Outdoor Woodworking Designs

This collection contains woodworking designs for the outdoors. Included in these outdoor woodworking plans you'll find projects for your yard or garden. As with several of the projects on this site, many of the designs were originally developed to be given as gifts.

One thing to pay particularly close attention to when building outdoor woodworking projects is the wood species. If your project doesn't need to last very long, there is no need to pay premium prices for moisture and insect resistant woods like Cedar and Redwood.

However, less expensive woods like Fir and Pine need to be well protected with paint or outdoor wood sealer. Otherwise, they will become moldy and rotten after only a couple of seasons out in the elements.

I have chosen to use Cedar in most of my projects. Personally, I like the look of natural wood and don't care much for the chemicals in outdoor wood sealers. Also, where I live Cedar is readily available and less expensive than Redwood.

I just let the wood weather naturally. It would last a bit longer if I coated it with wood sealer, but I'm happy with the look and the project lifespan without the use of the chemicals.

Pressure treated lumber is also available that resists rot and insects. However, it's probably not suitable for many of the woodworking designs here. The biggest problem with using pressure treated lumber is that you can't cut or sand the wood without creating chemical-laden sawdust.

Also, most pressure treating only reaches a short distance below the surface of the wood. Anywhere the wood is cut, you need to apply end-cut treatment to the cut surface in order to maintain the rot-resistant properties.

For my money, I simply prefer a wood species that naturally works well outdoors with no further treatment. Barring that, any wood species will work fine outside as long as you keep it well painted or well sealed. This is usually necessary about every other year.

Whatever wood you choose, I hope you enjoy building the projects from these free outdoor woodworking plans.

Want to make some birds in your neighborhood happy? Take a gander at these bird feeder plans and you'll be well on your way. By following the link or clicking on the picture, you'll find more details and drawing files in PDF format that you can view or download.

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Children's Workbench Plans

One evening a friend of my daughter's was talking about some workbench plans he had percolating in his head. He asked if I could get him a few pieces of scrap wood from work. However, as we discussed his ideas for how to build a workbench, I realized that this would be a great project to develop for Totally Free Woodworking Plans.

His idea was to build a workbench that actually doubled as a giant toolbox. The storage tray beneath the top, the hinged door, and the a-frame style legs were his idea. I refined the dimensions a bit and added the peg holes for hanging tools. What you see here are children's workbench plans that came straight from the mind of a kid!

The funny part about this being a children's workbench is that it would really work great as an adult's workbench too. The 32" height is too short for my comfort, but increasing the height would be a pretty simple matter. I'm 6 feet tall but someone shorter may find it comfortable to work at a 32" high workbench. So don't be scared away from building it just because it was designed with kids in mind.

Material Since the whole discussion of these workbench plans began as a request for scrap wood, my first inclination was to build it out of 3/4" melamine. By now you probably know how much I love the stuff, but the real motivation was the fact that we have tons of scrap 3/4" melamine at work. The problem with using melamine started to become apparent when I discovered that my son and the inventor's little brother also wanted to build the same workbench.

As I imagined three rough eight to ten-year-old boys pounding on their new workbenches, I realized that particle board simply wouldn't hold up. A couple of good smacks with a hammer and the corners of the workbench would be a mess. So 3/4" plywood was my choice due it's durability. Any shop grade of plywood will work fine, or even AC plywood sheathing. I happened to find four leftover sheets of plywood that had been faced with plastic laminate, so the boys' workbenches turned out pretty fancy when all was said and done.

Hardware There are a couple of simple pieces of hardware you will need to complete the workbench. The workbench plans show a piano (or continous) hinge for the door. This is my preference for durability, but a piano hinge is about three times the price of a pair of simple butt hinges. At the last minute (meaning the checkout line at the hardware store), I changed to butt hinges and they worked great. We used only two per door, but three would hold up better.

The other thing you'll need is some sort of catch at the top of the door. We used a heavy duty magnetic touch-latch that only cost a couple of dollars. Another alternative would be to use a magnetic or roller catch with some sort of handle to pull the door open.

Cutting The Parts The only really complex pieces to cut are the legs. Once you lay out the lines for the angles, they can be cut with a circular saw, a jigsaw, or a table saw with an angle jig. I sort of cheated and cut all the parts on a CNC router at work. Which brings up a good point about all the holes that need to be drilled (I think there are about seven thousand of them).

