Community Brag Posts

Coffee Table - Gaming/Dining Table Combo

Submitted by bknjohnson on Sun, 10/14/2018 - 12:25

My wife was interested in a coffee table that we could also use for playing games or company for meals, and naturally we found just the thing on Ana White's website.  I got some 2x2 pine from a lumberyard after not being happy with box store lumber.  The table top is made of pine glued together.  I decided to put the 2x4s underneath which gave some heft to the top so it does not wobble.  It fits tighter than I would want, so lesson learned for me I should have paid more attention there.  Since we wanted to paint the piece I went with the pine top.  If it were going to be displayed somewhere else in the house, or stained, I would have chosen a harder wood for the top.  The nice part of this plan, I could easily build another nicer top to go with the base if I wanted too.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer; Valspar Signature interior paint and Minwax Polycrylic. I also tried Minwax One Coat Polyurethane with horrible results. Don't bother with the One Coat. I ended up sanding it off, repainting two coats, and using the polycrylic I usually use with much better results. Light sanding between each coat. Be patient, don't rush.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Another successful Classic Bunk beds build

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/23/2022 - 10:06

I followed Classic Bunk Beds instructions with the ladder to the left end instead of the right. I think this by accident though it works out fine in the room either way. It's finished with Danish Oil rubbed on.

Comments

Farmhouse inspired table

Submitted by adidas30 on Mon, 07/25/2011 - 09:12

My first furniture project was Ana's Tryde Coffee Table. All along though, the goal was to learn enough to be able to make a dining room table. I love the coffee table, and I love Ana's Farmhouse table plans, but I was worried about getting food and stuff stuck in between the table top boards.

So I decided to embark on the adventure of learning how to make a solid table top that I could rest on top of Ana's base design. The result is below, and although it took about 6 months of learning, practicing, and prototyping, I am finally done!

Because I made a solid top, I was able to skip the support beams on the base, which hopefully reduced the weight a little bit.

I don't have a blog, but I added some additional comments in my Picasa Album.

Estimated Cost
$600 total -- The 2 inch thick ash was expensive -- and still half the price oak!
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
For the stain, I used General Finishes Medium Brown. It is similar to Minwax Special Walnut, which I used on my pine coffee table, but it looked a lot better than the Minwax on the Ash. For the finish, I used Minwax Polyurathane, thinned 50% with mineral spirits (Paint thinner), and wiped it on with old t-shirts. No brushing required (which means no brush strokes), but as it is thinner you need more coats. I have about 3 coats on the bottom of the table, 4 coats on the legs and base, and about 7 coats on the table top. After much research online, it seems that the general wisdom is that if you want a satin finish, you should use the gloss for all coats except for the last 1 or 2 coats, and that is what I did. 2 satin coats on top, and 1 satin coat on the base. The reason is that the satin has "flatteners" in it, and that if you do all coats with satin, it could get a little cloudy. Hope that quick summary helps.

I bought Minwax paste finishing wax, that I plan to run on the top within the next week. I was told that helps protect the polyurathane, and gives it a nice rubbed look. I tried it on a test piece and although it looks good, I didn't think it made a huge difference in looks.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Crystal_thenewgirl (not verified)

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 11:52

You said you prototyped and practiced, but what did you actually do to make it a solid top????

claydowling

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 13:53

He did was is known as a panel glue-up. They aren't terribly difficult once you've done one. The first one is exciting though. My technique is a bit simpler than what he used, but everyone needs to adapt a method suited to their available tools and knowledge.

If you want to try something like this, check local sawmills and timber suppliers first. adidas30, around here (Ann Arbor, MI), I can lay hands on a single slab of oak or walnut big enough for that table for half to a third that price. The bigger challenge is finding a friend with a big enough truck who is also strong enough to help me shift that beast. Still, what you paid is way less than what you'd pay to buy a table like that.

adidas30

Wed, 01/04/2012 - 10:46

Crystal: Take a look at the blog link in my post. It links to a picasa photo album that shows a few of the steps along the way. Clay is exactly right. Now that I have done one, the next will not be so bad. It took a long time to learn how to do it right the first time, but it was really fun and extremely satisfying.

Clay -- I'm jealous. I felt silly spending so much on the Ash, but it was half the price of the oak. I think the ash was around 4 dollars per board foot, and the white oak was 7.80 per board foot. Good lumber yards are hard to find in DC. I had to venture over to MD.

