paint is the best way to weather-resist the wooden bench. Exterior varnish is also protective if you want the bench to have a natural look. If this is your choice, make sure to buy the outdoor varnish, indoor furniture varnish has a different formulation. Stains and water repellents are good choices too, if you don't mind reapplying them every couple of years. http://www.backyardagora.com/wood-outdoor-furniture.htm While at the store, inquire about less or non-toxic varieties of paint, varnish or stain.

Boat nails and boat screws are good for outdoor furniture that is meant to withstand rain and snow. For sandpaper, buy several of different coarseness. You will need to start sanding using the coarser ones.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbePd0CZW0Q

Now you've come to the most exciting part of the project. After careful planning, research and shopping, you should be able to build the wooden bench with ease. Assembling and fastening the wooden pieces is straightforward, but if you need to do some painting, read the fine print of the paint. Sometimes, you have to do several layers of coating, and each layer has to be given some time to dry off. No matter how odorless and "healthy" the paint is advertised to be, take precautionary measures by doing the painting outdoors, perhaps under a shade if it's summertime. If you're using power tools, protect yourself by always wearing an eye mask and a pair of ear plugs.

Unless you're in a hurry, consider doing everything slowly but surely. Whatever your primary motive is in taking on the wooden bench project, know that you're doing your body a big favor by engaging in a rather natural form of physical and mental exercise. This is how exercise was done not very long ago, and this is how exercise is still done by many people in the world today. They don't have to go to the gym, because their daily work qualifies as more than enough exercise. Give yourself a pat on the back for undertaking such a worthwhile outdoor furniture making project.