Introduction
I've done my best to describe with words and pictures the entire
process I use for making my Spanking Bench. Keep in mind, I have been
building furniture for a couple years now, and I have a two car garage that
has been fully converted into a woodshop. It would be very difficult to build
this bench without a miter saw and a table saw. A drill with a set of various
sized drill bits and screwdriver bit would also be a mandatory tool. At least
4 clamps will be needed for many of these steps. A pocket hole jig is best
used to attach one of the parts of this bench.To do the upholstery you will
need a high powered stapler.
I've described the way I made it using a miter saw, a table saw, and a
handheld drill. Diagrams and photographs are used to further demonstrate
the measurements I used with the material I had.
This bench design is meant for novelty purposes only, so I am not
liable for any misuse of the bench you make. I hope building this bench
brings you lots of joy and you use it safely and responsibly.
The following is a list of all the materials I used to make my
bench. I've included links where I can. In 2024, in Middle
Tennessee, I was able to get all of these materials from
Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Amazon.com for a
cost around $200.
- 5 Dimensional Lumber boards 2in x 4in x 8ft (Actual size is 1.5in x
3.5in x 8ft)
- 1 Dimensional Lumber board 2in x 6in x 8ft. (Actual size is 1.5in x
5.5in x8ft)
- 1 Sheet of Birch Plywood 3/4in x 24in x48 in (Any Cabinet grade
plywood works)
- 1 Sheet of Plywood or mdf 1/2in x 24in x 48in
-4 Carriage bolts 1/2in x 4in
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OHUSFUQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
-6 Carriage bolts 1/2in x 5in
https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Find-Fastener-014973231859-Carriage/dp/B00OHUSJ66?ref_=v_sp_product_dpx
-10 Wingnut 1/2in (Make sure thread count is the same as carriage
bolts) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DCOR4A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
-10 1/2" Carriage bolt washers
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BDB6FE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-1 Upholstery Foam 2in x 24in x 72in
https://www.amazon.com/GoTo-Foam-Semi-Firm-Upholstery-Cushion/dp/B07S4FDHXJ?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1
-1 Marine Vinyl 54in x 36in
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N5KTVV9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-6 D-ring Tie Down Anchors 3/8in Heavy duty
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P8B4KR4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
-12 Black Lag Screws 1in
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098777PK3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
- Construction Screws 1-1/4", 2-1/2", and 3"
1. Using a standard 2x4 5"
construction stud (actual
size: 3.5"x1.5"). Cut two
3-1/2"
5" lengths and two 22"
lengths.
22"
3-1/2"
2. Now join the four
boards together with 3
inch construction screws
with 5" boards on the
inside. I used clamps to
hold the pieces together
while I joined them in
order to insure a good
alignment.
8"
3. From 3/4" birch or
maple plywood, cut a
board 8" wide and 28"
long. I used a table saw
and miter saw to do this.
28"
4. Using 1 1/4" construction
screws to attach the
plywood from step 3 to the
top of the 2x4 frame from
steps 1 and 2, leaving a 3"
overlap on each end and
flush with the sides.
3"
3"
5. Using one of the 2x4s, 29"
cut a 15° cut into one end. 15°
Then measure 29" from
one corner and cut a
parallel 15° cut. Do this 4 29"
times to get 4 boards that
will make up the first layer 15
°
of your legs.
15° 15°
6. Take one of the 2x6
boards, cut a 15° angle 3/4"
into one end. Measure
over 3 11/16" over and
cut an intersecting 15°
angle. This will create 3-11/16"
a wedge with the
narrow end being 3/4"
thick. Do this twice to
create two wedges.
Now you should have
two A-frame looking
legs when you lay all
your parts out flat. This
will be the first layer of
the legs.
7. Take your 2x6 board
(1.5"x5.5" actual size) and 8-1/8"
cut a 15° angle into one
15° 15°
end. Measure 10-15/16"
away from the longest
corner and cut an
intersecting 15° angle.
This will give you a wedge 10-15/16"
that is 10-15/16" on one
side and 8-1/8" on the
other side. Repeat this
step so that you have two
of these parts.
8. Cut a 15° angle into one
16"
end of a 2x4. Measure 16" 16"
away from one corner and cut
a parallel 15° angle. Set that
board aside and measure 3-
11/16" away from the corner
of the remnant and cut
another parallel 15° cut. 3-11
3-11
/16"
Repeat this 3 more times until
/16"
you have 4 of each part.
These parts will make up
the second layer of the
legs.
9.Now it's time to attach the
first layer of the legs to the
second layer of the legs. Use
2-1/2" construction screws to
connect the layers together. It
only needs two screws for each
board.
The small wedge on the first
layer, I screwed in from the
back, but I recommend drilling
a pilot hole for the top screw to
avoid splitting the wood there.
On the top screw on the outside
faces of the legs, I made sure
to scribe a line down the center
of those two boards and put
that screw 3" down that line on
each board. This is to avoid that
screw interfering with carriage
bolt placement later on.
3"
3"
After completing step 9 you should have two A-
frame legs that look like these images.
10. Take the top you made in
the first 4 steps and clamp it in
between the two legs you just
made. It should sit close to
flush on all sides.
11. From the mid point of the
2x6 wedge (which should be
4") draw a line strait down
and mark an intersecting line
at 1 3/4" from the top of the
2x6. Do this on both sides.
12. Using a 1/2" drill bit, drill 4"
straight through to the inside
1-3/4"
of your top. It's important to
drill as straight as possible.
Do this on both sides.
13. Now run one of your 5"
carriage bolts through each
one of the holes and use a
washer and wing nut on the
inside of the top to tighten it
down. Tap the bolt with a
hammer until it is all the way
in and then tighten the
wingnut again.
This is what your project should look like so far.
Before the next part can be put on, you will need to
remove the wingnuts and carriage bolts and remove
the top again.
14. The next part it the
cross support at the bottom. 25"
Start by cutting a 25" board
with square ends.
