Community Brag Posts

I used the basic 2x4 potting bench and made it a bit wider to have room for the sink. Had to make slight modifications -- put a 2x4 in the back to help support the half shelf on top. Found the sink at the restore for $15 have have been waiting to do this. Ana's plan was easy to follow and modify for my needs. Spent 88$ on lumber, nails, 15$ for the sink, plus about 40 $ for additional hardware for the sink. This sets beside my deck. I love it. Now I can was my hands outside and can't wait to rinse my veggies off when they produce.

I essentially stuck to the main plan - except to support the wings I used 2X2 boards and standard hinges.

I was worried that there may not be enough space for my Ryobi 10" sliding miter saw because of the slide however, it fits nicely and there is plenty of space.

Thank you for the wonderful plan. This was my first project of this size and I am very happy with the results!

This was my first attempt at building anything....ever. It was so incredibly fun and I certainly learned a lot. My 8 little chickens are loving their new home and I can't wait to build my next project!

This was my second project from Ana White's plans. I felt confident in my new woodworking skills once I learned how to use the kreg jig for pocket holes. The child's table and chair I made came out so good, I decided why not try a toddler bed for my 4 yr old granddaughter. She loves her new bed. And I love how easy and fun it was to make.

I only had to make minor adjustments to the size to accomodate her mattress. I brought the footboard out to the edge of the legs because I needed to add an inch to the length, but the sides are set in like the plans. I also added a couple inches to the rail height since her mattress is 6 inches deep and I wanted it to be above the mattress.

I was afraid I couldn't get the rounded headboard neat, so I used the whole 6 inch board, adding to the height of the headboard a few inches. I also added the top board on the headboard because it just made it look cleaner on top. You might not be able to tell from the photo, but I did use the beadboard - I had a scrap the perfect size.

Basically I took Ana's plan and tweaked it to create a diy sofa, a love seat, and a corner piece to make a sectional. All 3 pieces have the same basic design and function (they all have a storage compartment), although the corner piece, because of its placement and the thickness of the seating cushions, doesn't open unless the couch is opened first. We purchased custom cut, 6" thick foam cushions for the seats (we bought the XL-38 foam from https://www.buyfoam.com/, but if we had to do it again, we'd go with the XL-28 as the 38 is VERY firm). We also used upholstery fabric instead of a paint drop-cloth to cover the couches. The foam and upholstery fabric upped the overall cost significantly. Other changes from Ana's plan, I used 15/32" OSB because the 1/4" plywood just felt too flimsy (I'm a large guy). I also added I bolts to the underside of the seat before the foam and upholstery so I could add a stress relief rope to prevent the kids from opening the top and dropping it and ripping out the hinges. I used piano hinges as they seemed to me to provide the most support. Finally, I ended up using 1x2s for the base trim since I couldn't find any 2x2s that were straight and finish-ready, then I added router detailing to provide some visual interest. I used 3" pieces of 4x6 for the feet and added matching router detail. Additionally, I used T-Nuts and bolts to make the feet and base trim completely removable.

This was my third project, and the first one with doors (boy do I have some great opportunity for growth there!). I left off the bottom trim because I wanted a slightly more contemporary look. Thanks for this plan, Ana. It was the perfect size for this space. Things I learned doing this project: next time cut an extra 1x4 to tack in to do the doors, hinges require math, be sure to get the kind of wood filler that dries—not wood putty (sigh), I need a workbench. 

My father-in-law and I knocked this project out in about 5 hours including the trip to the lumber yard. You've got a great basic design here! A few modifications we made:

1. I thought the depth of the shelves in the original plan was a little too shallow so I used 3 2"X6"s instead of the 4 2"x4"s. That made the shelves 1 1/2" deeper. Although 2"x6"s are obviously more expensive, the overall cost for the project didn't change much because we only had to use 3 boards per shelf instead of 4. This also reduced the amount of screwing and made it easier to position the shelf boards without taking measurements since we only had one middle board to deal with (instead of 2 with the 2"x4"s). We just eyeballed the spacing of the middle shelf board as we worked.

2. Since our garage has a 10' ceiling, I decided to go 8' tall with the unit. This allowed us to add a 5th shelf.

3. Some oversized tubs can be 18-20" high or more so I varied the height of each shelf -- 24" at the bottom, then 20", 18" and 16". There's approx. 24" available between the top shelf and the ceiling.

4. Due to the position of the garage door track, I had to notch out a couple feet at one side. The end support piece is only 6' high.

5. Since many storage tubs can be 16-18" wide, I made sure that there was at least 54" between 3 of the vertical support structures. This will allow us to store 3 tubs side-by-side and maximize storage. You might notice that I have two vertical supports that appear to be very close together near the back wall. I did this so I would have something on that side to attach more shelving to on that short wall where the garage door opener is. 

The only cuts we had to make for this entire project were for the 18 1/2" 'braces' or support pieces on the vertical ladder structures. The shelves are either 14' or 12' (top shelf only) and the vertical 2"x4"s are either 8' or 6'. Most lumber yards will carry these lengths in either 2"x4"s or 2"x6"s. 

We didn't use any wood glue, and I admit this may come back to haunt me. However, to get a good fit and eliminate gaps, I used clamps I already owned to squeeze the boards together before adding the screws. Everything feels very solid and sturdy to me. 

Because of the extra height compared with the original plan, I was worried about it possibly tipping over (we have a 10-year-old who likes to climb ) so I made sure that 3 of the supports are lined up with the wall studs. After leveling the entire unit, I plan to anchor it to the wall using 3 1/2" screws.

So for about $187 in lumber and maybe $20 in construction screws, I've got 76 feet of STURDY shelving that should accommodate hundreds of pounds! Not a bad investment at all...