FEATURESTORY
by Eric Hopper
How to Build a Cedar Potting Bench
T
his bench is designed to be strong without
complex joints. An experienced woodworker
can complete this potting bench in a day. If
you’re a beginner, allow two or three days.
You’ll need basic carpentry tools like a tape mea-
sure, large and small squares, and a chisel. You could
make most of the cuts for this potting bench with a
circular saw. However, a power miter box will ensure
perfectly square end cuts, and a table saw is almost
essential for cutting the grate slats. If you don’t have
a table saw, ask a friend, neighbor or the staff at the
lumberyard to cut the pieces for you. You’ll also need a
drill with the bits mentioned in the story and a jigsaw.
Choose Straight, Nice-Looking Lumber
Use the Shopping List at the end of this article to
buy your materials. Cedar is used for this bench, but
pine is cheaper. Consider using pressure-treated pine
if you’ll be leaving the bench outside. All of these are
available at home centers and lumberyards. But make
sure to pick straight boards with at least one nice-
looking side. You can hide a few minor defects on the
back or underside of the bench. Also, avoid boards
with large knots, which will weaken key parts and
make it harder to cut the notches.
When you get your materials home, cut the pieces
to size using the Cutting List at the end of this article.
Many of the parts, like the 1 x 1-in. slats for the grate
and the 2-1/2 in. wide legs, have to be cut the length
of the board. This operation, called ripping, is possible
with a circular saw, but it’s much quicker, easier and
more accurate with a table saw.
Make Tight-Fitting Joints for a Strong Bench
Notching looks tricky, but it’s simple if you follow
these key steps: First clamp each pair of legs together,
and using dimensions from Fig. A, mark the lower
edge of each notch. Use a square to draw lines across
the boards at these marks. Then align the correspond-
ing horizontal board with this line and mark along the
opposite edge to get an exact width. Using the boards
in this manner to mark the width of the notch is more
accurate than measuring. When you saw the notch,
cut to the waste side of the pencil line, leaving the line
on the board. You can always enlarge the notch or
plane the board to fit a notch that’s too tight, but you
can’t shrink a notch that’s too wide. Tight-fitting joints
strengthen the bench and look better too.
August 2017
Assembly is Quick
Once the Parts are
Cut
Before you screw the
horizontal pieces to the
legs, pick the best-looking
side of the boards and
make sure it’s facing the front of the bench. Drill 5/32-
inch clearance holes through the cross members to
avoid splitting them. This will also allow the screws to
draw the boards tight to the legs.
Use only one 1-1/4 in. screw to attach parts F and
G to the front legs. Center the screw so it doesn’t inter-
fere with the 3-in. screws you’ll be installing to secure
the leg assembly. Use a 3/4-in. spacer block to align
the cross members (E) before you drive in the 3-in.
screws.
If you’ll be leaving your bench outdoors, use stain-
less steel screws or corrosion-resistant deck screws.
For extra strength and durability, put a small dab of
construction adhesive on each joint before you screw
the pieces together. To hide the 3-in. screws that se-
cure the front legs, use a 3/8-in. brad point drill bit to
drill 1/4-in. deep recesses before you drill the 5/32-in.
clearance holes. Then glue 3/8-in. wood buttons into
the recesses after you screw the parts together.
Item
2x6 x 8' cedar (rip to 2-1/2' for legs)
2x4 x 6' cedar (rip to 2-1/2' for lower cross
members)
2x4 x 4' cedar
1x2 x 4' cedar
1x3 x 8' cedar
1x4 x 8' cedar
1x8 x 4' cedar
5/4 x 6 x 4' bullnose cedar
2' x 2' 3/4' plywood
HARDWARE
1-1/4' stainless steel screws
2' stainless steel screws
3' stainless steel screws
1-1/4' finish nails
3/8' wood screw plugs*
3/8' wood button plugs*
10-oz. tube of construction adhesive
Water-resistant wood glue
6’x 8’ decorative shelf brackets
10’x 14’ x 18’ deep Rubbermaid wastebasket
14’ x 20’ x 4’ deep litter pan
100-grit sandpaper sheets
www.GardenandGreenhouse.net
QTY.
1
1
1
3
1
2
3
9
1
80
50
10
1 lb.
30
10
1
1
4
1
1
2
53