Rule of thumb on table bench design
Hi All, Im in the process of designing a kitchen table, nothing exciting, sort of transitional modern, clean lines, etc. 1" top, 2" aprons, mitered 2" square legs. Anyway, the Boss is hoping for a sort of mini-table as a matching bench. The dimensions for the table top are 36"x60", so nothing crazy there either. The question I have for you guys is what kind of weight would a bench be able to support with those dimensions? At 60" long I would expect the bench to frequently hold two adults, and infrequently 3 adults. Is a 2" stretcher under a 1" benchtop supported by 2" square legs enough overall support? I'm sorta thinking no. Id be worried about bow in the bench and stress on the legs, but Ive not built a bench before, not like this anyway. Is there a rule of thumb when it comes to dimensioning-out a bench? I could easily sneak a third middle set of legs in there and keep the design cohesive. Not so much with a lower stretcher. At the moment the design is using all walnut, but I could limit the top to walnut and the supporting pieces to something else if it mattered. Im working on the sketchup now, so Ill post that for a visual guide when its mostly respectable. Any input is appreciated!