For this project I built a bench which is very sturdy. I built the bench about four years ago and it has held up very well. This is how the bench looks:

The bench is pretty easy to build. Including painting and sanding I would say it would take 15-20 hours to build.

Below are the steps to build the bench. I am excluding the sanding and painting steps, but I would sand each piece before I add it on to the bench and paint the bench at the very end of the project.

Step 1: Build the bench frame: The bench frame is made up of 2 x 4s. It is a rectangle with a support board down the center. The dimensions for the frame I used was 40 inches long and 16 inches wide. All the boards are held in with Torx screws, the best type of screw there is. For more details on Torx screws view my post here:

Step 2: Attach the legs: The legs of the bench frame are made out of 4 x 4s. The legs were about 19 inches high. Securing the legs could be difficult. To secure the legs I used an extra long drill bit so I could drill from the leg 4×4 and the frame 2×4 together. Then for each leg I put through a long bolt which went through the leg and was secured on the other side with a nut and washer. I put a bolt through each outside edge of the leg to hold it in place, so each leg had two bolts going through it.

Step 3: Attach the bench top: The top of the bench is made of thin boards which I evenly spaced on the top. I also left small gaps in between the boards. All of the boards were secured in with Torx screws. These screws were able to drill all the way through the board and slightly beneath the board so that they are below the board surface and would not touch anyone sitting on top of them.

This is my favorite of the benches I have made. As stated before, it is really sturdy, it should support at least 400 pounds.

The following video shows some specifics of the bench and details the steps to make it.