Straight leg farmhouse table

Slightly based on Ana White's husky farmhouse table, this table has 4x4s as legs and a nice, thick planked top with breadboard ends. It will easily seat 6 and will seat 8 in a pinch! I also build a bench to match, using the same concept, just smaller dimensions.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a combination of golden pecan and dark walnut stain on the top. I painted the legs black and used Rustoleum's polyurethane in semi-gloss to seal the whole thing.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 09:26

I concur with JoanneS. Love the stain on the top and I also love the two tone look. Beautiful build!

Under the Sink Storage

My under the sink door cabinet is smaller than what's on the plan so i had to improvise.  A paper towel dispenser won't fit anymore so I just made another shelf.  I love it.  No clutter and everything is so organized. :) 

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I painted it with the same color as my kitchen cabinets SW Urbane Bronze
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Thank you, Ana, for the easy plans for a great table!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/17/2018 - 13:29

I made the table from rough-cut cedar that was harvested on my father's land. All I spent was $16 on Danish oil and $5 on sand paper but its priceless to me. Thanks Ana!!!

Estimated Cost
$25.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Danish oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

$20 DIY Cedar Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/01/2022 - 06:09

This is the 1st planter I have ever made! Thanks Ana, plans were easy to follow! I shared with my brother, and he said "I'm impressed!", I said "Me too!"
It isn't perfect but I love it! Started 2 more, just 1 inch smaller on both sides. Thanks again, great project to help with fears and confidence!

Comments

Queen Farmhouse Bed with Arch

Submitted by perchik on Fri, 07/29/2011 - 11:34

I build the Farmhouse Bed with Arch in queen Size. I built this over the course of a couple days and then finished it slowly over a month. I did modify the bed to have a 6 inch taller footboard. Also, the mattress I have has a low profile box spring that's only 4 inches tall. The mattress itself is about 10 inches tall.

Additionally I changed the plans a little bit to make it modular. The legs of the headboard are mounted on with bolts and the side rails are also bolted on. This allows me to take it apart and move it fairly easily. The other modification I made was because I couldn't find untreated 4x4s. I ended up using two 2x4s with a 1x4 in the middle. Cut everything separately and then glued/nail-gunned the leg together.

Also in the extra pictures you can see the set of Tryde tables I made at the same time. That post will come once I get a finish on them.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
120$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded it with 80grit, 120grit and then 220grit sandpaper. Then I applied MiniWax PreStain Conditioner before staining. I used one coat of Cabot Oil Based "Autumn Harvest" stain [this was one of the colors they have to mix at the store for you.] After that I applied two coats of High-gloss Polyeurathane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

benfoldsfivealive

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 14:14

Are you kidding? That's a lot of stuff you just built, and it ALL looks amazing!! I am really loving the autumn harvest stain. :)

Patrick (not verified)

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 20:05

Thanks! Everything was built in a week but I did have the advantage of a nailgun and lots of time.

chris.allen5 (not verified)

Thu, 11/10/2011 - 19:56

how did you mount the side rails to the foot board?

First Project!

Submitted by meg_odom on Sun, 08/25/2013 - 16:09

My husband and I built this as our first project & are thrilled with the way it turned out! We shortened it to 44" to fit our space. It took us a few hours but we got the Kreg Jig working the first try (though on a current project it is giving us some headaches). We really enjoyed building this on a rainy Saturday and received many compliments after posting the finished project on facebook. Looking forward to our next project - thanks so much for all your tutorials Ana & other submitters!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American (1 coat) with Minwax Satin Poly (2 coats, brushed) for the top & shelves; Olympic Bewitched Satin (high grade with primer).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Cameron nightstand

Submitted by TMW on Thu, 10/08/2015 - 07:18

After I built the dresser for my son, he decided he needed a nightstand. This was his project, I only advised and offered assistance. He was 15 and he came up with the design and we glued up the panels. He cut, sanded and assembled himself. He stained and applied the shellac. I am very proud of him.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Dinning & Hobby Table

I'm about to have bilateral knee replacement so I'm going about raising everything by at least 30cms.
This is the 30 year old lounge chair, once was a sofa bed, first up I removed pull out sofa bed and frame then made a heavy duty base using 75 x 75mm sleepers and whacked on a set of 150kg rated castors. I then made a inner support frame for the cushions to sit on.

Comments

Fancy Step Stool for Kids

Submitted by cdswhite on Mon, 08/01/2011 - 19:25

This was a fun project for us and our daughter loves to use it to wash her hands and brush her teeth. We used some wood scraps we had leftover so it didn't cost as much! I was inspired by another brag poster to change the detail on the bottom and printed my pattern from the computer. We did find that we really needed better saw blades than what came with our jigsaw - the second side's curves came out so much smoother.

