Build a cedar 2 pieces 2" x 8 8 9" (top shelf ends trimmed as

poeting bench per Diagram 2)

Directions Step 2. Construct bench sides

As shown on pages 58 and 59 Lay out two legs (a front and a back) in
front of you so that the bottoms of the legs
The potting bench measures 59-1/2" h. x are facing you and the shorter (front) leg
49-1/4" w. x 24" d. It can be used outdoors is on the right. Lay a leg brace on the legs
or inside. When using it outdoors or for with the bottom of the brace 11-1/2" up
more visual effect, finish it with a good- from the bottom of the legs. Use the
quality exterior preservative or stain. Pine square to ensure that the legs and the
can be substituted for cedar but must be brace are at 90" to each other. Screw
stained or painted. The plastic sink-tub is through the brace into the legs. Lay the
optional. If you decide to omit it, simply upper brace on the legs so it is flush with
use four 47-1/4" pieces of 5/4"x 6" cedar the top of the front leg and the bottom of
for the main surface (but do install a beam the brace is 37" up from the bottom of the
underneath to support this surface). back leg. Screw through the brace into the
legs. Lay out the second set of legs as you
Step 1. Measure and cut cedar did the first butwith the shorter leg on the
Cut cedar pieces to the following mea- left (see photograph, below). Attach the
surements: braces as you did on the first set.
2 pieces 2" x 4" 8 56" (back legs)
2 pieces 2" x 4" 8 37" (front legs) .
5 pieces 2" x 4" 8 22" (4 leg braces; 1 sink
support brace)
2 pieces 5/4" x 6" 8 47-1 /A" (main surface)
1 piece 5/4" x 6" 8 47- 1/4" (backsplash)
4 pieces 5/4" x 6" 8 44-1/4" (bottom shelf)
2 pieces 2" x 4" 8 29-1 /4" with a 45" mitre
on both ends (back braces) (see Diagram 1)

1 piece 2" x 4" @ 15" (spacer bar)

2 pieces 5/4" x 6" @ 2-1 /4" (main surface)
2 pieces 5/4" x 6" 8 30-1/4" (main surface) Step 3. Attach bench top and back to
2 pieces 5/4" x 6" 8 approximately 23-1 / 8 legs
(main surface side trim/apron - measure and One 47-1/4" main surface piece must be
cut these pieces once the bench is assembled trimmed to fit around the back legs. At
to ensure a proper fit) both ends, measure and cut 3-1/2" into
1 piece 5/4" x 6" @ 49-1 /4" (main surface the width and 1-1/2" into the length (see
front trim/apron) Diagram 3).
2 pieces 2" x 8 @ 47-1 /4"(top shelf and shelf Position the two bench sides so that the
backing) braces attaching the legs will be inside the
legs. Attach the uncut 47-1/4" main sur-
face piece to the top of the top braces at
the front of the top braces, flush with the
. . . ..

