The area next to the front door can be chaotic, especially with young kids. Here is Bekah’s solution.
I started by gluing up 8 foot sections of white fir. The boards were too long for my 4 inch jointer, so I hand planed the edges with my Bailey #7.
Three 2x8s were joined with 3/8 inch dowels and clamped. The 8 foot length was later cut in half for the bottom and top of the bench.
It’s tough to find perfectly flat 2×8 construction lumber. So after the glue dried overnight, a bit of flatening was required. The glue-up was too wide for my planer, so my Bailey #5 did the trick. I used an 18 inch steel rule on edge to gauge flatness. The final thickness was 1-1/8 inches.
Dados were cut into the sides and horizontal sections to hold dividers. The tenons were adjusted with a rabbet plane for a good fit. Here the pieces are being dry-fit before glue-up. Shoulder tenons were used on the horizontal pieces to hide any joinery errors.
Here is the actual glue-up of the sides. Notice the clamping cauls and the pipe clamp extensions . Diagonal measurements were made to ensure squareness. Because of the number of joints, the glue-up was done in two stages.
Here is the second glue-up where the top is attached. The dados in the top were cut the full length. You can see the small pieces glued into the front portion of the data where the top overhangs the base. The screw clamps are holding a 2-1/2 board that closes off the empty area under the bottom section of cubbies. This is so mom doesn’t have to search for errant articles underneath the bench.
The upper section of the piece was made much the same as the bench below. It’s purpose is to provide hooks for coats and backpacks, as well as baskets for hats and gloves.
The back pieces were tongue and grooved to allow for across the grain wood movement. They also provide the structure for the hooks, and for hanging the piece on the wall. The tongue and groove boards reside in a rabbet cut into the sides.
Levi hanging out on the bench. Dimensions are 17 inches tall, 48 wide and 16 deep.