My First Woodworking Project: a Pine Shoe Bench

2019-03-13

My first project: a large-ish pine shoe bench (photos). 518 points on r/woodworking — still my best-received build post.

The thing I learned and posted in the comments, because someone asked why grain direction matters:

The interior shelves are supported by little wood rails screwed into the sides. I tried cutting a few from scrap that was only long enough if cut perpendicular to the grain. That is absolutely, 100% not an option. My 3/4”x3/4”x1’ rails had about an inch of flex in them. I pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes but as soon as I started putting a screw in, it split completely in two. And stain gets absorbed way more on end grain, so it ends up looking much darker than everything else.

I knew it would be weaker and look different, but I didn’t know it would be hopelessly weak and hideously different.

Related: the shelf build from the same era, and a carpenter in the comments warning me about bruised knees on the corners — fair.