Community Brag Posts

This was our first furniture building project. It took us about 20 hours to complete and we couldn't be more happy with the results. We used 4x4's instead of 2x4's for the legs. We also changed the dimensions of the table so that it was the perfect size for our kitchen. After completing the table we decided to build a bench as well. It is the same plan as the table, just miniaturized. We used Minwax Jacobean stain on the table and then topped with a clear coat. It is a very heavy, sturdy table.

My wife and I loved the version that Finns-Dad made but we wanted it to be rectangular. The top is 1x6s around the edges with 1x4s in between. The frame is 1x4s. The bench tops are all 1x4s with 4x4 legs. There are 3/8 inch lag bolts in the legs. We did 4 coats of the urethane.

This was my first major project, and while there are many things that I would do differently if given the opportunity, we're still very pleased with it.

I used the 18" Doll Wardobe plans! I decided not to do the Murphy bed. I loved how it turned out and the plan was easy to follow! Looking forward to more DIY projects

One of a kind custom kitchen island with a butcher block top. 

We wanted to replace the vented / painted bi-fold closet doors in our Master Suite with something that was warmer and more consistent with the decorating motif of the house.  We priced out various wood bi-fold doors and were shocked at the $350 - $600 price range of what was available.   We decided that building them ourselves was a much better choice.

The frames are made from 1” Knotty Pine and the panels are from ¼” Knotty Pine.   Frames were made to fit and assembled w/ Kreg screws & Glue.  Rabbet channels were cut w/ the router and the panels were brad nailed & glued.

It was finished w/ the same stain used on our Knotty Pine ceilings / walls and finished w/ a satin varnish for a perfect match to our house.

This was a very straightforward, quick & inexpensive alternative to purchasing expensive bi-fold doors.   

The doors took about 15 hours to build / sand and 10 hours to finish.   Total cost was around $100. 

After I built my nephew's AT & T Park bedroom, I had to figure out what to create for my 5 year old niece, Maggie. She loves drawing, so I settled on an "art studio," where she can work and display her art.

The bed was created using Ana's Camp Loft Bed Plans. I narrowed the stairs by 4 inches as one of the other posts had done. I also put shelves under the stairs like another post I read on this site.

I built a small drafting-type desk for underneath using my new Kreg Jig (Man, I love that thing!). I also made some curtains to pull shut in case Maggie wanted to escape from the world. Chairs, storage containers, flower light, and leaf above bed are from Ikea.

I bought some cheap picture frames, and put a bulletin board in one and a chalkboark in the other for above the bed, and the string hanging across the front of the bed is from Target. It actually has clips to hang artwork.

I painted the bed using Ana's antique finish with the Minwax pen. It came out fantastic.

I wanted a table that we saw on DIY Pete and it led us to Ana White's plans. It took us almost a month to build, our first build and work/kids/design changes, but it finally has come together.. We did make it longer and wider because we wanted to be able to host family gatherings comfortably. I am in love with this table and how it turned out.. The directions were easy to follow, unless you tweaked the measurements but still, it was a no brainer! Thanks for the fun project!

After building the woven back bench, I had the basic know-how to do the basketweave pattern and really wanted to build some planters with trellises.

I was able to build the trellises from a single 2x4 and built the planters from the scraps from my shed. All of the info is on my blog.

Looked everywhere for plans to build a G-House and kept coming back to this one...

Wanted to integrate 2 275 gallon IBC containers for thermal mass so I had to adjust the plans a little.

Stared off with clearing the land and putting down some 4x4 pressure treated timber as the base.. Found a good price on some 1" minus gravel so I went and got 2 truckloads for the interior.. adds to the themal mass as well... Bonus...

Once the gravel and timber were down, it was time to build structure.  The south wall is according to plan but the north side had to be extended to 60" tall to facilitate the containers.... Looks a little wonky but function was my primary concern.  Built all the base in my garage and moved them out.

Once I got all the peices outside, I 4" screwed them to the pressure treated lumber and ran 3' rebar thru the corners from some stability and wind protection.

Up went the front and back framing then onto the rafters..  The south side was a breeze as the plans were pretty exact... the north side on the other hand had to be measured and cut individually due to the plan modification.  Was a bit of a pain but went pretty well..

Rafters up and its time for some covering..  Decided to go with a combo of Solexx and SunTuf panels...price was comparable.

SunTuf panels went on really easily.. the solexx was a different story since it expands a tad when it gets hot..  Leaves sags and natural vents when overlapping but it all tightens back up when the temp comes back down.

Weve been hitting 90s this last week and its consistently 120+ inside so I decided to frame in a window.  Fans will be added on either side of hte window shortly and the door is being built.

This project started because a corner bathroom vanity that fit my space requirements and budget did not exist. A plan specific to what I exactly needed also did not exist. After combing through what plans I found online, the Wall Kitchen Corner Cabinet best matched what I wanted. I modified it with the Momplex Sink Base Kitchen Cabinet in order to turn it into a sink base.

But, there was a problem. I hadn't actually built anything before. In order to get at least one project under my belt, I built the Vintage Step Stool. It turned out great, so I figured I was ready to go! Strangely enough, after spending about $100 and several weekends picking away at this project, it was done! It looked great, even. Then, I moved the vanity into the bathroom and realized that, while it may have looked great, it wasn't very square. Lesson learned was that this is a two person project. It is too difficult to keep things square and screw at the same time when there is only one person.

At this point, everyone was tired of having to use the kitchen sink to brush their teeth and wash their hands, so we needed to get this project done. $100 later, we had more material. Since I had figured out what needed to be done with the first vanity, let's call it our prototype, the second vanity went together REALLY quickly. 

Within a few hours, it was pieced together. Since it was going to be painted, we used Bondo to cover up our imperfections. Yes, of course there were imperfections. While much better than the prototype, it still was only my third woodworking project. Sanding, caulking, and priming took another hour or so. A few coats of the finish paint went on, followed by a couple more coats of a clear sealer, and it was done.

We moved it into place, screwed it to the wall, put the soapstone countertop on along with the sink and faucet, and it truly was complete. Sink is Kohler, faucet came from our local Habitat for Humanity store and I'm not sure what brand it is, and the soapstone came from soapstones.com. If we had oiled the soapstone with mineral oil, it would be a very dark gray.