Ron was starting to get the itch to do some gardening, but judging by the weather outside, he wasn't going to be able to do anything outdoors for a few more weeks. So he decided to build a gardening bench that would actually serve two purposes. It would give some of his vegetables and flowers a head start on the growing season, and later on, he would be able to convert it into a potting bench.
Click Here For a list of what
you will need in order to complete this project.
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The 3-dimensional drawings for this project
were made with SketchUp
design software. Please click
here to download the full-size, 3-D drawings for the gardening
bench project. To view these drawings, please download the
free SketchUp
Viewer.
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1. Design
Ron designed a potting bench out of cedar. The structure included a slatted top, a shelf below and two uprights, which would eventually support a lighting fixture.
2. Cut wood
Begin by cutting pieces of 1 x 4 cedar into the lengths you will need for the base. You will build two identical frames, which will form the front and back of the bench. |
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3. Assembly
Lay the legs on top of the bench, place a cross rail on top, check to make sure everything is square, and then drill countersunk pilot holes. Drive in rust-resistant screws to attach the rails to the legs.
The bench will have double legs, each made up of a pair of 1 x 4's. This will provide plenty of strength, but with minimal weight. |
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| With both the front and back leg sections complete, place a couple of clamps on the bottom of each section so you can set them upright. |
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| Next, connect the front and back together with end pieces: one pair at the top and another at the bottom. First clamp the end rails in position, then attach them with screws. |
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| Then add cross braces between the front and back rails, and finally, install an apron at the top. The apron will give the base a more finished look. |
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4. Decking
Add the decking on the lower shelf and on the top of the bench. |
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| To make sure the spaces between the boards are consistent, create spacers using sixteen-penny nails driven through small squares of quarter inch plywood. This will provide about an eighth of an inch of consistent space between each board, which is enough to allow for swelling and expansion when the top gets wet. |
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5. Uprights
Because this bench is designed for use before the growing season, it will need a source of artificial light. Install a couple of uprights to support the lighting fixture. The fixture will be placed in the lower position when the plants are small, and then raised, as they get taller.
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| The uprights will have slanted notches on the inside to hold the light fixture. To create these notches, first drill one inch and a quarter holes, and then cut out the notches using a jig saw. |
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| Once you have completed the notches you will need to attach the notched 1 X 4s to the uprights. Laminate the two pieces by first applying wood glue and then clamping them together. Screws will add strength and hold the pieces firmly in place while the glue dries. |
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| Attach the assembled uprights to the bench, and then add a cross-brace to connect the tops. |
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6. Lighting source
For the best results, artificial light used for indoor growing should be uniform from left to right and front to back. You may want to consider going online to a website like Indoor Garden Supplies where you will find a very large selection of accessories for your gardening bench.
First, attach two pieces of wood to the back of the fixture. This is how you will attach the pipe, which will serve as the hanging mechanism. If you choose to first paint your light fixture, use spray paint and keep the nozzle about 12 inches from the surface as you move back and forth in long smooth strokes.
Cut a piece of copper pipe to stretch across the two uprights and place a copper cap on each end of the pipe. The pipe ends will slip inside the cutouts, supporting the fixture.
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Common pipe straps that are used for plumbing, work perfectly to attach the pipe to the fixture. The ends of the copper pipe stick directly into the notches.
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| In general, you will want to keep the light about four to six inches above the top of the seedlings. As they get taller, it's a simple matter of taking the copper bar, which makes a nice handle - and moving it up a notch or two.
Ideally the seedlings should get about 12 to 16 hours of light a day. An automatic timer will help ensure that they get it without fail.
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