Community Brag Posts
Kimara's first build
I had been looking for a small table for our small entry space. When I was searching, I was hoping to buy a table but couldn't find something I liked. I found this plan but it scared me because I had NEVER built anything. After researching on this site, I decided to jump in and try it. I made it much smaller to match our space. I added the shelf higher than recommended because I wanted to be able to use it as a homework spot when the kitchen table is covered by a project. I don't like the finish, but it will stay for a while because others like it.
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Kitchen table and storage benches
I built these for my son's new home. The bench seats lift up for storage. I was rushed to get them done for the housewarming/adoption party. There are things I would do better if I did another set.
Patio Set
Ths set is based on the plans for the 2x4 sofa. It is very east to adjust the sizes to create the perfect piece for your space.
Using these plans I simply changed the seat sizes to 24" and 48" to create a chair and loveseat. I have also added a 1x4 across the rear of the seat to act as a bottom support for the 1x3 slats I added for back support. The other major change was using 2x3's instead of 2x4's. With the shortened length these can be a little less bulky with sacrificing stability.
outdoor couch
So I love Restoration Hardware but think their prices are exploitative. I found a picture of a couch I really like from there. Turns out it was discontinued so I looked on Ebay and found cushions for it and I just tried to copy the picture as best I could. I considered trying to learn about bending wood for the arms but that would have significantly delayed the process so I just took a 2x6 and cut the curves with a band saw. It worked.
Comments
Sun, 05/12/2013 - 09:31
beautiful
could you please share your instructions for your couch? My email addy is [email protected] thanks!!!
Thu, 05/16/2013 - 11:30
In Love!!
I love your variation!! It looks like a cross between the outdoor sofa and the Bristol? Could you tell us what size wood you used for the different components? I know 2x6 cut to shape for the front leg......but what about the seating area slats (1x3?) and the back rest slats (1x3?) and the back leg/backrest upright (2x4?) and the top of the back rest(2x4? with radius end) and the box for the seating area (2x4?) You did a truly amazing job!!!!!!! I would love to see more pictures if you have any showing your progress through the build! [email protected]
Tue, 05/13/2014 - 12:51
nice curves
I like the way you curved the front legs.
I am wondering how you curved the back legs/backrest?
Sun, 07/13/2014 - 09:42
This looks amazing
Great job. Since its now 2 years later, how are your joints holding up at those
Aquaponics Garden
The better way to garden! I built the original, and then the fish got too big for the 55gal tanks below. Had to upgrade to 2 300gal IBC containers. Now I have 50 tilapia that are ready to eat, adn enough vegatables to feed us for the year.... awesome!
Farmhouse X console
My very first time building a piece of furniture! Thank you so much Ana White for the plans, I have so much more confidence moving forward and building more!
Paint & stain - $50
4x4 Truss Table & Bench
Modified the dimensions of the 4x4 Truss Table and bench.
Valspar Cool Gray (7006-10) paint*
*This is my favorite for a white paint - has cool undertones without being too bright, but definitely still white, even though it is called a gray. Matches everything.
O's big boy room
Our youngest was done with his little boy bed and so we decided we should make him a bed - he picked the clubhouse bed and we went to work. This was a fun build - I used the "Kreg" Jig for just about everything. We decided that he would need a new bookshelf and thought the truss shelves would look great next to the bed. He is so proud and excited for his big boy room, thank you Ana and Jaime for the plans and tips.
Bunk / Loft Bed Combo
With three boys ages 17, 14, and 9 sleeping in one small bedroom, an efficient bunk bed/loft bed system seemed to be the perfect choice. I used the bunk bed plans from The Handbuilt Home, but I increased the height, and moved the steps to the end. The loft bed is basically the same as the bunk beds, but without the bottom bunk. I left the top rail off the head of the loft bed, creating a space so that they could crawl from the top bunk to the loft if desired. The short side rails on the top bunk are attached to the head of the loft bed.
