Community Brag Posts
How to Quit Woodworking in 8 Simple Steps (Almost) - Coffee Table Edition
First off, I appreciate you for taking the time to click on my project. Rest assured, this project didn't make me quit woodworking, I know the title was a little "click-batey". I don't want to discourage you from replicating this table because of the title of this post, as this has been my favorite project I've done to-date. The struggles that made me want to quit were laughably self inflicted and by my own doing, they weren't due to the instructions online. That being said, it did make me second guess whether I bit off more than I could chew. I promise not to disappoint with the story behind this build, so lets get into it.
My wife and I moved into a new home in the suburbs of Chicago and like many first time homeowners thought to ourselves, "We'll have no problem filling the house with all of our stuff." Then after settling in we had the realization of, "Wow...we really don't own that much furniture, this is going to get expensive FAST!" So after a decent amount of DIY and woodworking "research", I decided to give furniture building a shot. It all started with a desk...or so I thought it would. I fell into the hobby first by thinking that I needed to build an L-Shaped desk for my office. After having a few meals in our new home, I realized a new dining table would have to take precedent. After building the dining table, I was ready to tackle the desk, but then quickly realized that we didn't have anywhere to sit and eat. So I ended up doing more "research" and found a beautiful design based upon a Williams Sonoma box-joint bench. Following the bench build, I was ready to build the desk for my office...WRONG again! I was getting quite good at building furniture now, so the new couch we just purchased required a new coffee table that wasn't 30 years old and purchased 11 years ago at a garage sale for $5.
After finding the coffee table design on Ana White's site, I knew the build would not only be a challenge, but rewarding in the long run. About a day into the build I thought to myself, I really need to get the office desk done. So *Enter* a really terrible idea, "I'll do both the coffee table and the desk at the same time, it'll be no problem!" Hind sight is 20/20, because I was a moron for thinking that. We're fortunate enough that space wasn't an issue, I have about a 20' x 12' workshop that was able to accommodate both projects simultaneously. Unfortunately, I gave myself a deadline and the 3-4 days a week of traveling for work wasn't helping. I don't suggest doing that. I had all the pieces joined after the first week, but wanted to stain and finish each piece before putting the table together. This was due to the fact that I didn't want to be crawling on the ground and under the table trying to stain and finish. Finishing each individual component was painstaking to say the least, but glad I built the table the way I did. Luckily, the coffee table along with the L-Shaped desk took about 2 weeks total, and I could't be happier with both project.
Thank you again for taking the time to view my post, the story was a bit long winded but hopefully entertaining and insightful. I would appreciate you adding this as a pin or engaging the post socially and sharing. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, I'll do my best to respond in a timely manner.
Sincerely,
Jeff G.
1. One coat of Minwax English Chesnut (Sand to 220, apply stain and wipe off after 10 minutes)
2. One light coat of Minwax Weathered Oak (Paint on a light coat of stain and wipe off after 3 minutes)
Finish:
1. Three coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Satin (Oil Based)
2. Lightly sand after each application of finish, thoroughly clean before next application
Comments
In reply to Wow it’s so beautiful!!! by Ana White
Tue, 10/01/2019 - 21:11
Thank you Ana, much…
Thank you Ana, much appreciated!
Essential Adirondack Chair Two Seater
I followed plans from someone who modified the Essential Adirondack plan to make it seat two. It is a fun and quick build!!
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Cute and easy tent
I mostly followed the directions as provided. My only changes were using hickory instead of pine, it is a nicer wood and it only added $6 to the project. I also put non slip pads on the bottom of the bottoms and used 14 feet of fabric in place of curtains. It is a very quick and inexpensive project that my kids have been getting a lot of enjoyment out of.
Comments
Mon, 02/06/2012 - 18:01
mini/toy tree house?
where or how did you make that cool mini/toy "tree house" in the background!!?!
My red stove :3
I made it a little different, with a small door on the bottom as a little storage.
I loved making this for my kid, and as my first project ever I feel very proud of it.
I don't remember the exact amount of hours it took because I had little time to work on it (maybe 3 hours/week) so it took quite a bit of weeks to complete but it was really easy and fun! :D
I like how it's tall enough for my 2 year old to play standing, before we had a plastic one that was very very short, also it's sturdy enough for climb on it. xD
By the side I made a super easy, varnished, cupboard, following the same main steps from the stove, I only didn't put a front door and added on one side a towel holder and on the other side a small shelf/bar table
Comments
Rustic X-Frame Coffee Table
We've built so many of these coffee tables, but this one has got to be my favorite. Isn't the stain so dreamy?
I think the biggest thing about this coffee table is to finish it properly. We like to plane our boards down so it gives it a bit more of a seamless look - but real rustic lovers don't need to do this.
We sanded the coffee table down with 120 grit paper & then stained this table in Sunbleached Oak by Varathane. It's literally the most stunning color. Blends with almost any decor.
Once that was dry, we applied two coats of polyurathane
Once that was dry, we applied two coats of polyurathane
Outdoor buffet table
My first project using Ana White plans. Used pressure treated lumber and Kreg pocket hole jig. Cost: $126.
