# Piano Bench



## Geoguy

I had a fun little project over the weekend. My boss' wife asked if I could make a piano bench. ???? I didn't have a clue. I did a little research to find out what one should look like and to get standard dimensions. Her piano is built out of pecan so I bought some pecan last week and started gluing boards together Saturday morning. It was fairly simple and turned out OK. The boss' wife is an interior design expert so I'm giving her the option of staining/finishing it herself. It's currently unfinished in the photos, below.


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## sanchez

That's a good weekend! Looks great!


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## mdntrdr

Very nice! :thumbsup:

Piano to follow? :smile:


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## ACP

Looks good. I like the grain pattern on the top.


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## jharris

Nice work Geo,

It would have taken me a hell of alot longer than two days! 

Jeff


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## Firewalker

Very well done. That was a pretty fast turnaround I must say. Thanks for sharing.


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## Kenbo

Man, that looks great. Very elegant looking. I like the detail on the sides of the bench and the taper of the legs looks perfect. Great job as always. :thumbsup: Kinda make me wanna play piano. :laughing: (or at least sit at one)
Ken


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## kjhart0133

Very nice looking bench. I'm sure she'll love it.

Those corner brackets look interesting. Did you mortise and tenon the legs and panels? Or do those brackets hold it all together? Can you post a link to those brackets?

Thanks,

Kevin H.


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## <*(((><

I'm guessing those saw kerfs I see on the interior of the piano skirt are relief cuts...correct? If so what type of pattern and how many do you usually follow on a piece? Is there are hard fast calculation of the number of relief cuts and how far apart, that correlates with how wide the piece is? 

The bench looks great and that is pretty fast for such a beautiful piece, and love the grain on the top!


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## Geoguy

kjhart0133 said:


> Those corner brackets look interesting. Did you mortise and tenon the legs and panels? Or do those brackets hold it all together? Can you post a link to those brackets?


Thanks, the corner brackets are standard brackets for table legs - got 'em at Woodcraft (http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2001069/10357/Corner-Brace-Table-Leg--1.aspx). And yes, the stretchers are also mortised and tennoned into the legs. It's sturdy! Won't have to worry about this one getting wobbly after a few years.

"I'm guessing those saw kerfs I see on the interior of the piano skirt are relief cuts...correct? If so what type of pattern and how many do you usually follow on a piece? Is there are hard fast calculation of the number of relief cuts and how far apart, that correlates with how wide the piece is?"

Actually the saw kerfs are there to anchor the curved ends of the corner brackets. The extra saw kerfs are mistakes. I just cut'em all the same and left 'em in there thinking many people would think they're there for a reason and won't know the difference - almost worked.

Thanks, it was rather fast, especially for me. It was my lucky weekend. While routing the roundover on the seat, I splintered off a huge chunk on a corner. I took it slow and used several passes but still splintered a corner. Later, I dug around in the sawdust and found the largest splinter, which fit perfectly. I glued it in place, sanded it down and you can't even tell there was a problem - my lucky day.


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## robert421960

really nice looking job
i love the talent i see in this forum


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## joesdad

Very nice bench. Proof that sometimes an understated design is the most attractive.


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## supershingler

bench look great.

as for the saw kerfs, take a little walnut and fill the kerfs and call them accent strips.
and if anyone asks why you did them you can tell them "to start a conversation" lol


Kendall


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## Inspiredbyink

Awesome bench! Do you know where I could find plans for a bench like this? My son wants to make one for his 4H woodworking project. Thanks so much for any information. 

Bobbie


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## RickB

Inspiredbyink said:


> Awesome bench! Do you know where I could find plans for a bench like this? My son wants to make one for his 4H woodworking project. Thanks so much for any information.
> 
> Bobbie


Hello, did you ever get a response to your request? I'm also looking for plans.


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## Tool Agnostic

I have seen the last two posts linger, unanswered. I do not know if if piano bench plans exist.

To be honest, I see that piano bench, and I would make a few sketches to write down dimensions and measurements, and then just build it. I understand that some woodworkers always use plans, and that is a fine way to work. It is not my style, but I get it that some woodworkers work only from detailed plans.

To me, that piano bench is a typical tapered leg table with mortice and tenon joints and metal corner brackets. Instead of an open bottom underneath the apron, cut grooves (dados) near the bottom of the apron for a shelf, like a plywood drawer bottom. Cut the corners of the plywood bottom to fit around the leg corners. Use morticed hinges so that the top lays flat. The hinges let you open the top to reveal the music storage inside. That's it. Here is a mortice and tenon joint image that I found in a web search:
https://www.woodtalkonline.com/uploads/monthly_04_2011/post-685-0-45852300-1303475099.jpg

Go to a piano store and look at how their wood piano benches are made. They are not complex.

I look at plans often. I learn a lot from them, but I prefer my own basic pencil sketches with my own dimensions. I also look at furniture to see how it is made. Sometimes my spouse is embarrassed when we are in stores and I am looking underneath the furniture to see the construction. Sometimes I feel embarrassed for the store, when I see high price tags and cheap construction. :-o

If you want to learn how furniture is put together, here is a great book with superb illustrations. I recommend it to non-woodworkers, too, because it helps them become better furniture buyers and appreciate quality work:

_Illustrated Cabinetmaking - How to Design and Construct Furniture That Works_
Author: Bill Hylton
ISBN: 978-1-56523-369-0


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## RickB

Tool Agnostic said:


> I have seen the last two posts linger, unanswered. I do not know if if piano bench plans exist.
> 
> To be honest, I see that piano bench, and I would make a few sketches to write down dimensions and measurements, and then just build it. I understand that some woodworkers always use plans, and that is a fine way to work. It is not my style, but I get it that some woodworkers work only from detailed plans.
> 
> To me, that piano bench is a typical tapered leg table with mortice and tenon joints and metal corner brackets. Instead of an open bottom underneath the apron, cut grooves (dados) near the bottom of the apron for a shelf, like a plywood drawer bottom. Cut the corners of the plywood bottom to fit around the leg corners. Use morticed hinges so that the top lays flat. The hinges let you open the top to reveal the music storage inside. That's it. Here is a mortice and tenon joint image that I found in a web search:
> https://www.woodtalkonline.com/uploads/monthly_04_2011/post-685-0-45852300-1303475099.jpg
> 
> Go to a piano store and look at how their wood piano benches are made. They are not complex.
> 
> I look at plans often. I learn a lot from them, but I prefer my own basic pencil sketches with my own dimensions. I also look at furniture to see how it is made. Sometimes my spouse is embarrassed when we are in stores and I am looking underneath the furniture to see the construction. Sometimes I feel embarrassed for the store, when I see high price tags and cheap construction. :-o
> 
> If you want to learn how furniture is put together, here is a great book with superb illustrations. I recommend it to non-woodworkers, too, because it helps them become better furniture buyers and appreciate quality work:
> 
> _Illustrated Cabinetmaking - How to Design and Construct Furniture That Works_
> Author: Bill Hylton
> ISBN: 978-1-56523-369-0


Thanks very much for responding. I generally work from pencil sketches too, but I've never done mortise and tenon construction, and have never invested in much of a shop. I thought this would be an opportunity to improve my skills. I will check out the book you recommended. Again, thanks.


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## kiwi_outdoors

that bench , if you wanted or needed one, is a nice sort-of-beginner project. Tapered legs are not as hard as they seem. I made mine in the late 70s using a Sears router and a B&D Workmate. Looking back on it - I wonder "why did I even bother to copy the folding leg card table, and not just buy one?".


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