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First sand all of the 4×4’s using an orbital sander and 220 grit paper, and then wipe them down with a lint-free cloth.
Next, use a paint brush to apply the wood conditioner, be sure to wipe away any excess. Let the conditioner sit for 15-30 minutes.
If you feel any raised areas, then go over them by hand with grit sandpaper.
To give you a sense of time, I was able to cover one side of all 6 boards, setting a time for 15 minutes halfway through, with about 10 minutes remaining.
Now apply the wood stain with a brush. Be sure to wipe the stain down with a rag after a few minutes, so take care to not apply too much at a time.
I was able to cover one side of a 4×4 at a time, then wiped it down before moving on to the next. When all 6 were done, I flipped each and repeated the process.
If it’s your first time staining, or you need a refresher, here’s an excellent, fairly quick YouTube video on how to stain wood.
Once the stain is completely dry –at a very minimum of 2 hours (check the label), seal it with a clear water-based exterior urethane.
Step 4. Lay Out The Foundation For The Concrete Block Bench
Lay the first 4 blocks at the distance you want the length of the bench seat, 2 stacked on each side. The holes will be open at the ground and facing you when looking down.
For the placement distance, I had my bench base just under 77” from the left base leg to the right (inside to inside).
This measurement left a 3” overhang of the posts on each side when it was done.
The 3” overhang was planned at that measurement because of how I wanted the planter box add-ons coming up in part two of this series.
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