A number of people have commented about the cuteness of this bench, so I thought I’d do a brief write-up on how to build your own. The limited material count and easy cuts make it a nice afternoon project. Plus, it’s built like a tank (and weighs like one), so it will last a long time.

The seat is 28″ wide and 12″ off the ground.

Shopping List

(2) 2×8 x 8′ pieces of cedar, redwood, pressure treated, (pine is okay — see note below)
(18) 2 1/2″ deck screws (buy a one pound box for about $8)
Construction adhesive or exterior grade wood glue (Titebond II)

Note: Pine is okay. It’s cheap — about $5 a piece. However, you MUST carefully stain or paint the unit with exterior grade stain or paint. Cedar and redwood do not have to be stained (and should NOT be painted), but can be sealed using something like Olympic WaterGuard.

Tools

Drill with 1/8″ bit
Screwdriver (manual or electric)
Speed square (a protractor will work)
Circular, jig, or hand saw (a 7 1/4″ circular is easiest)

Cuts

(1) 31″ for the Back — straight cut
(1) 28″ for the Seat — straight cut
(2) 24″  for the uprights — 22 degree angle cut
(2) 11 1/2″ for the rear supports — 22 degree angle cut

Straight Cuts (2 pieces total)

Start with one piece of lumber and cut the two straight pieces. One is 31″ and the other is 28″. Make sure that your cuts are straight — use a Speed Square to help. (More on this below.)

Angled Cuts (4 pieces total)

The legs (uprights and rear) are cut at a 22 degree angle. The easiest way to to this is with a Speed Square. Pick a small (6″) one at your local supply store for about $5-10 (depending on size). Get the bright plastic one, it’s cheaper and you don’t lose it as easily.

Using a Speed Square is easier done than described. Let’s look at this photo:

In the above example, I have set it to cut a 22 degree angle. How is this done? Here’s the annotated version:

You first slide the Lipped Edge of the Speed Square against the edge of the wood. This would make a 90 degree cut. Then you pivot the square down at the Pivot Point until the Angle reading shows 22 degrees. Then you mark/cut along the Cut line.

Big Speed Squares are very handy for cutting bigger boards with circular saws. You basically use the square as a guide for your saw. It allows you to make nice straight lines without the setup time of clamping down a straight edge.

I used the remaining 37″ piece of lumber from the straight cuts to cut the (2) 11 1/2″ angled pieces. It’s better to have a little scrap and “room to work” than to cut too close to the edge and screw something up. (There’s enough lumber to screw up a piece and make another one.)

Hint: Since the Speed Square measures the angle on the hypotenuse, you have to have enough scrap material on the end to line up the angle reading. See the photo above? I couldn’t make the cut much further to the left because the angle reading would “fall off” the edge of the wood. This is why I have two sizes of Speed Squares. I used my bigger 12″ one for most of this project, since it keeps my fingers away from the saw. But when I got toward the edge I had to switch to a smaller Square. This project has enough material that you shouldn’t have to worry about this, unless you are using leftover lumber.

When you are measuring the length of angled cuts it can be a little confusing. This photo shows how the pieces should end up.

This project is pretty forgiving, but you need to try and make these angled cuts as accurately as possible. A little taller or shorter won’t ruin anything, but try and make sure that the uprights are the same height and the rear supports are the same height. Within 1/4″ and you should be fine.

If you would like to learn more about using a Speed Square, check out our videos at Sixty Second Shop.

Assembly

Unfortunately, I didn’t take photos of the assembly process. Hopefully this will make some sense. Here’s a photo of the original article that might help:

The Legs

You first put the legs together. A leg is an assembly of an upright (24″ angled) and a rear support (11 1/2″ angled). It’s important that the legs are matching mirrors of each other.

Lay the two uprights on a large flat work surface, with the bottoms against a straight edge (you can use the seat and backrest parts as a guide to butt the wood up to). They should be making a big triangle-like shape, with the bottoms of the legs flat against the guide/wall/straightedge. You are building the legs on their sides, to make it easier.

