instructables

Reclaimed Pallet Wood Herringbone Outdoor Bench

by meshack33

This is a great project that can be accomplished in a weekend and will be a great addition to your yard or patio.

Adding a herringbone pattern to the top is easy and adds a lot of style to the piece.

This bench is also ready to be put anywhere outside, covered or uncovered.

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Step 1: Get and Deconstruct Pallets
Getting your hands on pallets is the easy part. Taking
them apart is another matter entirely. I had been
collecting pallets, taking a couple apart at a time, so I
had a nice wood pile to choose from. There are many
ways to get the wood apart. Personally, I like using a
pallet ripper and a trusty nail puller. In general getting
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the nails out of the wood makes things safer when
you have to cut the wood, but for this project, you can
leave the stubborn ones in the 2x4s since they get
well hidden.
1. Pallet Ripper
2. Nail puller
Step 2: Assemble Tools

For this build I used:

Circular saw
Miter saw (can be substituted for a circular saw)
Table saw (can be substituted for a circular saw)
Hammer
Nails
Nail punch
Drill
2 1/2 in exterior screws
Speed square
Pencil
Power Sander
Teak Oil
Brush

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Step 3: Cut Miters on Trim for Long Side

The longest piece you'll need is the trim for the long side of the bench. Since pallet wood is often worn, chipped, or
otherwise inconsistent, cutting this piece first gives something to reference from.

Using a speed square, mark a 45 degree angle to cut on the miter saw. If the cut doesn't give a clean, sharp
corner, nibble off bits until it does.

Once one side is cut to size, use it to mark and cut the other side to match.

1. quick 45 1. Nibble off the end if your cut doesn't give you a sharp corner

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Step 4: Cut Frame Pieces
The long part of the top frame is going to be the
distance from the inside of one miter cut on your trim
board to the other. On a 2x4 from the pallet, line up
the inside of the miter cut with one end of the piece.
Then mark the other end where the opposite miter cut
finishes.
The average depth of a bench is 18 inches. To make
the math easy, ignore the trim pieces, and pretend
the 2x4s from the pallets are nominally sized at 1.5
inches. That makes the short frame pieces 15 inches.
Mark and cut 2 of those pieces, and use them to find
the length of the middle piece of the frame.
The middle frame piece should be the length of the
1
1. Lined up in the inside of the cut
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long pieces, minus the depth of both short sides. Set
up the piece beside the long pieces, then move it
down to allow both short pieces room to be flush with
the end of the long piece. Mark the length and make
the cut.
To make sure all the pieces are cut correctly, lay out
the frame, but don't attach anything yet.
Stand the trim board against the frame. If the trim
board is not taller enough to allow extra space for the
plank top, take some off the frame pieces. It doesn't
need to be exact, just shorter than the trim. I took an
inch off the bottom of all my pieces.
1
1. Mark the inside of the opposite end
 1 1

1. The short frame is a great spot to use wood that split during the 1. 2 short sides of the frame
reclamation 2. Middle piece offset correct amount. Mark the other end to get the correct
length
3. the long pieces of the frame

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 1
1. Frame laid out
Step 5: Make Legs
The average height of a bench is between 17 and 19
inches. By making the legs 18 inches, the top can be
whatever height it is, and still have a reasonable
sitting height.
Cut 8 pieces from 2x4s at 18 inches. Pair them up to
make the legs for your bench. I had a mix of solid
2x4s and ones with the notch taken out. The solid
ones gave me a clean outside, while the notched
ones gave me a makeshift dado. If you only have the
notched kind, flip the way the notch faces to give
some surface inside the leg to attach the stretcher to.
Glue and screw the pairs together. The notches will
most likely not be centered, so make sure to create
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1. Take an inch off
mirror images.
Once created, screw the short side of the frame to
two legs, making the side of the leg flush with the end
of the frame piece.
Flip the piece over and mark the length of the
stretcher that will fit between the makeshift dados.
Once the piece is cut, screw it to the leg assembly.
Repeat for the other side, but stop before attaching
the stretcher. Stand both assemblies upside down,
facing inward. This will give a reference to place the
second stringer at the same height as the first.
 1

1. Long side on top 1. Short frame side attached to leg

2. notches facing each other

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 1

1. Length of stretcher 1. Completed leg assembly

Step 6: Attach Frame and Strecher

Place the leg assemblies upside down on your work surface. Screw the long pieces of the frame into the leg
assemblies.

