Updating the Five-Board Bench

Mark Palma brings a modern approach to traditional rustic furniture

The five-board bench has existed for hundreds of years. They are part of the rich history of the rustic furniture constructed by settlers in America (and probably existed in Europe and the UK before that). With a handful of nails, a handsaw, a hammer and some locally sourced handsawn timber a bench was quickly constructed. Five-board benches were made for outdoor seating, church pews, courthouse gallery seating, settlers’ homes and numerous other places. If inexpensive seating was needed, the five-board bench could be quickly made by unskilled labour for virtually no cost.

If you follow the traditionally accurate plans your bench will have a seat of 230–265mm overall depth and be between 330mm and 405mm tall. They were also face nailed together with the side rails flushed with the top (to make the overall seat width). This resulted in legs around 190–230mm front to back. The benches were prone to tipping due to their narrow footprint. The bench had a seam under your thighs that tended to open up over time. Many a sliver or snagged pants came from these benches. After years of use, the nails loosened up, the legs wiggled and the gap between the rails and the top grew further apart. Despite these limitations, this bench design has remained popular for hundreds of years.

Re-engineering the five-board bench

What we are going to build has several small changes from the traditional bench design (see diagram opposite). It is interesting how little adjustments can make big differences. I will try to put this delicately, but people are proportioned differently than we were 200 years ago. So the first step is to make the seat deeper to allow more room for our legs and posteriors. Raising the overall height of the seat to 460mm also makes for a more comfortable seating position and helps with raising up on tired knees. Moving the rails under the seat allows for a smooth seat and allows the thighs to sit on only one board that can have its edge relieved for a less sharp edge. Using modern screws, tying the legs into the rails and using modern adhesives results in a stronger overall construction.

Then we need to turn to another modern issue. Compared to people of 200 years ago, we own more ‘stuff’, so adding some storage increases the modern utility of the bench. In this project we add a lift-up seat with a storage tray underneath and a lower shelf. As a bonus with this project we will build it out of repurposed crating and pallets and apply a milk paint finish to the legs and base and a clear durable polyurethane finish to the bench top. So let’s get started in building this bench.

You will need

• 760mm continuous hinge (piano hinge)
• Glides for legs
• Bumpers for seat
• Milk paint
• Polyurethane finish
• Abrasives
• Paintbrushes
• Single-edge razor blades
• Masking tape
• Drill with countersink
• Plug cutter
• Flush trimming saw
• Handplane
• Tape measure
• Square

Plan

Building in strength

The traditional five-board bench relies on the top to tie everything together and bring strength to the bench. Since we plan to make the top lift up, it will not add any strength to the bench. We will need to build long-term integrity into the bench. By tying the rails into the legs, as well as building in a large shelf we substitute the shelf for the top to tie the bench together.

Upcycling materials

This project lends itself to using less than perfect, scrap wood. So with that in mind, I ‘harvested’ some wide pine boards from a local farm machinery dealer. They have a ‘free’ sign by a big pile of crates and pallets in their yard. This is all single-use crates and pallets that were used to ship parts and machinery from manufacturers to retailers. A careful perusal of this pile yielded four wide pine boards.

You should always be careful and take extra precautions when choosing and working with recycled wood. Look out for wood that has been contaminated by hazardous materials. Wear thick gloves and work boots with heavy soles to protect yourself from nails and rusty metal. If you can’t find any suitable wood, don’t use it. You are better off passing on timber than running the risk of using unsafe materials.

When I got home I inspected the boards carefully, searching for hidden nails and staples, as well as other embedded debris. The nails were pounded out and removed. The boards were a good size for the bench at around 1.5m long and 240mm wide.

Culling the wood

I find white caulk is a great way to temporarily lay out rough-sized parts and mark flaws in the wood. A T square is also a useful tool for laying out final parts and squaring up irregular timber. The cracks, nail holes and banged up edges were removed at the chop saw and the tablesaw. Probably 30% of the wood was lost in the culling process. You’ll need to account for this type of waste when choosing your timber. Whenever possible, grab a few extra boards when harvesting since it always looks better in the wild, compared to the reality you will face when you examine the timber more closely in your shop.

Next, a joiner was used to create a glue joint edge. The panels were glued up to create the legs and the top. All the panels were 6mm oversized in all dimensions. The next day, the panels were cut to final size.

Templates

I make a lot of templates for my work for tempered hardboard, which is a great material for this purpose. I write dimensions on the template so I can replicate the work, although the dimensions shown in photo 6 on the opposite page are a little different from what these particular boards let me build. The templates let me confirm my rough panels will be large enough and allow quick and consistent marking out of projects. Years later my notes usually jog the cobwebs from my brain and let me make the project again.

