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Kids Bench/Table

October 30, 2014

  I don’t  have a huge  kitchen, so I  have found it fairly important to  utilize  every  square inch.  Do you remember  the tutorial  about the conver-table ?  Well,  shortly  after making a table that was able to  serve multiple functions,  I decided I needed a  bench to match!  I really  wanted to have a kids  eating area,  so when we had company they  could sit at the “adult table”.  I had  looked into making  a cute little  table and chairs for the kiddos,  but like  I mentioned earlier,  I don’t have a huge kitchen.   What a conundrum !?

Challenge Accepted!

      Not only  do I have a tutorial  below,   but Ana White is a rockstar and  has  drafted  up the plans and they are available on her site! Don’t  have access to a tablesaw!? She has a solution for that!

Materials Used:

  • Wood Glue
  • 2.5″ Wood Screws
  • Wood Plugs
  • 2×8   (12′)
  • 2×10 (8′)
  • Shelf Support Bracket
  • Spray Paint

 

Tools Suggested:

  • Miter Saw
  • Table Saw
  • 18g Nail Gun
  • Drill
  • 3/8″ drill bit
  • Kreg Jig
  • Orbital Sander

 

Cut List:

2×8

4@  17″ (2 of which requires additional cuts)

2@  36″(1 of which requires additional cuts)

2×10

1@ 18.5″

2@ 17″

  Legs

Begin by taking 2 of the 2×8’s that are cut at 17″.   Using a tablesaw cut a notch out of the entire length of the 17″ board.   Then repeat the same process on the second board.

Bench Table 1 Sawdust 2 Stitches

Next take the 2×10  cut at 17″ and line it up the with 2×8 that  has the notch cut out.  Dab a little bit of glue in the joint and then for added precaution I  used 16 gauge 2″ finishing nails.

Bench Table 8 Sawdust2Stitches

Repeat the the same process on the other notched out board.

Bench Table 7 SAwdust2Stitches

For the next step on the legs,  use a Kreg Jig System and drill 3 holes  on the 2 remaining 2×8″ boards.  ( These will become the chair backs) Bench Table 6 Sawdust2Stitches

Again I used a little bit of wood glue on the joint and then reinforced with 2 1/2″  screws via the pocket holes.  I then repeated on the remaining leg.

Bench Table 11 Sawdust2Stitches

 To hide the pocket holes, I  use these awesome little guys!Bench Table 9 Sawdust2Stiches Just  use a dab of glue and use then to fill the pocket holes.

 The Top

For the top I used (2)  2×8’s.   This is where it gets a  little tricky.   Using a jigsaw  I cut out a 9″ section in the center of one of the boards.  I needed the slot to be 9 ” and 1 1/2′ deep.  ( The table top  board will eventually  will sit on this cut out.)  Bench Table 5 Sawdust2Stitches Using the  Kreg Jig again,  I drilled  pocket holes that would allow me to join both 2×8’s together. For added precaution I  used a little bit of wood glue on the seam.   I then  used 2 1/2″ screws to fasten the two boards together via the pocket holes. ( Again,  I used pocket hole plugs to hide the pocket holes.)

Bench Table 4 Sawdust2StitchesNow it is time to attach the legs to the top!

Bench Table 15 Sawdust2Stitches I wanted to conceal the screws as much as possible so I used “wood plugs”.  In order to use these I simply  used a drill bit  (determined by the size plug) in this case I  used a 3/8″  bit.  I  drilled only  partially through the board with this bit.  I then followed  up with a much smaller bit to pre- drill . ( This helps prevent the board from splitting.)  After the hole is pre-drilled  I  used 2 1/2″ wood screws to secure the leg to the top.  I then added a small amount of wood glue to the wood plugs and put them in the screw holes.

Bench Table collage  Sawdust2stitches   The last  part of the bench/ table is the “kids table top” in order to give the table top a more support I opted to use a heavy duty shelf support.  I didn’t want the hardware sticking out like a sore thumb so I used an “Oil rubbed bronze” spray paint to help it blend in a little better. Bench Table 16 Sawdust2StitchesAfter the  bracket had completely  dried  I installed it so that it would be centered.