The beds are modular and could be stand-alone beds, but I used TimberLok heavy duty wood screws to screw the beds together at the "intersection" on the bottom rail of the top bunk and loft, and the bottom rail of the bottom bunk and loft. That makes the beds very sturdy.
The entire system comes apart for storage or if a move ensues later. One other modification gleaned from a brag post was to use spacers on the cleats of the side rails so that you can just lay the slats down without having to screw them down. What a time-saver!
Thank you Ana White for the lovely plans and to all the brag posters for the ideas.
Comments
Wed, 07/02/2014 - 11:56
Space Saver!
Look at all that florr space now! Great job, thanks for sharing!
Wed, 07/02/2014 - 14:18
Thank you for the kind words, Ana.
Thank you for the kind words, Ana. I don't know what they'll do with the extra space under the loft, but I'm sure the boys will think of something!
Sat, 07/19/2014 - 14:41
Sorry about the tripple
Sorry about the tripple comments somthing I did by mistake.
Tue, 07/29/2014 - 21:50
plans for the bunk beds
Jacqueline...sorry for the late reply, but I've been out of town and just now saw this. The plans for the bunk bed itself is from Ana's book The Handbuilt Home. The loft part is basically the same build, but I left off the bottom bunk. I did increase the height of the beds and moved the built-in ladder to the foot board. I tried to explain my mods in the "about this project" section of the post. If you have any questions, just email me.
Fri, 04/17/2015 - 18:39
moved the beds
Well, as I mentioned in the original post, I built these beds to be modular so that they could be moved or stored. Less than a year after the beds were finished and installed, my family moved. As we took the beds down, we made sure all the parts were labeled and grouped the slats for each bed. It was easy to reconstruct it at the new house, especially because the spacers between the cleats for the slats enabled us to just lay them down w/o having to use screws.
Monogrammed snowflake
Created using the plans/template from Ana White's monogrammed snowflake.
I decided to make a hanging B in the middle. Two small eye hooks and some thread.
Paint used was Krylon's ruby red glitter and a clear sealer
Modern Outdoor Chairs and Sofa with Coffee Table
At the start of the COVID situation, I decided to make a furniture set for my three seasons room. I figured, i had all the tools, so why not. We used the Modern Chair and Modern Love Seat ( but extended the love seat for 3 seats). I added a middle support on the couch to accommodate the longer length. I also added the backs, because we found out that the cushions we ordered liked to fall off the back. I just made a 10 degree cut on 2x4's and added a 2x6 piece for the top of the backs. I also ripped a 2x4 down to make the table top close to seamless ( I did not properly join the 2x4's) It was a great project, my wife and i enjoy doing these projects together. We cant put a children's play set together, but we can create things from scratch.
Varathane Sparthane Satin Finish
Rustic X End Table - Love it!
I love this plan and this table. This was my first project, and I think I turned out really well.
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Farmhouse Bed - King
We built the farmhouse king size bed over the last week. We used 2x4 hangers to hold the 2x4's in place and used 2x4's to support the mattress. We put 7/16" plywood on top of the 2x4's to support the mattress. We struggled with how we were going to attach the side rails to the bed frame and finally came up with a way we felt would be strong enough. Please see the pictures included to see exactly how we attached the rails to the bed frame. We used lag bolts, and metal brackets.
dog kennel by R&L Custom Creation of West Michigan
When your dog needs a home add gorgeous as your own
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Sat, 10/08/2016 - 07:47
great project
i loved doing this project, but it is not for the beginner. I used a drill press to drill out 5/8 holes for the solid steel dowels. if you would like more information please email me @ [email protected]
Simple Bench
Really nice accent bench and super easy
Refinished Oak Dining Table
My father loved his woodworking and refinishing antique furniture. He built a wood shop years ago and loved spending he retirement years in there. He enjoyed going to auctions and the like and picking up antique pieces for $5 and $10. He had an antique oak dining table that someone had given him years ago. Cancer took him 4 years ago and he still has that shop full of antiques. I came across the old table and it was in sad shape. It was literally in several pieces and the legs were cracked. I decided to refinish the table.
