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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Boot Bench

This easy-to-make bench is the perfect piece of furniture for any mud room.
1 oak stair tread
1 pine one-by-ten, 6 feet
1 pine one-by-four, 6 feet
1¼-inch drywall screws
15/8-inch trim-head screws
2-inch drywall screws
Latex primer and high-gloss paint
Polyurethane
varnish

120- and 220-grit sandpaper

1. Begin by cutting the two sides and lower shelf from a pine one-by-ten. Use a one-pound coffee can to trace the outline of the curved feet onto each of the one-by-ten sides. Position the curved outline 1½ inches from the edges and end, as shown in the illustration. Cut out the curved feet with a saber saw, then sand the cut smooth with 120-grit sandpaper.

2. Next, cut the apron, base and cleat from a pine one-by-four. Make each part 20½ inches long. Use the coffee can to mark 4-inch-diameter curves onto the apron and base. Cut out the curved shapes with a saber saw. Note that the apron and base were ripped down to 3 inches wide to better match the scale of the bench. However, you could skip this step and use the one-by-four at its full width of 3½ inches.


3. Set the apron and cleat between the two sides, and hold them flush with the top. Be sure to inset the apron ¼ inch from the sides to create
a shallow reveal. Secure the apron and cleat with
15/8-inch trim-head screws driven through the sides.

4. Use a circular saw to cut the oak stair tread to 24 inches long. Lay the oak top face down and set the partially assembled bench on top. Fasten the bench to the top by driving screws through the apron (2-inch screws) and cleat (1¼-inch screws).

5. Install the lower shelf between the two sides; position it 3 inches from the bottom. Attach the shelf with 15/8-inch trim-head screws. Slide the base piece between the sides and push it tight against the underside of the shelf. As with the apron, inset the base ¼ inch to create a small reveal. Secure the base to the shelf with two 2-inch screws driven up from below.


6. Use wood putty to fill the holes created by
the trim-head screws, wait for the putty to dry and sand it smooth. Apply one coat of primer and two top coats of high-gloss paint to all the pine.
Use a foam brush to apply a coat of semigloss
polyurethane varnish to the top. Allow the varnish
to dry, then sand it lightly with 220-grit sandpaper.
A second coat will add protection.

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