Potting Bench Plans - U-Bild

Being one of the first websites around to offer woodworking plans on the Web , U-Bild is a well-known and respected brand among woodworkers. That said, their plans strike me as being a little outdated (or perhaps inappropriate) for today's DIY project builders. You'll see a lot builder's terminology spread throughout the plans - lilke "Bill of Material" (a materials list) and "Cutting Schedule" (a cutting diagram). However, if all you want are simple, blueprint-style drawings, U-Bild may be all you need.

As far as the overall design goes, of all the potting bench plans on the Web, this one from U-Bild may be my favorite. It falls somewhere between the overly complex plan to the overly simple - which is a perfect place to be. You won't get any hand holding through this project, though. Like I mentioned earlier about U-Bild, this potting bench plan is primarily a set of blueprint-style drawings. One thng they do include (that's missing from most other plan providers) is a little help in laying out drill-hole positions for the boards you'll be joining together.

Another nice feature - U-Bild usually alots one full page for a line drawing of the finished project. With the rest of the potting bench plan being as sparse as it is, the full-page drawing is pretty much a necessity.

Ninety percent of the project consists of simple but joint construction using woodscrews and glue. The only exception being the lower part of the legs - where you'll need to cut out notches for the supporting side rails.

U-Bild prefers you use redwood for this potting bench project, although it's easy enough to substitute cedar or treated pine. Keep in mind that not all wood species will match up to the dimensional lumber specs used in this plan. That means using redwood will probably mean cutting a lot of pieces down to size before you can start building. If you go with treated pine, the off-shelf dimensions should match up fairly well with the plan here.