Making a Simple Potting Bench // Woodworking | I Like To Make Stuff
Making a Simple Potting Bench // Woodworking | I Like To Make Stuff
Since making the Raise Garden Beds, My wife has asked for a potting bench. Using simple construction, I made her a cedar potting bench with a built-in sink. We have plans linked below so you can make one too!
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I designed this potting bench so you only needed to use one type of material. Because this bench will stay outdoors, I decided to use cedar. Dimensionally, cedar can get expensive, but by using fencing boards, this much cedar was very reasonable. The construction is quite simple, there will be two rectangular frames held vertically with 4 leg assemblies which will also hold a small shelf at the top.
To make the two frames, I connected the cut-down cedar with glue and screws. Be careful not to split the cedar close to the ends by driving in screws with a lot of pressure. Be sure to pre-drill your holes before driving in the decking screws. For the top frame, I am placing the two center supports in a specific location. I want to add a drainage sink to the workbench top to catch any overflow. The center supports need to be spaced so that they snuggly support the sink basin. I again secured these pieces with glue and screws.
Like I mentioned previously, the four leg assemblies will be made up of two pieces of cedar overlapped to make a 90-degree angle. I used glue and brad nails to secure these assemblies together. The front legs will stop at the top frame, which will eventually be the bench top. The back legs are longer and extend up the backside of the bench and will hold the simple shelf. I mounted the upper frame to the leg assemblies with more pre-drilled screws and glue. The bottom frame was attached in the same way but I placed it on a left-over piece of lumber to act as a spacer off the floor.
At this point, I could add the cedar pieces that make up the surfaces. I wasn’t too precise about the spacing on either of the two platforms, I just tried to make the gaps uniform. On the top surface, I made sure the cedar boards went under the lip of the sink basin. Each surface board was screwed into the frame using coated decking screws.
When I say custom features, I mean things add to the overall build, but may not be necessary. At this point, even without the sink, you have a functional outdoor workbench. In our design, I added the taller back legs to support a shelf and to add space to add hanging tool storage. The shelf is the only piece of lumber that is different from the rest. It is wider than the decking boards just to give the shelf some more space. I cut down some simple triangles to act as supporting gussets and screwed the whole thing to the taller legs.
In the empty space beneath the shelf and above the work surface there is a lot of usable area. You can put pegboard or more cedar boards in this space and hang tolls on it, but I decided to use hardware cloth. Hardware cloth is a wire mesh with large open square spaces. I plan on using some s-hooks to hang tools on it. It is secured to the back of the bench using staples. The last thing to add to the bench is a drain in the sink basin. I purchased a sink drain, drilled the right sized hole and installed the drain. I don’t have plumbing outside, so I plan on draining the overflow water into a bucket or a watering pot to use on the garden.
This potting bench is really simple to make, but it makes a great impact on the space. You could use a bench like this next to a grill, in a garage, or as a pop-up lemonade stand for your kids. It is really versatile. If you’d like to make one of these for yourself, click the link at the top to get some digital plans!
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We have lots of projects including woodworking, metalworking, electronics, 3D printing, prop making and more!
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Making a Simple Potting Bench // Woodworking | I Like To Make Stuff
I Like To Make Stuff
http://www.youtube.com/Iliketomakestuff
make mini injection molding machine please sir
Now i have something to build with my grandparents 😍😍
Love this project! It was exactly what I was looking for; made it for my wife’s Christmas present.
FYI: I used pressure treated lumber which made things a little more difficult because it was a fresh batch of wood that didn’t want to dry, which wouldn’t allow me to use pocket joinery. I had to use a metal bracket (like the ones for trusses) to join the shelf support, then adding the shelf made everything solid.
My favorite channel on YouTube, Bob; don’t stop bringing the projects!
Great tutorial – thanks for sharing!
Yeesh …. da beard is lookin pretty Bob Bin Ladden-ish! Lol.
You can also use it for a drying rack if you close it up from the bottem with some heat preserving cover and a finer net on top a hinged cover/lid
You mom looks like she really likes it!
Where do I find the plans?
Great tutorial – thanks for sharing!
Man, this helped a lot! Although I picked a great time to build one <sarc> as lumber prices have more than doubled within the past year.
Nice job , i think the sink need support form underneath.u can pur 2 pic of wood . It ll becomes stronger and cab hold heavy weight
Is the M.A.K.E an acronym?
I just printed out the plans. May have found an error… more like a typo. But on Step 1, you seem to have B and H marked backwards.
Hey there, how about a link to those hooks you used, please.
WHERES ZUKO’S SWORD???
I will put the bin off to the side for a bigger work space, great job!
Great idea, thanks for video
Awesome! I’d love to see a video on how to make a compost bin.
I was expecting 100% more bongs.
That’s got to be the next t-shirt – "Butt joints and dovetails"! }:-{)>~~~
wont the edges of the wood be sharp
Anyone else have difficulty buying the plans for this? Apple Pay now completing.
😎👍🌟🌟🌟
11:47 ….😍👍💓 *Bloopers*
So is there a drill bit with a countersink on it?
Not sure if this is really that easy or if you are a pro.
Can i use mdf board
Question: There are times you are using a wood glue, but on this one the main platform you did not. And how do you know when you need to use a wood glue?
I love this potting bench. It is exactly what I want in my front patio.
I can see there is a break 1.52
What a coincidence. I was about to make one too.
What kind of hooks are on the wire mesh?
I use cedar pickets that I get from the cull pile for a discount, so long as you built it sturdily and sand it, you can get something like this for much cheaper. (you will need to construct it a bit differently because pickets are thinner than the 1x’s he used.)
Always using buttjoints… Wouldn’t this be a BUMmer?
Yes please kill me for this.
I love this channel so much 🥲
How would you replace some the parts if they start to twist without destroying the whole thing?
Very detailed and informative.
Q: So the sink doesn’t get secured in like with silicone or something? Was it meant to be removable?
What kind of hooks did you use?
Like the simplicity of it, but the plastic tub/sink looks kind of weeak, I’m sure it will crack or bend out of shape rather quickly, particularly if you put big pots in it. I guess a solution would be to use a metal sink, or build additional wood supports to embrace the bottom.
I’d use a stainless steel sink because it is sloped towards the drain. I’m going to put handles on one side and wheels on another so she can easily move it. Also, I’ll use the dovetail jig she bought me last year to make a drawer. Plus, on the West Coast redwood is easier to find. In the Southeast, cypress is a good choice.
But cedar is purple🤔
I’d like to make something like this out of some pallets I have.
Great idea, thanks for video
What’s the tool that you use to countersink while drilling a hole?
Can you tell me how high the table is?
I like everything except for the sink. The tub doesn’t have a recess for the drain, so I’m guessing there will be a layer of water at the bottom that is below the lip of the drain after every use? Maybe not a problem since the tub can come out and be dumped, but you definitely don’t want a layer of standing water between uses.
I can’t find the hooks you used. Do you have a link?
Ughhh god no. You never glue cross grain construction,yet alone outdoor construction
The bench is nice. I like the upper back made of screen wire; you can use it to hang things and it also makes the brick look nice.
I have shop class with Mr. Girolamo in NY
I’m jealous of your workshop. 😂 Great easy project I could do with scraps I got. Thanks!♥️