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Wed, Oct 3, 07 at 23:34
| Hi,
I am building a window seat bench, dimensions 60"w x 18"d x 1.5"thick, using poplar (will be painted). I want the space underneath the bench to be open, so there won't be any legs to support the bench. Instead, I want to use 3 "shelf" cleats, one on each of the three walls of the niche. My questions are: 1. What size cleat should I use? 1x2? 2x2? 2. Do you think the cleats are sufficient to hold up the bench and any persons sitting on it? 3. Any suggestions on how to attach the cleats to the walls? Two of the walls are sheetrocked with regular framing behind them, studs spaced 16". But one of the "walls" of the niche is actually a built-in cabinet. The cabinet "wall" is approx. 1" thick. 4. Any suggestions on how to attach the bench to the cleats besides just placing it on top of the cleats? Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Either of your cleat sizes will work so long as the bench is fitted well enough to the niche that the bench actually sits on the cleat. Obviously, a thicker cleat is more forgiving if you're sloppy when fitting the bench to the walls. I'd screw the cleats tightly to the studs and cabinet sides, probably with #10 or larger screws. It will take very little to fasten the bench to the cleats, since all you need to do is keep it from slipping sideways. Almost anything will work for that. |
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| Thanks Jon for your reply! That answers all of my questions - I'm ready to go forward with the project! |
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| It occurred to me after I wrote this that while such cleats should be able to support a great deal of weight, I wouldn't feel great about them if impact were going to be an issue, such as it would be if you had a gyrating, ipod-driven teenager who was prone to jump on things. Good luck with the project. |
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