This potting bench is a companion article to one that I wrote in the summer of 2023. After we finished building my friends raised garden beds, we had six pallets left over. After a bit of debating and scheming, we decided to build a potting bench to give her a bit of outdoor work space. The strategy that I chose to pursue was to cut the best parts of the pallets to size and screw the pieces together. The requirements for the project that it needed to be at a comfortable height for work, it had to be built from what was at hand, that I can mow under it, and that it be sturdy. So, here is the very rustic and quick potting bench.
SUPPLIES
Pallets and screws
TOOLS
Tape measure, square, pencil or pen, circular saw, drill, screw driver, hand saw. opt. chalk line
HOW TO
1) After I had my rough sketch drawn out, I unstacked the pallets and measured out what I had to finalize the plan.
2) I then measured, and marked the pieces to cut for the sides, top, and back. PRO TIP: Use a pencil to mark where the cuts are to be made. Use a square to make sure all of the marks are square in all directions on the wood. A chalk line helps mark straight lines quickly.
3) I cut these four pieces with a circular saw and mocked it together to make sure all of the pieces would fit together.
4) I set the sides on their front and put the back in place. My friend held the side pieces stable while I worked on one side. I drilled the placement for one screw and drove in with the screw driver. I squared up the back and the side with my carpenter's square and drilled and drove the farthest screw. Then the other four.
5) I moved the other side to its proper placement and measured the position for the back so it would match the first side and repeated step 4.
6) I set the bench upright and eased everything into square. I then measured the length of the shelf and cut a pallet to size.
7) I placed the shelf in place and drilled and screwed it into place so that everything is square and sturdy.
8) I placed the top into position then using the tape measure and square, adjusted the position to get it "just right".
9) I drilled and drove one screw in one corner to attach the top to one side.
10) I checked the square and made final adjustments then drilled and screwed into the opposite corner to secure the position. Then I drilled and drove in the rest of the screws needed
11) Finally, I tested to make sure everything was secure and sturdy.
Because this project has no fully defined plan, just a rough sketch, I would consider this just a bit more advanced than beginner project. It takes a bit of thinking out of the box and adjusting the plans as the project progresses. Working with rough materials requires some flexibility. The actual skills required for the project are pretty basic as are the tools needed. The total cost of this project was about $6 and it took me about 5 hours to complete.
Oh, and cutting a stack of fire wood was included in the 5 hours.