Find the middle of the frame and attach the middle part with screws.

Once assembled, find the length of the last stretcher that will run the length between the leg stretcher. Mark, cut,
and attach with screws.

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 2

1. Middle frame piece centered

2. Leg stretcher goes here

Step 7: Treat Base With Oil

Since this is to be an outdoor piece, there will be
gaps in the top to prevent water from pooling. This
means it is necessary to oil the parts that water will
fall on. Before the top goes on, all those parts are
easier to access, so take the opportunity and give the
frame the treatment of your choice.
Before applying the oil, run over the assembly quickly
with a sander. I wanted most of the history of the
wood to show up, but I didn't want everyone coming
away with splinters - especially the brush putting on
the oil. I used 80 grit, just to get out the really rough
spots.
I went with Teak Oil because this bench will be out in
the weather and I wanted something that penetrated
well.

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1. Top of frame is exposed for easy oiling

Step 8: Lay Pallet Planks

After the oil has had a chance to dry, begin the
herringbone top.
Find the center of the bench and mark a visible line
that runs a couple inches down the middle piece.
Mark the center of the first plank piece on the end.
Set up your speed square on the end of the bench to
give the angle for the first plank. Lay the first plank
against the speed square, lining up the center mark of
the plank with the center mark of the frame. A good
collection of quick clamps will help keep things in
place to get the perfect placement. Nail this plank into
the frame.
Move the speed square to the other side, laying it
along the top and the attached plank. Put two nails
where the boards meet to space the planks ~1/16
inch apart. Box nails work great for this since their
head allows them to hang on the boards without
being driven into anything. Nail the plank to the frame
and remove the spacing nails.
The rest of the boards will push up against what's in
place. Use 4 nails for spacing, two on the end, two on
the side.

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 2

1. Marks aligned
2. Speed square holding the 45
3. Nail hanging for spacing

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 1
1

1. Lined up from the first plank 1. Spacing nail

2. Nail hanging, not attached to anything
2. Spacing nail

Step 9: Cut Plank Overhang and Finish Top

Half way down the bench, cut off what's hanging over
the edge of the frame. Run the circular saw down the
edge to make the planks flush with the frame.
These off cuts can then be flipped around to fill in the
rest of the bench. If you're lucky like me, you'll end up
with an impossibly small gap at the end of the bench.
But that board will split when cutting off the overhang,
leaving a perfectly shaped hole for another off cut.
Keep using the scraps to fill in the corners and cut the
overhang flush with the frame. The smallest pieces
don't need nails, and can just be glued in place.

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1. Really? 1. Gap filled

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 1

1. Off cut already has the angle we can use to make it flush 1. Trimmed flush with frame
2. Spacing nail

Step 10: Add Trim

Now get the trim pieces that were cut at the beginning and attach them to the sides of the top.

Take another piece of plank that matches the side pieces and lay it on top of the trim already attached. This will
give the marks to cut a piece that fits the short sides. Repeat for the other side and attach the last of the trim.

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1. A little too flush

2. Trim side one

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1. Mark the inside 1. Trimmed up

Step 11: Oil Top

The last step is to add the oil to the top. Be sure to let the brush get down into the gaps of the planks. It's hard to
over apply Teak Oil, so lay down some cardboard under the bench and go nuts, Wherever it drips down is where
water will drip down. Getting the oil there first will only extend the life of the bench.

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