How to build a church pew can be complicated, especially if you don’t have the right tools. That’s why I’ve created this detailed list of tools and instructions for helping you build a pew. I’ll walk you through selecting your materials including wood and stain, how to cut the pieces, how to assemble them into a seating row, as well as how to preserve your church pew over time.
One of the most complex items you can attempt to construct yourself is a church pew. There are many steps involved and it’s difficult to put together successfully on your own. The good news is, with the right guidance, you can have your church pew looking like new in no time. Let’s take a look at what tools and materials you will need, then we’ll break down how to assemble your pew step by step.
Building a church pew is easy. It’s a well-known fact. However, you should not skip the steps. Each step is helpful and important and needs to be done right so that you don’t get hurt or spend more money than planned.
How To Build A Church Pew
If you want to build a church pew, you’ll need the following tools:
-Hammer
-Nails
-Wood glue
-Wood screws
-Plywood
-Carpenter’s square
-Table saw (optional)
A church pew is a long bench that is used by members of a church. The pews are typically lined up in rows, and each row has enough room for two people to sit comfortably. Church pews were traditionally made of wood, but they can also be made of metal or plastic.
Building a church pew requires the right tools and materials, as well as some knowledge of how to build things. If you are interested in building your own pew, follow these steps:
- Find out how many people will sit on each side of the bench. This will help you draw up your plans and determine how many boards you will need to cut into pieces.
- Cut the boards down into smaller pieces that are long enough to create one side of the bench (the length should be equal to twice the number of people who will sit on that side).
- Attach these pieces together using nails or screws so that they form one long board with an open space in between where people can stand or kneel during services (if necessary).
- Repeat this process for all four sides – two for each person sitting on either side – until all sides have been connected together forming a box-like shape with open spaces where people
Small Church Pew Bench
Introduction
In the days of mega-churches and pews that require tickets, there are some of us who long for the old-school church pew. The kind you found before air conditioning, when fans dangling from the ceiling circulated the heat and sweat of the congregation without any pretense of coolness. The kind you could fall asleep in without fear of someone’s elbow digging into your ribs. The kind that had a Bible permanently attached to it so that folks who forgot their own would still have one to read throughout service. Thankfully, building a church pew is not difficult—but it does require some planning and preparation.
Decide on the pew’s length and width.
The next step is to select the size of your pew. The most common sizes are 36 inches wide, 42 inches wide, and 52 inches wide. If you’re building a traditional church pew with no benches, you’ll need to use these measurements in conjunction with the floor space that you have available for your new pew.
For example, if your church has square footage of 1,000 square feet and you want 450 seats or more (including standing room), then it’s best to go with 42-inch wide planks because this will allow enough seating for all members plus extra space for those who would like to stand during services. However, if there are only 150 seats available at this particular location or if there is a smaller amount of square footage used by other elements in this area such as restrooms or concessions stands; then perhaps 36-inch wide planks would be better suited for your needs since they will take up less room on each side of each row so that people can walk past one another without bumping into something else behind them while still giving everyone enough room when sitting down comfortably together during worship times together every Sunday morning before heading off into work later in afternoon without being too crowded together too tightly against each other while enjoying ourselves listening quietly music playing softly overhead speakers while reading scriptures aloud together silently thoughts silently our own minds
Make a base for the pew by assembling four 2-by-4s into a square.
Now that you’ve cut your lumber to size and assembled the wood for the seat, it’s time to build a base for your pew. This will help support the weight of several people sitting on top of it, so make sure your square is large enough and level. The strength of this piece is important as well: if too weak, it might collapse under prolonged use or after heavy rains or snowfall.
Add four 2-by-4 legs to the base square.
The final step is to add four 2-by-4 legs. The legs should be the same length as the pew, as well as having the same width and height as your pew, so that they’re flush with all sides of it. They will also need to be cut at an angle so that you can rest them on top of a flat surface without falling over (make sure to use a miter box for this!).
If you have any questions about any other aspect of building this project, feel free to reach out in my comments section below!
Fasten 2-by4 supports for the seat brace, back brace, and armrest braces along the insides of each leg.
You’ll need to fasten 2-by4 supports for the seat brace, back brace, and armrest braces along the insides of each leg. The seat brace is a horizontal support that runs under the seat. The back brace is a vertical support that runs along the back of the pew. The armrest braces are horizontal supports that run under your armrests
To attach each member in one of these three positions:
- Cut a piece of 2-by4 lumber to fit inside one side of your leg (this will vary depending on how wide your legs are).
- Place it against one face at least 3/16″ away from where it will be secured with nails or screws; then mark its position across both faces with pencil lines so you don’t get confused later when attaching it with nails or screws; finally cut out this shape using either sawing or drilling techniques (if needed)
Drill holes through each leg.
Once you’ve marked where you want to drill the holes, it’s time to get out your drill and make them. Make sure you use a drill bit that is slightly larger than the screws you will be using, as this ensures that the wood does not split when being screwed in. Drill two holes through each leg: one at the top and another at the bottom of each leg. For each support, brace, or seatback piece (or whatever else will be mounted on them), also drill two holes through each end of those pieces as well; one at the top and another at their base.
Cut a piece of plywood to fit over the entire frame created so far, including the legs and supports.
Cut a piece of plywood to fit over the entire frame created so far, including the legs and supports.
Make sure it is large enough to cover all of the open surfaces.
Use a jigsaw to cut through the wood and make sure that your cuts are straight and square.
Screw the plywood into place on the frame so that it covers all of its open surfaces.
Next, you will need to screw the plywood into place on the frame so that it covers all of its open surfaces. Before you do this, however, make sure that your measurements are correct and that everything is square. Your pew should be level from left to right and front to back before you begin attaching anything else.
Once your measurements are verified, place your first piece of plywood over one side of the frame and attach it with screws so that about 2 inches are still exposed where you can flip them over later without breaking them off inside their holes (you’ll see why in a moment). Once this is done, repeat with another piece directly across from it until both sides have been covered up completely. Then turn around and do the same thing for both ends—again making sure not to break any nails!
Attach thick mitered window trim along all edges of the pew with nails.
The window trim should be at least 1/2″ thick. If you can’t find trim that’s the right size, you can cut your own from a 2×4 and stain it to match the rest of the woodwork.
Trim should be cut to the same length as each section of the pew seat (longer than this).
Since we are using 4’x6′ sheets of plywood for our seats, we will need two pieces cut down to measure 30″ wide by 30″. These will serve as our armrests.
Our back is made up of two pieces measuring 72″ long by 30″. You’ll want to use these measurements if you plan on building multiple rows of pews without an aisle in between them; otherwise, just follow along with what we’ve done so far!
Building a church pew is not difficult, but it does require some planning and preparation.
Building a church pew is not difficult, but it does require some planning and preparation.
It’s important for your pew to be sturdy and durable. In addition to being comfortable, it should also be easy-to-clean, which means no upholstery or fabric seats! You’ll have to consider how much weight the bench will hold and whether you’ll need extra reinforcement for heavier people who might use it. For example, if you have children in your congregation who are small enough to fit on a child-sized pew but large enough that they could weigh over 200 pounds when standing up (perhaps because they’re tall teens), take into account this weight limit when making your plans.
Conclusion
In this article we showed you how to build a church pew. If you’re looking for help with your next project, check out our website and ask us any questions! We’ve got lots of great articles on how to get started with woodworking (and answer some commonly asked questions) that can make all the difference in your next DIY adventure.