DIY Upholstered Bench – How To Build The Bench Base

Right here is the brand new design for the bench base.

The rationale I needed to go along with a very new design is as a result of my blade broke on my band noticed, which I wanted to chop out the scalloped design that I had initially deliberate. I assumed I may simply run as much as the massive field dwelling enchancment retailer and get a brand new blade.

Properly, that didn’t work out. I couldn’t discover the suitable sized blade regionally, so my solely selections have been to both order a blade on-line and look forward to it to be delivered or go along with a totally new design. I didn’t wish to wait, so I made a decision to go along with a brand new design. And to be sincere, I’m type of glad it labored out this manner as a result of I actually love this easy fluted design for the skirting parts of the bench. Generally a roadblock finally ends up being a blessing.

When you’ve by no means constructed something earlier than and wish to begin with one thing easy, a bench is a good undertaking to begin with. They’re really easy to construct, and you should use your alternative of ornamental trim and legs to create the look you need.

My design began off with these cute legs that I purchased on Etsy. However I couldn’t use these legs on their very own as a result of I wanted sq. blocks on the tops of the legs the place I may connect the skirting items. So I needed to get artistic and make my very own blocks.

To try this, I used these plain sq. furnishings legs that I discovered at Dwelling Depot. These include a threaded screw already connected to 1 finish, so I used pliers to take away that screw.

After which I used this dowel screw, which is mainly a double-ended screw, to connect the 2 items collectively.

Utilizing my pliers to grip the screw within the center, I screwed it into the ornamental spherical leg…

After which I screwed the opposite finish into the sq. leg. However as you may see, this wouldn’t have appeared fairly proper had I left the sq. leg like this. It wanted a little bit of shaping to make it look higher.

To do that, I traced across the spherical leg on high of the sq. leg with a pencil.

That gave me this guideline on high of the sq. leg once I eliminated the spherical leg.

After which I used a tube of caulk to mark the highest on all 4 sides of the sq. leg. I left a couple of 1/8-inch house on the high of the leg.

So all 4 sides had an arch that appeared like this…

I simply eyeballed the position on all 4 sides, however I made certain that the marks met on the corners.

All of those marks gave me a information for sanding off the corners and the sides to make a rounded design on the ends of every of the sq. legs.

I used a 60-grit sanding disc on my sander to chop by means of the wooden actually rapidly, after which labored my option to 150-grit to clean it out. Right here’s the way it appeared with all the extra sanded away and the tip of the leg formed based on my pointers that I drew.

And as soon as the 2 items have been glued and screwed again collectively, this was the completed leg.

Then I needed to make the stretchers (skirting) to carry the legs in place. For these items, I used a stable 1″ x 6″ piece of lumber to present the edges a powerful basis, however then I take advantage of ornamental trim on high to make it fairly. That is the place you may actually get artistic. You possibly can put collectively any mixture of trim that you just discover on the trim aisle of Dwelling Depot or Lowe’s to create the precise look you need. I went with two plain 1″ x 2″ items of lumber and a fairly fluted trim for mine.

For the piece that may really give these sides the power they want, I used the 1″ x 6″ lumber, which I ripped right down to about 5 inches utilizing my desk noticed. Then I used my miter noticed to chop two items for the back and front of the bench to 43.5 inches lengthy, and two items for the ends of the bench to 14.5 inches lengthy.

I additionally lower all of my trim items to the proper lengths utilizing my miter noticed earlier than I began assembling the stretchers. To assemble them, I began on the high and connected a 1″ x 2″ piece of lumber. I glued and nailed this in place utilizing 18-gauge nails in my nail gun.

I do wish to level out that earlier than I connected this piece, I used 80-grit sandpaper, after which 150-grit sandpaper, to take away the sharp edge on this nook of this piece to present it a comfortable rounded-over look. I feel these particulars make a giant distinction on a completed piece.

Proper beneath that piece, I connected a chunk of fluted trim, gluing and nailing it on utilizing 18-guage nails. I nailed proper by means of the highest of the trim as a result of the nails are small and people holes can simply be crammed in with wooden filler.

After which I connected one other 1″ x 2″ to the underside to finish the design. Similar to on the highest piece, I additionally sanded that sharp edge on the highest of this piece earlier than attaching it to melt that edge and provides it a delicate rounded-over look.

I repeated that course of three extra instances to create the opposite three skirting items for the bench, after which with my 4 legs and 4 skirting items completed, I used to be able to assemble the entire bench base.

I began the meeting course of by utilizing my Kreg pocket gap jig to drill two pocket holes into every finish of all 4 stretcher items.

As soon as these pocket holes have been drilled in every finish, I assembled two legs to every of the small stretchers. I positioned the stretcher piece face down after which glued the legs to the ends of the stretcher and clamped them collectively. Then I screwed them collectively utilizing 2-inch Kreg screws in every of the pocket holes.

With the 2 small stretcher/legs items assembled, I moved on to attaching the lengthy stretchers on the back and front. To do that, I used a Kreg proper angle clamp which has one aspect that goes by means of the pocket gap and the opposite aspect is flat. I don’t just like the flat aspect to be proper towards my undertaking as a result of the strain can depart marks on the wooden, so I at all times attempt to bear in mind to place a scrap piece of wooden between the clamp and my undertaking. With the highest being clamped collectively, I screwed the stretcher to the leg within the backside pocket gap. Then I may launch the clamp and put a screw by means of the highest pocket gap.

And as soon as that entrance stretcher was glued and screwed to the leg, I had half of my bench put collectively.

I repeated that course of on the opposite finish to connect the stretcher to the second assembled finish piece, after which repeated the method to connect the again stretcher. And with that, the bench base was constructed.

I’m actually leaning in direction of portray these bases white. I feel that will not solely look so fairly with the darkish pink velvet that I’m going to make use of on the upholstered high, however I feel it will additionally showcase the fluted trim higher. With a pure wooden colour, the gorgeous element of the fluted design type of will get misplaced within the wooden grain. The opposite choice I’m contemplating is a darkish stain colour that may make the grain disappear and provides it a extra stable colour. I do know that for now, a darkish base will type of mix into the darkish stained flooring, however remember that subsequent 12 months, I’ll be refinishing our flooring in a light-weight, pure wooden colour to match the flooring in our bed room suite. So I don’t actually wish to decide based mostly on the present flooring colour.

Both means, I’ll in all probability make the ultimate colour resolution once I even have the material in hand. I’m actually hoping it’ll get right here this week so I can get all of those material initiatives completed — curtains, benches, and eating chairs.