How To Build a Bench Seat for Kitchen Table

Bench Seat for Kitchen Table

I designed this rustic bench to accompany a epoxy river walnut dining table for a client.

The half lap joinery I used on this simple bench bottom adds strength and a farmhouse style.
In addition, the bench seat top attaches to the bottom via threaded inserts and screws.
Threaded inserts make it easy to detach the bench top for easy shipping and transport.

Bench Seat for Kitchen Table Dimensions

The dimensions of this bench seat are 50″ x 15″ x 18.25″ (L x W x H).
Often times, people ask me the following question:
How deep should a bench seat be?
It should be deep enough to slide under the table. In other words, half the width of the table top.

Best Wood for Table Bench Seat

I used black walnut slabs for the walnut dining table this bench was built for.
In order to match the table, I used dimensional black walnut wood to build this simple dining bench and DIY bench legs.
Obviously, using live edge walnut slabs for a dining table bench would not be a wise thing to do.

I visited my local hardwood dealer & purchased the walnut wood I needed to build the dining table bench.
Ultimately, I needed the walnut boards to be at least 6″ wide and 2″ thick.

Prepare Wood

Track Saw
Circular Saw (Alternative Tool)
Track
Straight Edge (Alternative Tool)
MFT3 Table

To prepare the walnut wood, I used my track saw & track to get a straight side for each board.
Most of the time, my track saw does the job of a jointer.

Next, I used the straight side for reference on my MFT3 table to square each end of each board.
I kept the straight side against the MFT3 guide rail system to make sure each end remained square.

Then, I made the final rip cut on the other side with my track saw to a final width of 5″.
As a final step, I cross cut 3 boards at 50″ long for the bench seat top.

Bench Seat Top Wood Joinery

Large Speed Square
Festool Domino
Biscuit Joiner (Alternative Tool)
Parallel Clamps
F Clamps

I used my festool domino to join the 3 boards for the dining table bench top.

Domino Joiner Alternative

As I listed in the tools section at the beginning of this article, a biscuit joiner works as an alternative tool.
For the cheapest alternative, I recommend a dowel jig for wood joinery.

Mark Domino Locations

First, I marked the domino locations 3″ from each end and made marks 12″ apart in between.
I labeled each mark with corresponding letters on each board in case I mixed them up.

Once I marked the domino locations, I cut each mortise.

Next, I spread glue and inserted the dominos.

I placed the boards together, clamped them with parallel clamps, and let the glue dry for a few hours.

Sand DIY Dining Table Bench Seat

Rotex Sander
Oribital Sander (Alternative Tool)
40 grit Sandpaper
60 grit Sandpaper
80 grit Sandpaper
120 grit Sandpaper
150 grit Sandpaper
180 grit Sandpaper
220 grit Sandpaper
320 grit Sandpaper
HEPA Vacuum

Once the glue dried, I used my swirl-free wood sanding technique to sand the bench seat.

For an extra smooth wood surface, wipe the surface with a damp rag after sanding with the last grit to raise the grain. Sand again with the highest grit while the surface is still damp.

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How To Make Bench Legs

Bandsaw
Jig Saw (Alternative Tool)
Bandsaw Blade
Chisels
Parallel Clamps
F Clamps

Once I finished the DIY dining table bench seat top, I started building the bench seat bottom.
The bottom closely resembles the walnut epoxy dining table bottom – a simple, farmhouse-style bottom with half-lap wood joinery.

First, I cut the pieces of walnut to size on my bandsaw.

Straight Cuts on a Bandsaw?

As a side note, I sold my table saw and this piece of wood was too small for my track saw.
So, most people believe you can’t get a straight cut on a bandsaw.
But, I beg to differ.
With the proper bandsaw, bandsaw blade, and a few passes with my low angle jack plane, I can get a very straight cut.

Half Lap Wood Joint with Bandsaw

After I cut the pieces of walnut wood for the bench seat bottom, I measured and marked the locations of the half lap joints.
I cut the half-lap joints on my bandsaw.
To cut a half-lap joint, each joint needs to be cut half the thickness and the same width of the other board.

Also, I always cut my half-lap joints a bit small and clean them up with my chisels.
Sandpaper works as well, but takes longer.

Glue Half-Lap Joints

Once I finished cleaning the wood joints with my chisels, I glued the cross braces for the top runner and bottom runner.

Next, I clamped the half lap joints with F clamps and allowed them to dry for a few hours.

I used my festool domino to join the bottom and top runner to the 4 posts.

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Finally, I checked for square, used parallel clamps to secure everything in place, and allowed the bench bottom to dry overnight.

How To Attach Legs Without Apron

Threaded Inserts
Furniture Glides
Drill Bit for Threaded Inserts
Drill

Since I need to ship this DIY dining table bench seat across the country, I designed the bench seat to easily detach from the bench bottom.
To attach the bench seat to the bench bottom without an apron, I used the same procedure to attach the table top to table base using threaded inserts and connector blocks.
More on threaded inserts in a later step.

Use 2 Speed Squares to Center Bottom

First, I used 2 speed squares to easily mark the location of the four bench legs.
The first speed square measures from the side while the other measures from the end.

By using 2 speed squares, I eliminate the potential of error when adjusting 1 speed square to measure 2 distances.

Once I marked the 4 locations, I placed the bench bottom on the marks and traced it on each end.

Connector Blocks

I find connector blocks (handmade pieces of wood) with threaded inserts make it easy to connect a table bench bottom to a bench seat.
So, I used pieces of walnut wood to cut out 4 identical connector blocks.

Next, I used plastic wrap to prevent the connector blocks from sticking to the dining table bench bottom.

Then, I applied glue and placed the connector blocks in the ideal location.

I used a scrap piece of thin walnut with a few clamps to apply a bit of pressure so the glue will adhere properly.

Finally, I removed the bench bottom from the bench seat.

How To Install Threaded Inserts

Threaded Inserts work really well to connect pieces of furniture together.
First, I placed the bench bottom in position and marked the depth of my drill bit with a piece of electrical tape.
Next, I drilled through the connector block and into the middle cross bar slightly deeper than the length of the threaded insert.

Next, I removed the bench bottom and applied glue to the hole I drilled on the cross bar.

Then, I used my drill to secure the threaded insert in the hole very slowly in order to avoid stripping the hole.

After the glue cured for. afew hours, I secured the dining table bench seat to the bottom with a screw.