The 1/4" holes aren't completely necessary. I had a bunch of 1/4" dowel laying around and thought it would be cool to make a sort of peg board to hang tools on the outside of the workbench. The workbench plans show the peg holes on the outside of the bench, but a couple of the boys turned the back around so they could hang their tools on the inside of the tool storage tray.

I used a CNC machine to drill all the holes, but I'm not too sure I would have drilled them all if I had to do it by hand. So drill as many as you think you'll need, or don't drill any at all. They really are just an option.

The 3/16" thru holes aren't really optional. Those are there for assembly with 1-5/8" wood screws. If you lay them out according to the drawings you'll have a much easier time lining things up. So I encourage you to drill them, even if you opt not to drill the peg holes.

Assembly Start by attaching the front and the back to the bottom using glue and 1-5/8" wood screws. Next, using the section view in the workbench plans as a guide, mark the locations of the back, bottom, and front on the inside of both legs. Attach the legs to the back/front/bottom assembly using glue and screws.

Hinging the door is easiest if done while the top is off. Attach the hinges to the door first, then fasten the hinged door to the front. For mounting hinges I suggest that you use a Vix Bit. For those who aren't familiar with Vix Bits, they are self-centering drill bits. The ingenious little tool makes drilling perfectly centered holes an absolute breeze.

Mounting the top is pretty straightforward. Just make sure it overhangs the legs evenly all around. Depending on what method you use for holding the door shut, you may want to attach the catch to the underside of the top before attaching the top to the legs. That's what we did and it eliminated the need to crawl inside the tool compartment upside down to install catch hardware.

Drawing File With a bit of help from us dads, the boys did almost all of the assembly themselves. So whether you build one of these workbenches for your kids, with your kids, or even for yourself, be sure to check out the plans. Just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.

View or Download "Workbench Plans"

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Table Saw Safety

I cannot overemphasize the need for strictly following all table saw safety rules when working in the shop. Most of the projects on this site require cutting parts on a table saw. Developing safe table saw operating habits will ensure that you can finish and enjoy your projects free from injury.

Of paramount importance when working with any power tool is to wear eye and hearing protection. Also, be sure to read all of the manuals and safety instructions that come with your tools.

Beyond that, this short video on table saw use and safety is a great primer for novice woodworkers. It's also an excellent reminder for seasoned woodworkers who may need to brush up on their shop safety awareness.

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Cabinet Plans - 2 Door Wall

These cabinet plans simply add doors to the open wall cabinet. The beauty of building cabinets using the 32mm system is that the box (or cabinet carcass) is the same whether the cabinet is open, has drawers, doors, or any combination thereof. And just like the open wall cabinet, the size can be adjusted to fit your room perfectly.
Doors As usual, I don't stray from my general affinity to melamine. In this free kitchen cabinet plan, the box and doors are listed as white melamine with PVC edge banding. This is a durable combination, but doesn't contribute much character to your finished cabinets.

Here's where your basic cabinet can take on it's own personality and really show off your creativity. There are nearly an infinite number of ways to customize your cabinet doors.

They can utilize simple plywood slabs, raised or recessed panels, carved solid wood, super durable thermofoil, inlaid veneers, varied grain directions, and paints or different colored stains. Cabinet doors styles are only limited by your imagination, so experiment and make them truly your own creation.

There are a few things to watch out for if you choose something other than a slab door with 0.5mm thick edge banding for your cabinet plans. First, the cutlist shows dimensions for the door before edge banding is applied. If you aren't using 0.5mm thick edge banding, then you need to use the dimensions from the door layout elevation.

Basically, allow a 3/8" (10mm) gap (called a reveal) at the top, 1/16" (1.5mm) reveal at the outside edges of the cabinet box, and 1/8" (3mm) reveal between the two doors. The doors fit flush to the bottom of the cabinet. This will keep the door at the correct size for proper hinge clearance.

Next, try to stick with a door that is pretty close to 3/4" (19mm) thick. Most concealed euro-style hinges are designed to fit a 3/4" thick door panel. If you go much thinner or thicker than that, you may have trouble with the hinges fitting and problems with the door opening and closing properly.

Finally, when using five-piece (raised or recessed panel) doors, the stiles (vertical pieces of solid wood) need to be wide enough for the hinge to fit. It's okay to make the stiles narrow, but then you will need to use a smaller hinge like the Blum Mini Hinge.
Hinges I can't say enough good things about using three-way adjustable, concealed, euro-style hinges. They make door hanging and adjustment very easy. Because of their opening geometry, they also allow two cabinets to butt directly together without the doors binding. The gap between the hinge edge of two doors on adjacent cabinets really does only need to be 1/8" (3mm).

When buying hinges, be sure to get both the hinge and the mounting plate, since they are often sold separately. If you're using full system holes, then an Expando dowel mounting plate is a great way to go.

The Expando dowels are very strong, fit into 5mm system holes, and don't damage the system holes like euro screws do...just in case you make a mistake. If you aren't using full system holes, then a screw-on mounting plate is your best bet.

For the hinge itself, the cabinet plans show a pair of 5/16" (8mm) holes in addition to the 1 3/8" (35mm) hinge cup hole. This design is for a press-in hinge arm. The press-in style uses a dowel that is similar to the Expando dowel, but is actually designed to be pressed in by machine.

It can also be easily tapped in with a hammer and small block of wood. The hinge can then be removed and reinstalled several times without damaging the door. This is a nice feature if you want to fit the hinges first, then remove them to finish the door with paint or lacquer.

Another good way to mount the hinge is to use a screw-on hinge arm. In this case, omit the extra 5/16" (8mm) holes on the door and just drill pilot holes for #6 wood screws. I actually prefer the press-in style for the ability to remove and reattach the hinge several times.

Repeatedly removing and reinstalling wood screws tends to weaken the wood fibers in the door. If you only plan to do it once or twice (say for finishing), then it's okay. Otherwise you might be better off sticking with the press-in hinges.

Buying Hardware Online Some of the links on this site take you to product pages on Amazon.com, so just a quick note about buying cabinet hardware from Amazon. There are two or three major internet cabinet hardware suppliers that sell their products on Amazon. They all have similar offerings, good reputations, reasonable prices, and decent shipping rates.

If you want to save a bit of money, try to find one supplier that has everything you're shopping for, and place your entire order with them.

The listed shipping rates are often not just for a single piece of hardware. It might cover everything in an entire order, up to a certain dollar amount. So you may be able to get a great deal on shipping by combining your whole order under one supplier.

Drawing File For a more in-depth discussion of euro-style hinges, take a look at the notes on the 2 door base cabinet plans. Otherwise, just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.

View or Download "2 Door Wall Cabinet 30W x 12D x 30.5T"

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Woodworking Projects For Kids

This category contains some great woodworking projects for kids. Some of the projects are excellent for kids themselves to build. Others are more complex and you'll just want to build them for the kids in your life. Or build them for the kid in you!

Kids love to be in the shop around tools and woodworking. Helping to build their own toys, or gifts for others, can bring them unmatched pride and satisfaction.

I encourage you to include them in your woodworking projects whenever you can. But please keep safety as THE most important factor whenever using tools around children, especially with power tools.

Here is an easy plan for a set of wooden toy blocks, inspired by a set my grandfather built. Simply follow the link or click on the picture. You'll find more details and drawing files in PDF format that you can view or download.

Fun little set of workbench plans that my daughter's friend dreamed up. The bench is sized for a child, but with a little modification would work great for an adult as well. Take a look, especially if you're looking for a project that you can build with your kids.

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Cabinet Plans - 2 Door Wall

These cabinet plans simply add doors to the open wall cabinet. The beauty of building cabinets using the 32mm system is that the box (or cabinet carcass) is the same whether the cabinet is open, has drawers, doors, or any combination thereof. And just like the open wall cabinet, the size can be adjusted to fit your room perfectly.
Doors As usual, I don't stray from my general affinity to melamine. In this free kitchen cabinet plan, the box and doors are listed as white melamine with PVC edge banding. This is a durable combination, but doesn't contribute much character to your finished cabinets.

Here's where your basic cabinet can take on it's own personality and really show off your creativity. There are nearly an infinite number of ways to customize your cabinet doors.

They can utilize simple plywood slabs, raised or recessed panels, carved solid wood, super durable thermofoil, inlaid veneers, varied grain directions, and paints or different colored stains. Cabinet doors styles are only limited by your imagination, so experiment and make them truly your own creation.

