1st Project Suggesstions

Hello DIY group. I found Ana's site last week and I am obsessed with the project plans and want to try them all.

One problem:  I have NEVER made anything before or stepped foot in the lumber store/aisle so I am not sure where to start. 

 Do you guys have any suggestions on a specific project to start? 

I am hoping that with something simple I can get my feet wet and build some confidence to tackle more projects in the future. Any suggesstions are greatly appreicated.

claydowling

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 06:45

Anna doesn't have plans for it here, but a simple box is not a bad place to start.  In earlier generations, a typical first project was a shoe shine box.  Something big enough to hold the brushes, rags and polish.  Since I think I'm the only person I know who still shines shoes, this might not be as practical as I'd like to think.

The other good candidate is an end table or coffee table.  Simple tables are really easy to build and extremely useful.

claydowling

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 07:04

After I posted my previous message, it occurred to me that a site I linked to yesterday might have some good suggestions.  One of their beginner projects was a sturdy workbench.  Ana has plans here for a workbench that might be okay. 

This video series might give you other suggestions: http://www.startwoodworking.com/plans/build-simple-sturdy-workbench

It uses the same basic set of tools that Ana recommends.  It looks a bit more rugged than her suggested bench.  I actually found I needed something more durable than either of these, but if you're not going to be building with hand tools all that much, either of these plans will be fine.

pcole6765

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 13:13

I'm starting with the $10 shelf Ana has listed in the getting started section, I'm actually doing 3, tackling that this weekend. The lumber aisle isn't so scary once you have someone show you around. Most of the time the employees are eager to help and share knowledge.