Paling bench seat using recycled timber

[beyondthepaling]

Surplus fence palings used to build a garden bench seat, painted in Dulux Weathershield.

• The project
• Steps
• Tools and materials
• More inspiration for your project

The project

Need extra seating outside? Here's a simple build requiring only basic tools and materials. I had some surplus fence palings and decided to see if they were good for more than just planter boxes (and fences). 

Steps

Step 1

This is entirely optional for a starter, but I found it useful to run the palings through the table saw to take both edges off as they can be a bit rough. Evening things up at the start can save a lot of sanding later.

 

Step 2

Cut the five top rails. I made these 80mm wide. I also trimmed the rough ends. They finished up being 1300mm long. 

 

Step 3

If you have a router, you can chamfer or round the edges. Sand them to your preferred finish level. If you don't have a table saw, you can use full-width boards for the rails. Just adjust the height of the support boards in the next step.

 

 

Step 4

Cut the boards to length for the legs. You need 10 pieces to support the top rails. These should be roughly 500mm less than the width of your top rails (mine were 420mm). You also need an additional 12 boards about 470mm wide. It's a good idea to get the sander on these pieces to make the faces as flat at possible for the next step. 

Step 5

Build the legs. For each leg, take five of the shorter boards and six of the longer ones. Build stacks of boards alternating short and long. Add a generous bead of glue between the boards and screw them together (I may have used the brad nailer). The bottoms of the boards should all be nicely lined up. This will give the top a nice, even, turret effect.

Step 6

Fill any unsightly gaps. Cut a couple of pieces just bigger than the footprint of the legs and attach to the bottom. This will give you a nice stable base. 

Step 7

Sand the timber. You can choose your finish level here. From rough to perfect, it's up to you. 

Step 8

Paint. I used an undercoat and two coats of white enamel for the rails and two coats of Dulux Weathershield for the legs. 

Step 9

Assemble. Insert the rails into the legs, ensuring the overhang is equal at each end. If the fit is a bit tight, use a rubber mallet to get them right down. The top boards can be secured with screws or glue, or both. I used just the glue. You're done. Grab a drink and sit in the sun. 

Tools and materials

Materials used in the project:

• Fence palings. I used 1500 x 250 x 19mm
  
  
• Exterior wood glue
  
  
• 30mm exterior screws
  
  
• Filler 
  
  
• Undercoat
  
  
• Dulux Weathershield paint.

Tools used in the project:

• Mitre saw
  
  
• Table saw
  
  
• Belt sander 
  
  
• Impact driver.

More inspiration for your project

Community member cadsman has provided detailed plans showing how he built his bench seat using Pine sleepers.

Workshop member woodalwaysworks built his solid garden bench using decking offcuts.

For more inspiration from Bunnings Workshop community members, check out Outdoor bench seat ideas.