Now put the shorter 11 1/2″ pieces on top of the uprights. This will be easier if you slip a piece of scrap under the ends (where the guys wrist is at — dont’ try to hold it up like he is doing).

See where the Rear Support and the Upright overlap? It’s a triangle-like shape. You want to put a little wood glue or construction adhesive where they overlap. Don’t overdo the glue or the pieces won’t come together nicely! I learned this the hard way. Go easy on the adhesive! (Plus construction adhesive does NOT stain, so you don’t want it getting on the face of your wood.)

To get the glue in the right place, I first aligned the parts, then drew two lines. I removed the Rear Support, spread glue in the triangle area, then re-aligned the Rear Support, drilled, and screwed the pieces together. Then I repeated on the other leg.

There are (3) 2 1/2″ deck screws that hold the Rear Support to the Upright. You’ll need (6) screws in total to make the two leg assemblies. Here is what it looks like on mine (this is a fully assembled bench, so don’t be confused by the seat):

Hint: Make sure to do this on a big smooth surface (the floor is fine). It’s important the the two leg assemblies are mirrors of each other. The angles must be the same, the Rear Supports at the right height, etc. You really don’t have to measure during the assembly process, but you have to make sure the angles look right, that the “feet” of the legs are flat against your straight edge, etc. This will make a LOT more sense when you actually do it. You’ll see if things are straight pretty easily. Again, one of those things that’s easier to do than to explain.

The Seat

Now you need to stand the two ends up, 28″ apart. A helper is useful here, though if you built the legs well they will stand on their own. (This is acutually a good test. If the leg doesn’t stand up on it’s own, it might mean that you put it together wrong.)

While the legs are standing up, spread a little glue on the tops of the Rear Supports. Drill and screw the seat into place. The original plans only had screws into the tops of the seat, but I found that adding two screws on the outside makes things more solid.

Here are the screws holding the seat from the top:

The above photo shows how far forward you should bring the seat. You want it brought toward the front of the bench, so it overhangs a bit. (Again, this will become apparent when you are doing it.) The sharp corner should be sanded down when you are done with assembly.

Here are the screws holding the seat from the side. Measure the height from the ground to figure out where to drill. About 11 1/2″ from the ground or so.

You want to make sure that the seat is TIGHTLY screwed and FLUSH with the upright leg assembly. The board should be right up against the leg, and sitting completely on the Rear Support. A helper can assist in holding the piece tightly while you are drilling and screwing it together, and a level can help make sure everything is plumb and level. The legs should be straight (at a 90 degree angle to the floor).

The Back

You will notice that the bench is a little flexy right now. The Back will solve this problem.

Lay the bench on the ground or worktable and attach the Back. Drill and screw, using (4) deck screws total (two on each end). This photo from the original article helps illustrate this:

Final Touches

Break out the sander and soften all of the edges, especially the seat, back, and uprights. Anywhere you are likely to touch. Then wipe down the sawdust.

Since I made mine out of (cheap) pine, I had to stain the unit (otherwise it will start rotting after a season outside). I paid careful attention to making sure the top surfaces (where water can pool) were well stained. Plus, I made sure that the “feet” were well coated. (The top and bottom of the legs are end grain, so they really suck up the stain. This is good. Lay it on.)

If you made yours out of redwood, cedar, or treated, you can leave it natural and watch it age. Or apply a linseed oil based product.

How Strong Is It?

It weighs 28 pounds and can support me without a creak.

With 2x8s and short cuts, it’s a very solid unit. More solid than the adult version, which is saying something.

Have fun building this classic bench. Thanks, Leopold!

Update: We now offer the Adult and Child size versions of the Leopold Bench for sale. You can purchase either a fully assembled (and stained) unit, or a pre-cut kit. Check out our business site, Austin Kontore, for more details.

Update: You can download a free copy of our detailed Assembly Guide. The detailed instructions will help you to build your own Leopold. Click Here For Assembly Guide