Comments
Farmhouse Bed Edited
I saw Ana's plans for the farmhouse bed a couple years ago I think and have wanted to build one ever since! My husband and I were moving over to Oregon from Scotland though so our timing wasn't quite right... in the end though, I waited until I was 8 months pregnant to do it! We raised the footboard to be about bar height (hung our stockings from it at Christmas) and used carriage bolts and routed out the 4x4 posts to make the bed modular. We also used a forstner bit to drop the screws and plug cutters to make a nice cover up for them... If I could do it over I would have used wood conditioner first before staining to achieve a smoother stain job, but we like how it took to the wood a bit crazy-like in the end. Obviously, night stands are next. :) We LOVE this bed! Thanks Ana!
Americna Girl Closet
I made this doll closet to go along with the canopy bed. It came out great! I put some pictures of the build on my blog.
Workbench
I built this workbench in about two hours.
It is a nice, sturdy bench that I plan to use often.
For the top I used two sheets of 1/2" MDF.
DIY Toddler Bunk Bed
I needed a solution to getting my bed back from my children. Since we live in a small apartment, this toddler bunk bed was the best option for our family! We are a military family so I wanted to build something that could be taken with us every time we move. The plans were easy to follow and has such a professional result!
Comments
Wed, 10/02/2019 - 18:10
Oh my goodness! I saw your…
Oh my goodness! I saw your project on Instagram and was hoping you’d share it here too! Thank you so much you made my day!
Pizza Oven Cart
Not quite big enough for Pizza Oven, but love the plans!
Comments
Sat, 06/10/2023 - 07:25
Not quite big enough for…
Not quite big enough for Pizza Oven but love the plans!!
Dream dollhouse just in time for Christmas!
This project took me a while to do just because I had to fit the time in to complete it. Plus I changed the stairs up from the plan because I didn't like how they turned out. They seemed to sag in the middle when you pushed down on it like a kid would when walking the dolls upstairs. I then tried the 2"X4" method suggested somewhere in the posts but that didn't turn out well either. So I searched online and found Wayne of the Woods website here: http://www.wayneofthewoods.com/dollhouse%20plans.html
Scroll down and find the stair plans I adapted to fit the dollhouse I built. I used scrap 1/4" plywood and 1 1/4" (I think) "L" trim/molding. I think I'm most proud of those stairs! :)
Comments
Sat, 12/21/2013 - 14:18
This is beautiful! It's
This is beautiful! It's exactly how I envision ours turning out when its done, but gender neutral. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the stairs idea, I really didn't like either other option.
Rustic Coffee Table
Because we needed this coffee table for a small living room, we scaled the length down a bit from the plans. It worked really well.
Wood Sideboard
My wife and I originally saw this Ana White planked sideboard and knew it was exactly what our dining room needed! We had the perfect spot for it! The plans were generally easy to follow and it was actually my first time installing drawers! It turned out amazing and we all love it! We love the added storage it provides for dishes and other kitchen accessories.
Comments
Coffee Bar & Blender Station
I built this project after my wife saw a brag post from one of Ana White's followers. She was excited to regain some of her kitchen counter space by moving the Keurig machine and Vitamix blender. The build was completed in a single weekend.
Comments
Doll Farmhouse Bed
My 6 year old son and I made this doll bed for my daughter. It's the cutest little bed. Right now she puts her "Bitty Baby" doll in it but it will be great for when she's older and has an American Girl doll, too. And, it gave me a chance to make a little quilt. That was fun.
It was a quick and easy project! Thanks, Ana!!
playhouse bed
I altered the plans a bit so this would fit along the wall where we wanted it. I basically shortened the width of the steps. I left the storage under the hinged 1st and second steps but I put in a shelf style cubby under the top step. This worked out to more useable space for us. I used cheap wood and just plained them down. I think I spent around 300 dollars including paint. But I also used a full sheet of plywood on the back as well.
Rustic farmhouse bed
My second Ana project. Only modifications I made where to use 2x10 for side rails with a cleat system. Heavy duty bed rail hardware purchased from Amazon....Used 2 coat stain process followed with matte poly to finish
Built-in Bookshelves
I built this project in 6 separate pieces before installing it in our home. I pulled the baseboard and attached it to the wall to give it a built-in feel. For the majority of the project, I used 3/4" plywood with the exception if 1/4" plywood for the back of the shelves as well as the centers of the cabinet doors. For the trim, I used select pine boards. I had to work around an airconditioning vent that was in the floor. I was able to divert it to run out the bottom of the bookcase.
This build is loosely based on the Willy Bookcase. I actually found another brag post on the Willy Bookcase that was immensely helpful in constructing my project. I'm so grateful for the brag boards! Instead of fixing all of the shelves like the Willy, I used a Kreg shelf pin jig to make the shelves adjustable. The shelf that lines up with the TV is fixed for stability.
The estimate below covers all of the wood, paint, screws, hardware, etc. For fun, I'm including an in progress photo to illustrate the process. Thanks for looking!
Also, a note - this is a relatively easy project, however, I listed it as "intermediate" because of the cabinet doors. They definitely made it more complicated!