I had some oak plywood and 1" by oak left over from other projects. I went ahead and removed all of the bracing and replaced all of it. I began stripping off all of the old finish. The underside of the table had been painted. The legs were the real challenge. Not only were the legs turned, they are fluted. I stripped off what I could with liquid stripper. I then used a power washer to help remove more. I then began sanding by hand every nook and cranny. I then filled all of the little cracks with wood filler. I used pin nails on the larger cracks. Once everything was stripped I began seeing a beautiful patina that only time can create.
I then began staining with Minwax Aged Oak gel stain. I used 2 coats on parts and up to 4 coats on other parts trying to get a uniform appearance to the wood. I used between 3 and 6 coats of Minwax quick drying polyurethane on the table. I sanded with 220 and 320 grit sandpaper between coats. I think it turned out pretty well.
The only thing I really had to buy was new casters. I think I spent about $10 for them. Everything else was left over from other projects. I worked on the project here and there between other projects I was working on. I think I probably had around 20 hours total on the project. Stripping and sanding the legs took the longest time. Somehow I think dad is smiling down at me when I finish his projects he had on the back burner.
Comments
Sat, 04/05/2014 - 11:53
Antique caster removal
Hello,
I have almost the exact table that you featured on a different project where you refinished an antique white oak 5 legged fluted table. I was wondering if you could provide info. on removal of these antique castors? My husband is tall and we would love to remove the original castors and possibly add wood furniture feet to add to the height of this short beauty. Any info. would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time!
In reply to Antique caster removal by Coconutpalm79
Wed, 01/21/2015 - 22:58
Antique caster removal
I'm sorry I have not been on in a while. Most casters come in two parts. The wheel usually has a stem on it. This can usually be removed by simply pulling it down. If it is stubborn then you may have to use pliers or channel locks. Once this is removed, you will find a sleeve that fits into the table leg. These tend to rust over time. Also they become quite stuck. I usually use a very fine standard screw driver to work them out. Occasionally the outer rim of the sleeve breaks off. I have used a drill and drill bit that fits the same size of the inner diameter of the sleeve. Use a very slow RPM on the drill and it should come out. Good luck with your table.
Camp Loft for Boy
Made this loft bunk a few hours at a time, over the course of several months. Spare time and weather in Utah has been less than cooperative. I used some back pack strapping screwed to 1x3's for the mattress supports. For the finish I used 2 coats of paint with primer, and 3 coats of high use water base polyurethane. With a 5 and 7 year old I didn't want to be worried the paint would be getting dented and chipped off for a long time. I wanted to stain it originally but failed to remember to wipe off the wood glue before it dried so it got painted. This was a very fun project to build, my son loves it. Now to build another one for his sister.
Rustic "X" Coffee Table
This was my first project from Ana's website! She does such a wonderful job making the plans easy to follow for the novice builder.
I really needed a rustic coffee table for my new living room. All of the retail stores expect you to pay hundreds of dollars for a table less than half of the quality. I am so happy with how the table turned out! I already have a list of other furniture that I want to add to my home. Thanks so much for all you do, Ana!
2x4 Adirondack Chair Revised
Love the plan Ana! I made a couple slight revisions and made mine out of all 2x material. I used 2x6 for the arms with a taper and extended the arms over the front leg by 1.5 inches and used 2x6 and 2x4 for the seat and back slats. Boys it sits great! One other thing I did is I used pocket holes and concealed all my fasteners so I don't have any screws showing.
Comments
Mon, 10/19/2020 - 13:58
Dig the arms
Great job. I too have prepped 2x6 for the arms, also with a taper, but only a 1" overhang on front. Appreciate the pics. I've made all my cuts but was starting to get concerned that the larger dimension arms would look funny. I also considered doing the stretchers as 2x6. Your pics make me rest easy that they'll look fine. Also using pocket holes where possible. Good stuff!
Cheers!