There are a few things to watch out for if you choose something other than a slab door with 0.5mm thick edge banding for your cabinet plans. First, the cutlist shows dimensions for the door before edge banding is applied. If you aren't using 0.5mm thick edge banding, then you need to use the dimensions from the door layout elevation.

Basically, allow a 3/8" (10mm) gap (called a reveal) at the top, 1/16" (1.5mm) reveal at the outside edges of the cabinet box, and 1/8" (3mm) reveal between the two doors. The doors fit flush to the bottom of the cabinet. This will keep the door at the correct size for proper hinge clearance.

Next, try to stick with a door that is pretty close to 3/4" (19mm) thick. Most concealed euro-style hinges are designed to fit a 3/4" thick door panel. If you go much thinner or thicker than that, you may have trouble with the hinges fitting and problems with the door opening and closing properly.

Finally, when using five-piece (raised or recessed panel) doors, the stiles (vertical pieces of solid wood) need to be wide enough for the hinge to fit. It's okay to make the stiles narrow, but then you will need to use a smaller hinge like the Blum Mini Hinge.
Hinges I can't say enough good things about using three-way adjustable, concealed, euro-style hinges. They make door hanging and adjustment very easy. Because of their opening geometry, they also allow two cabinets to butt directly together without the doors binding. The gap between the hinge edge of two doors on adjacent cabinets really does only need to be 1/8" (3mm).

When buying hinges, be sure to get both the hinge and the mounting plate, since they are often sold separately. If you're using full system holes, then an Expando dowel mounting plate is a great way to go.

The Expando dowels are very strong, fit into 5mm system holes, and don't damage the system holes like euro screws do...just in case you make a mistake. If you aren't using full system holes, then a screw-on mounting plate is your best bet.

For the hinge itself, the cabinet plans show a pair of 5/16" (8mm) holes in addition to the 1 3/8" (35mm) hinge cup hole. This design is for a press-in hinge arm. The press-in style uses a dowel that is similar to the Expando dowel, but is actually designed to be pressed in by machine.

It can also be easily tapped in with a hammer and small block of wood. The hinge can then be removed and reinstalled several times without damaging the door. This is a nice feature if you want to fit the hinges first, then remove them to finish the door with paint or lacquer.

Another good way to mount the hinge is to use a screw-on hinge arm. In this case, omit the extra 5/16" (8mm) holes on the door and just drill pilot holes for #6 wood screws. I actually prefer the press-in style for the ability to remove and reattach the hinge several times.

Repeatedly removing and reinstalling wood screws tends to weaken the wood fibers in the door. If you only plan to do it once or twice (say for finishing), then it's okay. Otherwise you might be better off sticking with the press-in hinges.

Buying Hardware Online Some of the links on this site take you to product pages on Amazon.com, so just a quick note about buying cabinet hardware from Amazon. There are two or three major internet cabinet hardware suppliers that sell their products on Amazon. They all have similar offerings, good reputations, reasonable prices, and decent shipping rates.

If you want to save a bit of money, try to find one supplier that has everything you're shopping for, and place your entire order with them.

The listed shipping rates are often not just for a single piece of hardware. It might cover everything in an entire order, up to a certain dollar amount. So you may be able to get a great deal on shipping by combining your whole order under one supplier.

Drawing File For a more in-depth discussion of euro-style hinges, take a look at the notes on the 2 door base cabinet plans. Otherwise, just click on the link below. If you'd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, you'll need the Adobe reader to view the file.

View or Download "2 Door Wall Cabinet 30W x 12D x 30.5T"

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Using A Wood Router

Using a wood router to shape an edge, plow a dado, or perform some other cutting task is an important requirement of many woodworking projects that you'll come across. Even a project as simple as the toy blocks can be greatly enhanced by employing a wood router to soften the edges with a roundover bit.

If you're completely new to woodworking, or even just new to wood routers, this series of videos should prove to be very useful to you. Woodworking routers are dangerous tools, and operating them with good results can be a mysterious endeavor.

Although there are numerous online videos that demonstrate great tips on using wood routers, most of them are targeted more towards people who already have a basic knowledge of router operation.

This series of videos takes a slightly different approach. The videos teach the very basics of operating a router, including a strong emphasis on safety. They're produced by an industrial arts instructor so it's just like being in shop class!

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