Bench Table install bracket Sawdust2StitchesNow it’s time for the table top! Using the remaining 2×10″  I placed it in the previously  cut out notch, and then secured it to the bracket from the underside.

Bench Table top  Sawdust2Stitches

   I also  secured the table top on the topside.  Again,  I repeated the same steps as earlier.  I  partially drilled with a 3/8″  bit and then pre-drilled with a smaller bit.  Secured it in place with  2 1/2″ wood screws, followed with 3/8″ wood plugs. Bench Table 21 Sawdust2Stitches

Finish Work

That completes the structural aspect now,  on to the finish work.  Bust out the wood filler and fill any and all holes.  I  normally  apply a  small amount to the top of all the the wood plugs. It fills in all the small crannies and does a great  job camouflaging the wood plugs.

After the wood filler has completely dried,  I used an orbital  hand sander to smooth out the entire piece,  paying special attention to the areas where a wood plug was  used.

Now,  it is ready for  stain and or paint.  I opted for Minwax Jacobean stain and then  followed up with the “Satin Finish” polyurethane.

PicMonkey Collage polu

Mission Completed!

A space saving STURDY bench, that when flipped on its side, is an AWESOME  kids eating area, complete with two chairs and a table.  Booyah!

PicMonkey Collage sideways

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in Build Plans, Kitchen, Seating, Tables, Uncategorized # Furniture, Spray Paint, Stain, tables

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Comments

  1. Tsu Dho Nimh says

    October 31, 2014 at 12:34 am

    That is totally awesome. No fancy hinges, no folding … you just tip it over and it’s ready to go.

    QUESTION: How did you think of the design? Was it an AHAH moment, did you see something similar, or what?

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      October 31, 2014 at 12:49 am

      Thank you! Actually it all started with all those thoughts… hinges etc… but I kind of did have a mini “ah-ha” moment. I was watching my son take his step stool and stick it on his lap like a table… no lightning bolts, but it got me thinking about dual purpose seating. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!

  2. Lacey says

    October 31, 2014 at 12:44 am

    This is Pure Genius!!! I can’t wait to make this for my little man 🙂

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      October 31, 2014 at 12:50 am

      Thanks Lacey! My kids love it, hope he does too!

  3. Mindi says

    October 31, 2014 at 2:25 pm

    This Amazingly awesome and you ARE a genius! I love it, love it, love it!

  4. Amy J says

    October 31, 2014 at 3:50 pm

    This is one of the most genius things I’ve ever seen. Just such a smart use of space. Too bad my kids are 12 and 10! Lol

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      November 1, 2014 at 6:04 pm

      Dang we are a few years late! Haha thanks for taking the time to comment though! Just keep it bookmarked for 20 years for grand kids !? hah

  5. Erin says

    November 1, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    I love this! Such a cute idea! We have a kitchen, living and dining room combo so we don’t have much space either. We have a table shoved into a corner and thought about purchasing a bench that matches our chairs for the back side. I like this idea so much better! This would be great for my 2 year old for not only eating but crafts and coloring etc! I am curious what the finished dimensions are though! I would want to.make sure it will fit at our table before I tackle the project. Thanks so much for sharing! !

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      November 1, 2014 at 6:03 pm

      This sounds like it would be perfect for you! Mine is appox. 14.5 ” deep 36″ wide and 18.5″ tall. Good luck and thank you for commenting!

  6. coreydecker@gmail.com says

    November 1, 2014 at 6:00 pm

    Thank you so much Lisa!

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Meet Corey

Hi everyone, my name is Corey, and I have a problem. I can’t leave well enough alone… The best therapy usually involves a variety of power tools. So, in the few “spare” moments I am not entertaining my two beautiful, rambunctious, boys, I can typically be found hunched over a sewing machine and/or covered in sawdust. All in the efforts to create a perfect balance of aesthetics and practicality in our home.
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