Estimated Cost
$10 (total guess, I don't remember)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
We used some leftover paint and one coat of water-based poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tiled raised dog feeder!

Submitted by DogDoc25 on Tue, 08/27/2013 - 18:28

The design for this feeder came from Ana's raised feeder as well and the people who have made these feeders with tile. I had a lot of fun making this and I love how it turned out! I can see how they would be addicting to make. I constructed the wooden base (I just eyeballed how long to make it and how tall to make the legs based on the size of my bowls). I nailed hardibacker to the wooden top and applied the tile with thin set and mortar. This feeder is for my bigger dog, so disregard my small dogs checking it out:) The grout was a dark tan color before it dried, and I really like the color it ended up being. I bought the tile and grout from the habitat from humanity store, which had a big selection of miscellaneous tiles for basically free! Fun project!

Estimated Cost
about $45 (had to buy tile supplies that I didn't already have) but for just materials (wood, tile, thin set, wood trim, and mortar) around $30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Put down wood conditioner and then 2 coats of minwax dark walnut (left on for about 10 minutes in between coats), then applied 2 coats of polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Bedroom Set

Submitted by kingw on Mon, 10/12/2015 - 09:16

I started about 2 years ago by making one of the Mini Farmhouse Style bedside tables.  My wife loved it so I made a second.  Then I made the bench a year or so ago with plans from this site too.  Unfortunately I can't find where those plans are now.  Maybe in Ana's book (I have that at home too)? I just finished the Reclaimed Wood Headboard with wood I reclaimed from the big orange store :)
I put a 1/4" chamfer on the edges of the panels for the headboard, and had to add a brace in the back because none of them were perfectly flat.  No one has seen the headboard yet, but I've had friends ask me where I bought the bedside tables and bench.  I've never had a matched set before.  This is a definite bedroom upgrade!
Stain is Minwax Special Walnut, paint is Gotham Grey from Behr.

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by bcarter_1 on Tue, 10/30/2018 - 04:57

Very comfy outside sitting

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Bench to match a table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/27/2022 - 06:42

A while back I salvaged a table from an apartment dumpster and refurbished it.
We really like it on our patio but with no included seating, I had to create my own.
I made a bench that matched several design features of the table:
Through tenons, trim attachments, leg angles, decorative kerfs.
Take a look! Thanks to all.

Comments

My Farmhouse/homework table

Submitted by ajcajj on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 10:47

I saw the plans for the narrow farmhouse table and had.to.have.it! I showed my husband and he liked it but wanted turned legs. This was the compromise. I'm so happy with how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$28.00
Finish Used
I used a minwax stain with poly on the top and white on the legs
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X End Tables

Submitted by pbookman on Thu, 08/29/2013 - 19:57

We altered the width of the tables to make them fit in our living room, but kept everything else the same. They turned out great!

Finish Used
Minwax Gel Stain in Red Elm
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

A Different Take on the Cedar Shed

Submitted by afbutters on Sun, 10/18/2015 - 12:26

Loosely based on the small cedar fence picket storage shed plan, this was my first attempt at making a storage unit with a roof. There was only one unplanned trip to the store (to replace two 2x4's that I cut to the wrong length). Pro tip: "measure twice, cut once" doesn't work if you measure the wrong length twice. Also almost lost two fingertips because I'm an idiot and forgot the most basic of safety rules for power tools, namely the "don't put your fingers near the blade of a circular saw when it's in use" rule. Very lucky to only come out of it with a good scare and some wounds that will heal without permanent damage. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500 (Canadian)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Queen Farmhouse bed

Submitted by Awequilter on Sat, 11/10/2018 - 09:03

Queen Farmhouse Bedframe made from Poplar and stained with Carbon. Don't remember brand name of stain. Finish is by General Finishes Flat sheen.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sanded to 180. Pre-conditioned before stain with denatured alcohol
Stain - Carbon (Professional grade, but don't remember brand name)
General Finishes - Flat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Refinished Dining Room Set

I know this website is more about building furniture, but I spent the last year refinishing this dining room set in my spare time (between working full time and going to school part time). I bought it at a garage sale for $100, and with a lot of love, time, and energy, it is finally ready for family dinners!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used white primer, white glossy Behr paint, Minwax Dark Walnut Stain, and Minwax Glossy Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

sgilly

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 15:06

That is a beautiful finish! I know you'll enjoy many wonderful meals at that table.

hiddenhalo360

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 17:47

My husband just left for Thailand for a month, and we had a nice family dinner on his behalf before he left. I was really happy I was able to finish the set before the dinner.