Introduction: Make a Rustic Pallet Wood Bench
I recently got my very first circular saw, and decided to make a project with it. Being that it's Summer, I decided to make a garden bench out of pallets. This instructable will go through just how I did that!
Step 1: The Pallet
The pallet I chose to use was this red one, as I thought that it would look cool with a finish applied. Coloured pallets are tricky; they can often contain harmful chemicals, but I knew this one was safe to use as I knew where it came from and what it was used for. Do your research before cutting pallet wood!
I cut the pallet slats apart using the circular saw, and from there it was pretty easy to just pry the boards up with my hands. After that I went through the lengthy process of denailing the pallets.
Step 2: The Seat
I arranged three of the slats in an order that I liked, then flipped them over and nailed battens in from the bottom to hold the three pieces together.
Step 3: Square Up the Ends
I clamped a board with a straight edge at 75cm from the end of the bench top. This would allow me to square up the bench and decide on the final length.
Step 4: The Trim
I screwed and nailed pallet boards around the entire bench top, adding stability and a place to attach the legs.
Step 5: The Legs
I cut 4 legs to a length of 40cm, then secured each one to the bench using screws.
Step 6: Finishing Up
I sanded the boards down using a power sander. This served two purposes. It smoothed and leveled the benchtop, but also added a nice style and texture to the top. I finished the top using spray lacquer, to make the colours really pop.
Step 7: Done!
With that, I have a new garden bench! I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and love the look of it.
I hope you enjoyed this instructable!
-Shaun

Participated in the
Backyard Contest 2016

Participated in the
Outside Contest 2016

Participated in the
Wood Contest 2016
2 Comments
6 years ago
Your bench turned out really cool! I love how you left the original color. Thanks for sharing
Reply 6 years ago
Thank you!!