Bench Made From Re-purposed Bi-fold Doors
Tools Needed: –
- Circular saw or table saw
- Sander
- Drill w/countersink bit and drill tip to match fasteners
- 3″ stainless steel wood screws ( No. 10) and wood glue
- 12-16, 1 1/2″ stainless steel wood screws (for reinforcement)
- Sandpaper- 120 Grit
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Straight edge
- 2 1/2 wood bi-fold doors
- 4 2×2 posts
As always work in a well-ventilated area, use a strong stable work surface, don’t hurry and always wear safety glasses!
Process:
- Select some sturdy bi-fold doors…..solid wood work the best of course! I used 2-1/2 doors for this project.
- One door provided a side panel and a part of the seat, repeat twice. I used an additional 1/2 door for the seat back. Louvered, paneled, and solid face doors will all work fine, and will add some creative differences.
- Decide on the width and height of your bench
- Measure and layout your cuts on the doors you’ve chosen to get your desired design, – …. then measure again 🙂
- Take your time and cut all pieces as efficiently as possible to maximize the best use of your materials. Save the extra pieces for your next project!
- I used a circular saw and table saw to do all the cuts necessary for this project. All of them were simple straight cuts,
- Sand all your cut edges that may come in contact with hands and seats 🙂
- Use wood screws and wood glue (if desired) to assemble. I used 3” x 10 stainless steel screws on this project to avoid corrosion and rot. I also utilized a countersink bit to make sure all screw heads were buried and out of harm’s way.
- Fasten the seat and seat back together first to create one component. This will make it easier to create flush edges as you continue the assembly.
- Fasten seat component to sides. The standard for chair seat height is 18” to the top of the seat. But choose a height that will work best for you.
- Finish fastening the sides and add the shoe shelf. The shoe shelf angle is up to your liking. I kept it fairly flat so the edges would flush out with the front and back of this bench.
- For reinforcement, you might want to add 2″ x 2″ posts measured to fit between the bottom of the seat and the top of the shoe shelf. From the outside of each corner, add 3-4 screws per piece.
- The doors I used were paint ready so they can take stain, varnish or paint.
- Use your imagination! I used a door for the seat back but a piece of black iron handrail, some slats or even no back at all will work, as well.
Be creative and have fun! – Remember the ReStores are great places to find these and a myriad of other awesome re-use materials for your projects!! – Good luck and be safe with those tools 🙂