Gluing up the panels

There are several schools of thought on panel glue-ups, so let me share my approach. I join the edges of all wood to be glued up on my large, cast-iron long bed joiner. The machine I happen to be honoured to own hasn’t been manufactured for 30 years and is very accurate. I make sure the fence is 90° to the tables and the infeed table is set for small cuts of about 1/32in (roughly 0.8mm). I find more passes and lighter cuts results in a better edge. Feed the work slowly through the joiner so that you get a great edge. I reverse the mating piece so that any small difference in the fence angle is cancelled out. Lastly, I put the two boards together and dry clamp them so that there is no gap in the boards.

I put paper down on the workbench to protect the underlying finish. Fresh woodworking glue is used that is purchased in quantities that will be used up every three to six months. I add a single bead of glue on one surface, then push the two boards together and put a single clamp in the middle of the board while I make sure the mating surfaces are flush. The clamps are tight enough to pull the wood tight, but not crush the outer edge of the wood. I use parallel-style clamps. There is no need to alternate sides of the panel with this style of clamps.

Next I work out from each side in 200–305mm increments making sure the boards are flush as I go. If needed, a block of wood and a mallet is used to align the boards. A small clamp can force the ends into alignment. If I have used the right amount of glue, a uniform amount of squeeze-out appears on the top surface. Lastly, I use a baby wipe to wipe off the glue squeeze-out and clean up any excess glue. I leave the panel to sit in clamps overnight.

Cutting the top, shelf, rails and legs to final size

The top is cut to final size first, then everything else is sized off of the top. The top was cut to 1,090mm by 330mm. The legs were set 75mm in from each end of the top so this made the rail 940mm long. Subtracting the thickness of the legs resulted in a shelf length of 900mm. You can adjust your dimensions based on this formula and your bench will work out well.

If you are purchasing timber rather than reusing scrap material, strongly consider buying hardwood as the top, rather than pine. Pine will develop a quick patina from purse clasps, rivets on blue jeans and snaps on dog leads. Hardwood will take the pounding of everyday life for many more years, although no wood in invincible from life. The legs allow you some design alternatives so consider the final look you want to achieve.

As mentioned above, I like to make templates out of 6mm tempered hardboard. This allows me to work out the mortises for the rails, the width of the legs, and the size and shape of the cutout. Normally, five-board benches have triangular cutouts. For this bench, I decided on a half circle cutout. It resulted in a lower cutout with the same sized foot. Since I was planning to put a shelf on this bench it gave me more design flexibility. Pick what works best for you.

Mark out and drill screw holes and countersinks

Taking the time to carefully lay out where the screws will go is well worth the effort, so be methodical with this step of the process. I like to use blue masking tape that is the same width as the timber I am using. I can put marks on the tape, find the centre line, mark out screw holes and drill and countersink right through the tape. The tape also supports the wood fibres so I think I get cleaner countersink holes. After I drill my holes I peel the tape away at an angle to reveal the holes.

Choose the best screws for the job

Black drywall screws are inexpensive, yet I do not recommend them for furniture work. I use screws that have self-drilling tips, sharp steep angle threads, a narrow shank and are self-lubricated. For furniture that may be exposed to wet conditions I recommend stainless steel screws. I use an impact driver, not a drill so I do not experience ‘cam out’ with Phillips screws. If you have any problems with stripping out Phillips head screws, switch to square drive or torx head screws. You will get fewer split boards, no stripped screws and tight joints.

Time for a glue-up

I make little spacers out of scraps of wood and clamp them to the inside of the legs to support the shelf. The spacers are 10mm shorter than the height of the shelf off the floor (half of the timber width subtracted from the centre line of the holes drilled for the shelf). The spacers will hold the shelf level and allow you to position it from side to side without having it move up and down at the same time. Use temporary spacers whenever you can to have more successful glue-ups.

Construction adhesive was used for gluing the rails to the legs. The adhesive will fill any gaps in this L-shaped cutout and is a very strong adhesive when fully cured. I always clamp parts together before driving screws so that nothing moves in the process. More than once before I adopted this practice, something slipped and a screw went in a little off from the intended location. Even the grain of the wood can pull a screw out of position. Clamps eliminate this possibility. After the first screw is in (the lower one) I drill a pilot hole for the upper screw. This prevents splitting near the edge of a board.

