DIY Stacked Plywood Bench (Vintage Revivals)

Hey guys!! I have had this weird phenomenon happen. Working on the Nugget day and night has made me really appreciate normal home DIY. Like a lot. It seems like the more we use our creativity, the more we have, right? A few weeks ago I shared my die heard obsession over Ben at HomeMade Modern. Apparently I am not the only one that loves him, because Cara, and my Mother in Law both requested furniture using his stacked plywood technique.

Then I saw these adorable modified hairpin legs that the always amazing Emily used and just decided to facilitate a love child between them.

The one thing that was a bit daunting for me was the inevitable use of a table saw for cutting the ply. To me, it is the scariest of all saws, and the one that I am least comfortable with. Then out of the blue I got an email from the folks at GRR-RIPPER. I did some research and the GRR-RIPPER 3D Pushblock looked sort of too good to be true. But I was game for a try.

You.guys.

One pass with the GRR-RIPPER and Court and I looked at each other like “did that really just happen?!” it was AMAZING. Like you know on infomercials how they do something and it is SO simple, and then they smile and have a little sparkle gleam on their teeth?

THAT.

The first project we used it on was for the Nugget (coming down the pipeline soon), but I knew I had to put the GRR-RIPPER to use on a project that I could talk about right this second and share it with the planet!

To make the bench we used 2 pieces of Plywood. While you are at the hardware store, have them rip (2) 4’x8’x3/4” sheets into (6) 2×4’ sheets and (1) 2×8’ sheet.

The smaller 2×4 sheets are going to be cut every 3 inches. (This is going to determine the height of your bench/table top so adjust accordingly.) 3” for me gave it a really hefty industrial butcher block vibe.

We started out by ripping 2×4’ sheets of 3/4” ply using the Smart Hook Pushblock GRR-RIPPER. The underside is rubber and holds on to the wood, and on either end are little gravity hooks that help push the piece along. (they dont actually hook into the piece, they lay flat against the wood if they are on top of it, the magic is when they are hanging off the wood. Major leverage.

As amazing as the Smart Hook Pushblock is, the real magic is in the GRR-RIPPER 3D Pushblock. You guys, this thing can guide a cut down to an 1/8th of an inch. Lets just let that marinate for a sec.

You can practically make toothpicks on a table saw.

The way that it works is truly genius.

You move the sliding bridge so that it is between your saw guide and the saw blade, then you just push your wood through…OVER the saw blade. The saw blade goes between the edge and the bridge and you have so much control. Table saws are sort of notorious for lifting up your material as it is being fed in. That doesn’t happen when you are pushing on the material as the saw is cutting it.

The most important part is that it is safe. Your hands are nowhere near the saw blade.

Cut all 6 of your 2×4’ boards. This will give you enough material for a 4 1/2 foot bench/table.

Wood glue is a must for this project. A thin line between each board goes a long way when it comes to sturdiness.

Stack 3 boards high (with glue in between!) and then on the last one add glue to the top.

Place this glue side down, on the boards that you just installed.

Then using 3” wood screws, attach your boards to the stack.

We did this against a block wall to make sure that it was nice and straight-ish. If its not perfect, its ok, this project rocks the laid back DIY vibe.

Attach the 2 end pieces with a nail gun. (You will just need 1 board for each end, not 3.)

Cut your 2×8’ board so that it fits on the underside of your table.

Real life DIY alert! The original plan was not to have this support board. But after we installed the legs our bench was looking a little droopy in the mid section (sort of like me!) so it was a bit of a super hero. Now that it’s on, I really love the way it adds just a little more detail.

I used inexpensive plywood and it was really splintery and needed a good sanding. I recommend 150 grit for a project like this. It will smooth everything down really well without taking the character out of the wood, if that makes sense.