How to Build a Foyer Bench
- 1). Place the two 32 3/4-inch cedar boards parallel on a flat surface, with the 3-inch side down. Measure and mark 1 inch from the top of each piece. Lay one 36-inch cedar board at the marks between the two 32 3/4-inch boards. Be sure it lies on its 3-inch side. The three pieces should form an "H". Screw the crosspiece to the 32 3/4-inch boards by driving 4-inch wood screws through the sides of the 32 3/4-inch piece into the edges of the 36-inch board.
- 2). Measure and mark 10 inches from the bottom of the 36-inch crosspiece along the 32 3/4-inch pieces. Lay the second 36-inch board between the two 32 3/4-inch boards and screw it into place in the same manner as the first one. You should now have two horizontal 1-by-3-inch boards connected to the shorter, vertical 1-by-3-inch boards. The horizontal boards should be 10 inches apart.
- 3). Measure and mark 10 inches from both ends of one 36-inch crosspiece. Place a 10-inch board at each of these marks and between the two 36-inch crosspieces. Screw them into the crosspieces by driving screws through the cross beams into the 10-inch boards on the top and the bottom. This is the back of the bench.
- 4). Build a rectangular frame with the 3/4-inch cedar boards. The cedar should stand on its edges, and the two 15 3/4-by-13 3/4-inch boards should go between the two larger, 15 3/4-by-42-inch boards. Make sure the smaller boards are flush with the the ends of the longer boards. This frame makes up the front, back and sides of the bench seat. Screw these pieces together with 1-inch wood screws, which are driven through the front and back boards into the edges of the side pieces.
- 5). Lay the 13-by-40 1/2-inch board flat on the wooden frame. This is the bottom of the bench. Screw this to the frame with 1-inch wood screws spaced every 6 inches around the perimeter of the frame. Set these screws 3/8 inch from the edge.
- 6). Place the 42-by-1 1/2-inch cedar on top of the bench frame and push all the way to one side; it should run the length of, and be even with, one of the longer sides. Screw this into the top of the bench frame by driving screws through this piece and into the top edges of the back and sides. This is the rear part of the bench back.
- 7). Attach the hinges about 12 inches apart on top of the pieces you just placed. The hinges will connect to the rest of the bench seat to form the lid of the trunk. Screw the hinges to this support beam with the 1-inch screws.
- 8). Attach the 14-by-42-inch cedar to the hinges to form the lid and the bench seat with the 1-inch wood screws. When closed, the bench lid should rest on the top and sides of the bench frame.
- 9). Stand up the back of the bench, and place it against the back of the bench frame; that's the side where the 1 1/2-inch lid brace is attached. Screw the back to the bench frame using the 1-inch wood screws driven through the 1-by-3 into the 3/4-inch cedar in 6-inch increments.
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