After the rail was screwed onto one side, I moved to the shelf from the open side (the one where the rail is missing). It is just a good practice to not ‘paint yourself into a corner’ by not considering the order for assembling furniture efficiently. (Why fight a 40mm by 900mm board into a confined space with glue on both ends if you don’t have to!) Next, construction adhesive was put on the second rail and it was screwed in place.

Making the hidden tray under the seat

You have several options to add a tray under the seat. You can use a router or a tablesaw to cut a groove into the rails and the legs. Another option is to make hidden supports for the shelf out of scraps, and that is the approach we are using here. I ripped off 20mm by 20mm strips from the scraps. These scraps were sized to attach to the inside of the rails and extend from leg to leg. Since this is joining long grain to long grain wood, some woodworking glue, a few nails and a couple of clamps were used to hold the pieces tight. Two additional pieces were fitted between these supports on the legs giving support all around the base of the tray. A piece of 6mm tempered hardboard was cut to act as a tray. To make finishing easier it was not installed until the end of the project. Measure carefully and cut the tray about 6mm under the width and length of overall dimensions.

Making plugs for your countersinks

Screw heads are unsightly and not a sign of your best skills. A countersink allows you to plug the hole and hide the screws. Making your own plugs out of a scrap (or two) of wood from the actual project allows you to hide screws. Pre-made plugs are usually side end grain (like a dowel) not face grain like the rest of the wood around it. Pre- made plugs are also way overpriced and may not match the surrounding wood.

I only use one size countersink, hence I only need one size plug cutter (okay, I have every size imaginable, but please don’t tell my family about my tool obsession). Plug cutters work well in the drill press. Measure your table height by putting the wood next to the cutter and run the quill through its range of travel. I say a scrap or two of wood as I pick wood with grain patterns and colours that will work best with the holes they will fill. I make lots of extra ones (they are free, so the only ‘cost’ is the time spent making them). After making each plug I touch a nylon brush to the spinning cutter to get any debris off the cutter (it likes to cake up inside the cutter and will ruin the plugs. A quick swipe with the brush and everything remains clean. Plugs are then taped over with masking tape. The bandsaw fence is positioned to cut the plugs free from the scrap of wood. The tape keeps the plugs from flying off at the bandsaw and possibly creating a hazard. A small screwdriver will pry loose any stuck plugs.

My plug cutter cuts tapered plugs so learn which is the smaller side. A needle glue applicator (or a cheap artist’s brush) puts a little glue in the hole and keeps the glue off the face of the bench. Pick a plug with similar grain and colour and line up the grain with board around it. A little tap with a hammer sets the plug. Let the plugs sit overnight for the glue to dry. A flush trim saw will cut off the excess plug. A little hand sanding will make a flush, invisible plug. Excess plugs go into a plastic tackle organiser and I keep each species of wood separate for times when I only need a couple or I am feeling lazy.

Now in this case we are painting the bench bottom so all the work of making grain and colour matched plugs really doesn’t matter. However, if you don’t paint your base, or want to use plugs for other projects this information may be of help.

Cut off the plugs and clean up the legs

The next day, I used a flush cut saw to trim off the plugs. Then a block plane was used to knock off the corners of the leg bottoms. Although the bench will ultimately have glides attached I think it is good practice to do this step. Sharp corners at the base of a leg can cause splinters to break off in daily use. A small bevel will allow the bench to knock around and the legs will stay the way they are when you build it. If you are plane impaired a piece of sandpaper backed up with a block of wood will do the job of bevelling the corners.

Filling voids and character flaws

We are making a bench out of recycled materials. You can if you so desire fill voids, cracks and all the flaws you encounter with your wood filler of choice. However, I choose to leave these character flaws exposed and other than sanding, I leave them alone. I think these little elements are part of the provenance of the wood and the ‘story’ of the piece. I would also give a picture of the scrap pile to the recipient so they can see what the piece is made from.

Final hand sanding and wipe down

To really set your work apart take your time with the sanding. Wrap a fresh piece of sandpaper around a sanding block and knock off the corners and hard edges and touch up the plugs and all the other surfaces. Close your eyes and feel the piece with your hands looking for any area that needs a little more attention. I find it is a really enjoyable part of the project and don’t rush this step. Next, a tack rag or microfibre cloth is used to dust off the piece before finishing.

Finishing the seat

There are two independent finishing projects: the seat and the base. So treat it as such and your end result will be better. The seat will be subject to the most abuse so pick a durable finish. You could use a water-based or traditional polyurethane finish to give the seat tough long lasting protection. To warm up this pine, I chose an oil-based polyurethane for its ambering effect. The level of gloss you choose is a matter of personal preference. Normally I use a flat or semi- gloss version, but for this bench a high gloss finish was chosen because it is harder to get perfect, and you deserve the best.

