I am in the process of making an oak bench shown at the link below. How would you attach the 3/4" oak plywood floor? The top of the floor needs to be flush with the top of the front bottom rail. There is also a center divider that is giving me grief (floor in two sections?). I was originally thinking of using biscuits with slats for support underneath.
ply can be notched around the divider. Keeping the ply in one piece will help the overall strength.
two floors.
If that portion is for meant for strength, I'd skip it. The whole center part and lower rails. If needed (doubtful) I'd use one central stringer end end.
If that portion is for other than strength, cleats would be the simplest. And yes, do the "floor" in two pieces. Either that or dump the center section. Anyway you do it will be a PITA because of the precision needed in sizing the plywood.
Version #4. ;~)
If you notice the top rail on the sides, you will see that they are almost flush with the inner sides of the legs. Make the bottom rails wide also but have them flush with the inner side of the legs and rabbit all lower side and front rails. Cut a notch in the corners of the bottom to fit around the legs.
My version...
Make the bottom rails thick and rabbet them to support a single-piece bottom panel "floor". I would align the rabbets such that the floor just fits inside the legs so that you don't have to notch the bottom panel for the legs at the corners.
The vertical divider could be dadoed into the top and bottom, or you could simply use glued butt joints--the stress on the divider is essentially vertical. If you're going to use a cushion as in the original you could reinforce with screws and plug the screw holes.
Chris
Thanks to all that responded! I think I'm probably gonna go with cleats. My original idea of biscuits in retrospect, seems unneccessarily difficult.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required