How To Build A Farmhouse Bench with Storage

Time needed: 2 days.

How To Build A Farmhouse Bench

1. Cut the wood to size

   This project can be built with standard 2x4s or you can make your own by ripping 2×6 boards down to 2×4 dimensions. This will yield square corners on all of the boards and a nicer looking joint in the wood. The Adaptive Cutting System works great for ripping wood down to width.

2. Drill pocket holes

   Drill 2 1/2″ pocket holes into the 2×4 boards to prep for assembly.

3. Assemble the sides of the bench

   Using wood blue and 2 1/2″ pocket screws, build the bench sides. Attach the top stretcher flush with the top of the legs and the bottom stretcher 2″ up from the bottom of the legs.

4. Attach the top aprons

   Drill 3/4″ pocket screws into the 1×4 aprons. Attach the aprons flush with the tops of the bench legs using wood glue and 1 1/4″ pocket screws.

5. Attach the bottom stretcher

   Center the bottom stretcher across the sides of the bench and clamp in place. Attach with wood glue and 2 1/2″ pocket screws.

6. Cut the plywood bottom

   Measure the inside dimensions of the box of the bench, cut the 1×2 plywood to match those measurements. This can be on on a table saw or with the Adaptive Cutting System.
7. Attach the plywood bottom to the box

   Drill 1/2″ pocket holes into all four edges of the plywood. Attach flush with the bottom edges of the frame on the bench. Attach with 1″ pocket screws.

8. Cut the boards for the bench

   For the bench, cut 1×8 boards to length, then rip them down to 6 5/8″ wide.

9. Build the bench seat

   Drill 3/4″ pocket holes into the boards for the bench seat. Glue up the boards, clamp and attach with 1 1/4″ pocket screws.

10. Attach the bread board ends

    Drill 3/4″ pocket holes into the breadboard ends and attach to the ends of the bench seat with wood glue and 1 1/4″ pocket screws.

11. Sand entire bench

    Sand the entire bench using 220 grit sandpaper to prep for finish. Clean all dust off of the project with an air compressor, brush, cloth, or all of the above.

12. Finish with paint or stain

    Finish the project with paint or stain of your choice.

13. Add mortises for hinges

    To allow the bench top to sit flat on the base, the hinges need to be mortised. Measure and mark where the hinges will go on the base. Mark the outside edges of the hinges and also the depth of the hinges (about 3/16″). Using a chisel, score the area where the wood will be carved out and then carefully remove the wood down to the score marks.

14. Install hinges

    Once the mortises are carved out, install the hinges in both the bench seat and the base.