I always do the bottom side and edges first. Two coats were put on with 8 hours drying between coats. Then the bottom and edges were block sanded with 400-grit paper and then tacked off the surface. The last coat of polyurethane was diluted with about 10% mineral spirits to let it flow out better and eliminate brush marks.

Then I let it sit for four to five days. Next, I turned it over and taped off the outer edge of the bottom of the seat with masking tape for delicate surfaces. I do this so any drips that may run to the lower edge do not ruin the final finish. Any drips that may have migrated over to the top, are shaved off with a fresh single edge razor blade and then sanded off. Then the same process is used on the top.

Finishing the base

You can choose any finish for the base. Here since we are just using reused pine boards, a painted surface was chosen. I opted for a premixed milk paint finish. It will be a good contrast to the clear top and should be a good combination.

I always start with the piece upside down and finish the underside first. Then after the first coat dries (which only takes a few hours) I flip it over and do the upper surfaces. After a day of drying I go back and look for areas that need to touched up and fix those areas. If there are any problem areas a little block sanding and another coat will cure these areas. This piece is designed to last for decades so take the time to put the best finish possible on the piece.

Glides, bumpers and hinge installation

Glides, bumpers and hinge installation

Although they do not show, choose quality guides to ensure long term durability for your work. If I know the recipient has hardwood or plank flooring I always use felt-tipped glides. For tile and carpet I use solid glides. When in doubt I use glides that work for multiple surfaces. Glides installed with screws will outlast those with nails cast into the plastic glide. It is an additional expense, but one that creates a higher quality piece of furniture.

In this setting the bench top shouldn’t touch the painted base. If they touch, paint has a tendency to ‘weld’ to polyurethane. So I create a small imperceptible ‘air gap’ between the two. Installing the hinge to the rail top (not recessing it into the rail) raises the back of the top off the rails. Small bumpers across the front creates the remaining air gap to level the top to the rails. These bumpers are installed with a drill and are glued in place with a flexible adhesive in the holes. They don’t fall off like stick-on bumpers and do not seem to disappear after a short time of use. Installing a continuous hinge can be a daunting project. If you are off even a little the mistake will telegraph across the bench. I find that careful measuring and clamping the hinge to the rail helps to get everything straight and aligned.

When everything is in place, I mark out the holes. A self-centring drill bit for the starter holes for the screws is a luxury, but with the 30 screws on this one hinge it seems a necessity. After the holes are all neatly drilled into the centre of each of the 15 holes on the rail side of the hinge a screw driver was used to install each screw by hand. Avoid the temptation to use a power tool for installation. Put on some of your favourite music and just enjoy the process. You will not strip out the screw holes, tear up the screw heads or snap off any screws. This row of screws will show every time the owner opens the lid so make them look nice.

The seat on this bench extends 25mm over the front and back of the bench. This adds an additional challenge when installing the hinge to the top. I put the bench on its back and raised it up on spacers to create the 25mm offset. Then you can line up the hinge from side to side and get everything in its proper place. If you can clamp the hinge to the top without marring the top, do so. If you can get a screw about in the centre, install that screw just do not tighten it completely. Then check all the measurements and put a screw on each end to secure the hinge. Then test the fit to see if everything is straight. If so, install the remaining screws and hand tighten them all. If you have any problems, loosen the three screws installed and sort it out now.

Did we save any money?

I think a fair question to ask is did we save any money using upcycled materials? Before we get to that answer it is important to consider that the main reason for upcycling may not be cost savings but to keep materials out of the waste stream. If that is your goal then it’s worth making the effort to harvest boards from crates, take out nails and staples, cut off splits and sand off all the scars from the wood kicking around in warehouses, loading docks and fork trucks.

At the time I harvested these four boards my local timber yard was charging $10 per comparable board (I purchased a fifth board for the shelf). So I got $40 of timber for 1 to 2 hours of work. That is about how long I thing I spent on the extra steps. Although depending on the quality of timber you can find (pine in my area is really abused and crooked at timber dealers near me) you may be spending a comparable time on timber you purchased.

The end result

This bench would be a welcome addition to any home or apartment. It is comfortable, stable and the underseat storage and shelf brings additional utility to the bench. The contrast between the clear polyurethane seat and the painted base adds interest to the piece. The sturdy construction will allow it to be used in daily life for decades. The provenance of the wood used only adds to the bench’s overall appeal. All in all, a very satisfying project.

Further reading

How to Make a Bench