Rolling Cubby Bench in Maple & Walnut

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/19/2016 - 09:54

I loved these rolling cubby plans, so I used them to build one of my own! I needed a bench that could "nest" itself within some open shelves, but be pulled out to provide additional table seating. 

I built this one from maple and walnut, because I like the bright, white color of maple against the brownish/gray of walnut. I very much dislike shiny or dark woods, so I went for an ultra matte wax finish. I used a liming wax for the maple to keep it bright and white (maple tends to go yellow when finished with a "clear" or "natural" finisher), and a clear wax for the walnut. 

I found some non-marking casters on Amazon, but that was the tricky part. The bench needed to be high enough to create ample storage, yet not too tall that it was uncomfortable to sit on. SO I went with s smaller caster, but needed to use six to support the weight of the bench and three occupants. Final bench dimensions are 19" H x 47" W x 17 " D. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200? The walnut really drove up the price, so I reduced the ratio of walnut to maple.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Liming Wax (on Amazon), Natural Wax. No stain! Stain is bad! Don't use stain!
If wax isn't a strong enough finish for you (ie you have kids), you can always use a regular glossy or "satin" finisher of your choice, then apply wax on top of it to keep the matte look. Most finishers will yellow or darken the maple, though. For the bright, white finish that I wanted, liming wax was the only thing that worked.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate