How to Build a Cedar Compost Bench | This Old House

This Old House contributor Christopher Beidel, owner of Pernt, a handmade-furniture company in Brooklyn, shows you how to make this piece—as practical as it is pretty. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)

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We love a good garden bench. A better garden bench is one that doubles as a compost bin. Inspired by benches at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in Brooklyn, New York, this one is open-bottomed so that the compost has ground contact. It's made of rot-resistant cedar boards spaced wide to promote good air circulation. The seat opens for easy turning of the compost, and the back and arms make it a perfect perch for a break from gardening. Follow along as This Old House contributor Christopher Beidel, owner of Pernt [perntstudio.com/], a handmade-furniture company in Brooklyn, shows you how to make this piece—as practical as it is pretty.

Shopping List for How to Build a Cedar Compost Bench:
- 1x4 clear cedar Get eleven 8-footers for the seat and supports.
- 2x4 clear cedar Get five 8-footers for the corner posts.
- 1x6 clear cedar Get eleven 8-footers for the slats.
- 1x1 clear cedar Get one 8-footer for the seat lip.
- 1_- and 2_-inch deck screws
- 48-inch continuous brass hinge

Tools for How to Build a Cedar Compost Bench:
- miter saw
- clamp
- circular saw
- bar clamp
- drill/driver
- combination countersink bit
- 1/16-inch drill bit

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How to Build a Cedar Compost Bench | This Old House
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