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GARDENING LIFE
 graph, left). Use the square to ensure that ner created by the upper leg brace and the
the backsplash and the legs are at 90" to main surface's backsplash. The two back
each other. braces should sit tight up against each oth-
er on the bottom shelf. Affix each back
Step 4. Attach bottom shelf to bottom brace with two screws through the bottom
leg braces of the shelf into the bottom of the brace
Place one 44-1/4" bottom shelfpiece flush and one screw through the back of the
with the back of the lower leg braces in backsplash and into the back brace.
between the two legs. Using two screws on
each end, screw through the shelf board
into the brace. Position and attach anoth-
er bottom shelf board flush with the front
Step 3
-
'3
L - of the lower leg braces. Repeat for the last
two boards, spacing them evenly between
front of the front legs. This will be part of the front and back boards with the ends
the main surface of the bench. The ends of even with the edges of the braces.
the main surface piece should be flush
with the outer edges of the legs. Screw the Step 5. Attach back braces
47-1/4" piece with the corners cut out to Position one mitred back brace so that one
the top of the top leg braces at the back of of its mitred ends rests on the bottom shelf
the bench. To create the backsplash for (flush with the back of the back board)
the main surface, attach the 47-1/4" back- and the other fits tightly in the corner cre-
splash piece to the back of the legs so that ated by the insides of the upper leg brace
it is perpendicular to the main surface and and the main surface's backsplash (see
rises 2" above the top of the main surface. photograph, right). Position the other Step 6. Finish main shelf
Screw through the back of the backsplash back brace, resting it against the back of To support the left side of the sink-tub, a
into the back of the rear legs (see photo- the bottom shelf and the other back cor- Continued on page 78
Build a cedar seen in the photograph, left). leave a 3/4" lip of sink brace for the sink-
potting bench To support the 2-1/4" end pieces at the tub to rest on. You now have a recessed
Continuedfrompuge 77 right-hand end of the main surface, place edge for each end of the sink-tub. Trim
the 15"spacer bar in between the legs out- the front and back boards of the top so
brace must be installed underneath the side the leg brace and flush with the top that the tub will drop easily into the bench
main surface. Attach the 22" sinksupport of the legs and the top of the brace and top. Place the tub upside down on the
brace underneath the two boards that are screw through the spacer bar into the leg bench top, aligning the ends so that they
brace. Leaving 1/4" between each board, would fit into the recessed ledges. Trace
attach the two 2-1/4" end pieces on the the front or back edges onto the two long
right side of the main surface (drill coun- boards of the top. With ajigsaw, trim the
tersink holes in these small pieces before- front and back boards of the top so that
hand so they won't split when you screw the tub will drop into the top and rest on
through them). These should be flush the two ledges at its ends.
with the outside edges of the legs and the
spacer bar. (Therewill be a 3/4" lip of the Step 7. Attach main surface
leg brace to support the sink-tub.) trim/apron
On the other side of the sink hole attach Attach one piece of trim/apron to one
the two final main surface pieces, screw- end of the main surface, screwing through
ing the left-hand ends to the left-hand leg the trim/apron into the front and back
brace and &right ends to the sink brace legs in two places. The trim/apron piece
(see photograph, left). Space these pieces should be flush with the top of the main
1/4" apart and 1/4" from the already surface and flush with the front of the
already installed for the main surface and installed front and back main surface front legs, but will protrude about 1"
13" from the inside edge of the top leg pieces. These final two pieces should also beyond the back legs (to be flush with the
brace on the right side of the bench. Screw be flush with the outside edges of the legs backsplash). Repeat for the trim/apron
through the two top boards down into the (i.e. theywill protrude 1-1/2" beyond the on the other end. Attach the front
support brace. (This support brace can be brace). On their right-hand ends they will trim/apron piece to the main surface so
that it is flush with the main surface top
and with the outside edges of the side
trim/apron on either end. Screw through
the front trim/apron into the legs at two
places at either end. Screw the front
trim/apron to the sink support brace in
two places as well.

Step 8. Attach top shelf

Screw the top shelf to the tops of the back
legs so that the shelf is flush with the back
and outside edges of the back legs. The
top shelf backing is attached to the back
of the shelf and legs, protruding above
and descendingbelow the top of the shelf.
Screw the top shelf backing to the legs in
two places at each end and screw through
the backing into the top shelf in two places
along the shelf. The part of the backing
that descends below the shelf can be fit-
ted with nails, hooks or thumbtacks to
hold tools or tack up seed packets. Attach
shelf sides flush with the top of the shelf
back, screwing each to the top shelf in two
places and to the top shelf backing in two
places (see photograph, above).

"Step 9. Stain the bench

We did not stain or treat our bench. An
untreated cedar bench that is left outside
will weather to a silvery grey colour, and
will last many years. If you would like to
finish your bench, stain it or treat it with
a clear+reservative (particularly if you
have used pine). When stain is dry, place
the plastic tub in the sink hole.

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