Community Brag Posts

This was my first furniture project and only my 2nd woodworking project, the previous one a cubby house over 20 years ago, so I was a bit nervous. I did lots of planning, research and designing before the first cut. I incorporated ideas from Ana projects as well as from other sites and learned how to use a drop saw, various sanders and the pocket hole jig.

We wanted a tall table because when sitting a a regular height table the view is blocked by the deck railing.

I decided to make it out of hardwood for durability in the Australian outdoors and also because we get sea air where we are. The hardwood (Blackbutt) was challenging to work with - extremely heavy and difficult to drill into, but the finished product is SO solid and will outlive us all. Due to the weight and density of the timber I overengineered as far as joining went, using more pocket holes than usual.

I saw the idea of the built in ice troughs years ago and was keen to incorporate them into my table. I also made the legs detachable so that the table top could be moved out onto the deck once it was finished and the legs added in situ. Once it was set up my husband put big screws into the legs just in case but it would really take an earthquake to move this thing.

I managed to build it over 3 weekends and finished it just in time for our family Christmas party but it only had 1 coat of stain on it at that stage. I finished it off later and we also decided that the ice trough covers would look good in a contrasting colour so did them in charcoal. If I made it again it would be a much quicker project as there was alot of 'firsts' and learning along the way.

The dimensions are:

2660mm long (about 8' 9")

1150mm wide (about 3' 9.5")

1165mm high (about 3' 10")

The legs are solid - 140 x 140mm (5.5")

It seats 10 - 12 comfortably and 14 at a squeeze.

We got the bar stools 2nd hand for an absolute steal - 12 for $200! They are handmade hardwood too and look great.

The timber was quite expensive but I was able to use the work account so got it at trade price. This would be a very expensive table to buy but all up it cost us about AU$1100.

This project was not exactly easy but I would class myself as a novice. With the right planning and preparation (plus stubbornness) anyone could do this :-)

I am not a carpenter, I do not even have a tape measure. I got tasked by my leadership dothan class to build a farmhouse table for the academic dream room which is part of the Bright Key Program. Which is being renovated at Honeysuckle Middle School. Found your plans and got inspired. One glitch they wanted this table to be able to sit fourteen chairs. So I had to make a few adjustments like increasing the main boards to twelve foot. Because of your plans, many urban middle schoolers will have a place to get tutored considering cafeteria tables are so expensive. I am a believer of your plans. The positive feedback I received was well worth my time and would not of been a sucess without your plans. I did mine with pocket holes as well. 

When my wife and I found out we were expecting our first child, I knew I wanted to build as much as I could for the nursery. This is how I ran into Ana White's website. Since then, I have built several pieces of furniture all inspired from Ana's designs. It had been over 10 years since I had done any kind of woodworking and I'm finding myself enjoying it now more than ever.

For our changing table, I used the idea of Ana's Small Dresser, and chose to put the shelf on top, we figured it would be more useful to have bins located on top for lotions, diapers, etc We had a great time building this changing table, and it is very rewarding to see the finished product. Thanks Ana for all of the great ideas and plans!!!

I made the cushions and pillows myself using shower curtains as a cheap and water-resistant fabric alternative. I also ordered the foam and pillow forms on-line. This was a great Father's Day project completed with help from my son and husband. Great plans!

I was looking online for a spinning DVD rack to buy when I stumbled across a picture of a custom built rack. I decided to give it a try and this is the result. This is the first project I've done outside of basic shelves and it was a great learning experience. The overall fit and finish isn't quite where I'd like it to be but overall I think it turned out pretty well. I was able to find a 12" lazy Susan at a hardware store that supports over 300lbs and worked perfectly for this project.

I used pocket holes for the shelves, finishing nails for the top and screws for the bottom and lazy Susan. I also used pocket holes to attach the shelf backs and hid them behind the shelves. One thing I definitely won't use next time is spray paint/enamel. The finish isn't nearly as nice as I wanted and it cost far more than I was expecting.

This is also my first time using SketchUp and I'm really impressed with it. I've uploaded a copy of the plans.

Criticism and suggestions are appreciated.

-Dan

I took a woodworking course through the community college and built this cedar bench for my front porch. I learned so much throughout this process and am proud of how it came out. I am now building up my own arsenal of tools and supplies. I can’t wait to choose my next project!

Plans from myoutdoorplans.com/2x4benchplans

More Info / Build Instructions:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Hanging-Basket-Column/

This project is an expansion from my project (Pallet Planter Box) posted 2+ years ago. The pallet planters are holding up great but the finish was looking dull after a couple of years in the sun. I decided to refinish them with a darker walnut stain (vs. original red oak). At the same time, I thought it would be a good time to upgrade the planters. To provide flowers for the deck, my wife had been talking about a hanging basket column that could be placed in the ground or in pots. We found something we liked in a catalog; but to me, the price of $86 per column seemed pretty high for something so simple. So, I created this very simple project from 4x4 lumber, end caps, base plates and hangers. I made it a little more complicated by cutting down the 4x4s to match the decorative end cap dimensions but that isn’t really necessary. We are very happy with the results and the cost; it was less than $20/post to make. Now we have hanging baskets and the planters to provide seasonal flowers

My wife and I were looking for a new dining table, the one we had was a bar height which worked well for our daughters high chair, but she was going to be transitioning to a booster seat . We shopped around and had sticker shock at the cost of a dining room set. We enjoy playing board games and I had been looking into possible buying a board gaming table, but those more expensive and some had long lead times as well. I tossed out the idea that I could make our table and my wife agreed but gave me a deadline. I had built a few smaller pieces before but nothing like this. I based my plans off the farmhouse table for the top and used store bought legs. The top needed to be sturdy since it is not attached to the base, I did add blocking on the back so the top doesn’t move around and it is heavy enough that it doesn’t flip up if you lean on it. I moved the typical supports down to the bottom of the side rails and added a ¾” piece of MDF that I had for the gaming top. We used spray adhesive to attach some batting and used blue suede for the gaming surface since we are fans of Doctor Who. I added handles to the top on the inside to help when it is moved off the table for gaming. I built the bench too and made it so we could slide it under the table to save on space when we did not need it. The other chairs are hand me downs and Salvation Army finds that we spray painted. The only addition that I have to make is to build some sort of cup holders.

This is my first try at building furniture. I've built larger things in the past like decks and a fort for my nephews, but never furniture. Even though I used the plans to build the main box, I did change up the bottom and added some new stuff. I added wheels to the bottom my wife could easily move it around her classroom. I didn't want to put a square base on it because I thought it might hit her ankles when she was standing close to it. So I sort-of notched it out to give an opening for her feet and I used some scraps to create a short shelf at the bottom. I also added more trim that the plans call for. I cut strips of the pine plywood for the base molding and topped it with quarter round. I used corner trim for the front corners, the self inside and the bottom notched shelf. I also used screen trim for the back of it. I think it came out nice and I've very pleased with it. I used 2 coats of Minwax PolyShades American Chestnut on it.

With Father's Day rolling in, my sons and I needed a gift, stat! My husband thinks that Table Tennis is the quintessential father-son activity, so that was an obvious choice.
We needed something easy to make, easy to store, and budget friendly. With a 6, 4, and 2 year old helping out, I made a foldable mdf ping pong table that could easily be placed on our picnic table outside.
We had home depot cut the mdf in half, primed it, taped off some lines, spray painted it with chalkboard paint (bonus, you can keep score!), and screwed 4 small hinges to attach the 2 halves. We added a removable table tennis net, some paddles and balls, and have played nearly every day!