Garden work bench

It’s easy to create this practical outdoor work bench with a little bit of help from Resene.

Fun with furniture with Mark Rayner - Project 46

Difficulty level: Moderate

You will need: 50mm galvanised nails, 100mm galvanised nails, 75mm x 50mm treated timber (approx 4m), 50mm x 25mm treated timber (approx 2.1m), 2.4m fence paling, hammer landscaping timber (approx 2.3m), paintbrush, paint stirrer, pencil, Resene Woodsman tinted to Resene Rangitoto, sandpaper, saw, set square.

To get the look: Mark painted the background house wall with Resene AquaShield tinted to Resene Pipi.

Other ideas: For a lighter green effect, stain the work bench with Resene Woodsman tinted to Resene Grey Green.

Step one
From the landscaping timber, measure, mark and cut two lengths at 500mm and two lengths at 630mm. Smooth rough edges with sandpaper.

Step two
On a flat surface, assemble to form a rectangular frame, as shown, fixing at each corner with 100mm nails. Use a set square to ensure corners are at ninety degrees.

Step three
Measure, mark and cut three lengths of fence paling at 720mm. Smooth rough edges with sandpaper.

Step four
Fix these to the top of the frame, as shown, to form the work bench top. Fix with 50mm nails.

Step five
Measure, mark and cut four lengths of the 75mm x 50mm timber at 950mm. Smooth rough edges with sandpaper.

Step six
Fix these into position to form the work bench legs, as shown. Attach securely with 100mm nails.

Step seven
From the 50mm x 25mm timber, measure, mark and cut two lengths at 630mm and two lengths at 410mm. Smooth rough edges with sandpaper and attach to the work bench legs, as shown, fixing with 50mm nails.

Step eight
Carefully stir the Resene Woodsman tinted to Resene Rangitoto with a paint stirrer and apply two coats to the work bench, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.