Community Brag Posts

I tried to replicate the original post on this site (which is awesome by the way!)  I did make a few changes so this might help others:

1. Made total table length 72" to fit our dining room.

2. Flipped the stretcher boards towards the inside part of the table for more leg room while sitting on either end of the table

3. 2 inch pocket hole screws to attach table top to the frame (instead of 2 1/2 inch so they wouldn't go through the table top)

4. Two 2x10s (instead of 2x8s) for the breadboards.  For extra support, I used four 3 inch metal brackets (purchased at Lowes) that I painted white and attached under each breadboard (8 total brackets used- 4 under each side)

5. Olympic brand latex white eggshell paint for the legs/apron for the table and bench.  I then applied 3 coats of Minwax Polycrylic Matte (water based) to help protect the water based paint.

6.  To help with the gaps between the boards that create the table top (I have two kids so you can imagine the crumbs!), I used Dap white caulk in between the boards and wiped away the excess.  I then proceeded with the Rust-Oleum chalked ultra matte white paint (using 1:1 ratio of water and paint) to create that lighter foundation for the next step.

7. After using the Minwax Dark walnut stain 2716 (one coat), I used 3 coats of Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane clear satin to finish and loved the result.  

kids workbench

My wife and I were looking for a larger table for our deck and after searching and seeing that everything out there was 300 dollars and up for something decent I decided I would try building something. This table was perfect for our needs and looked easy enough for me to put together. The most time consuming part was staining all of the boards as I went but it was totally worth it in the end. I also deviated from using screws and used my nail gun along with some glue to put the top frame together and the slats on but I did use some 2inch deckmate screws to attach the legs. One problem I did run into was I was about half a board short on the slats which wasn't a big deal just ripped one on the table saw, not sure if I miss measured or what but either way. We love our table and will entertain around it for years to come.

I wanted this console but not as long. 

I had been on a search for a while for new furniture for my son’s new big boy bed room but couldn’t justify the money for new furniture and couldn’t find anything remotely nice on craigslist. I ran across this plan on Ana’s site and just had to have it so it became my first large furniture project.
It was fun to build and very rewarding when my son told me he loved his new bed!

I did have some issues with using the kreg jig on the platform so I did use wood screws on the outside frame. I had better success with the kreg jig on the headboard, guess I just needed practice.

There were a few things I did to make it easier to move the bed if needed:
I did not attach the slats but I did lay them on a non skid grip (like you put under rugs on wood floors).
I attached the headboard to the platform using carriage bolts so it could be taken apart easily.

The plans were really easy to follow.

I. LOVE. MY. BATHROOM.

This started with an EPIC FAIL. "Yes Dad I think I hit a pipe with a nail!!!"

Fast forward through plumbing & drywall fixes and life. I added the Board & Batten, made a mirror frame and installed a new mirror. I finally love my guest bathroom.

My wife wanted matching bookcases for our library rather than the hodgepodge collection we had assembled over the years. We looked at several different options but the trick was getting them to our house in a cost and time effective manner. We came across the Willy Bookcase plans here and, after pricing the wood vs. pre-built options, decided to strike out to build our own bookcases.

The library took 5 McMansions, 1 Highrise, and 1 3-Bed/2Bath bookcase. We liked Ikea's Billy corner bookcase set, so we purchased a corner bookcase bracket from them to create the effect and stabilize the Highrise between two McMansions.

We decided to do the entire length of the bookcase sides with shelf holes to allow for maximum flexibility in spacing of the shelves. We fixed the middle shelves across all units to match the top of the short 3-Bed/2Bath.

The simple design made the project simple overall - a single bookcase is an easy weekend project. Since we decided to use stain with wipe on poly, finishing took the vast majority of the time (four hours to cut, sand, and build, 44 hours to finish...) Purchasing a good shelf pin jig and making consistent measurements is a necessity for mass producing shelves with consistent spacing on the shelves.

Started this about a year ago, working for an hour or two at a time, all nights. Then the little one started talking about having sleep overs once the bunk bed was done. Luckily i had a week of vacation this summer and spent most of that time completed the bed. I still have to complete the storage boxes for under the bed, and just need to find some nice hinges to mount the upper window shutters. We let the girls pick out some stickers and decals, hence all the awkwardly placed Elsa & Anna Stickers. Girls love it. 

Easy Build Workbench by Dana

This is the 3 box storage daybed, as you can see I added an armrest on one end as it sits in a corner.

Tips for building this project: Buy a decent circular saw, I used a cheap one and really regretted it. Square your timber, I ended up squaring my timber using a sander, which wasn't as easy as it sounds. Check you measurements, the bottom of one of my boxes was a little short because I didn't double check the measurements and I ended up having to fix it with an extra piece of timber. 2 or 3 saw horses are a real help and lots of clamps.

I used the cutout outline from the link below but had to convert it all to metric since I live in Sweden, also a standard single mattress here isn't as wide but longer then the one used in the linked project. I didn't take this into account and ended up having to buy an extra piece of plywood.
http://ana-white.com/2009/12/plan-stratton-daybed-as-request-by-you.html

I got the single mattress and the pillows from IKEA.

This was a lot of fun and I look forward to spending many hours relaxing on my new daybed.

This project is based on the outdoor storage bench at morelikehome.net, which was based on an Ikea outdoor storage unit.  I used 100 year old lath that I recycled from a remodeling project.  The lid of the bench lifts off, it will eventually hide the timer for a drip irrigation.

This was my first time building a pice of furniture. My daughter needed a bed and I had a bunch of ash lumber in my barn. Turned out great. Thanks for the great design.

This is a solid maple desk with two drawers finished with shellac and paste wax. I altered the plan by giving the desk and overhang, as well as changing the way the legs were built.

I made this armless outdoor sofa using scrap teak and Ikea cushions.

Modified the plans somewhat to accommodate the limitations of my daughter's tiny studio apartment. Took 4 inches off the width, centered a cart type base, and put it on wheels so she can use it as a desk or roll it into the kitchen space when she has company.

Also used 1x4 inches boards for the white boxes and used one board the length of the back and put hinges on all 3 top sections.  Drilled a hole with a gromet in the center section so she can feed a powercord through to her laptop.