Community Brag Posts

Rustic Table and Bench

I basically stuck to the plans, but I shortened the length of the table just a touch, and lengthened the bench to fit just inside the legs. I also used 2x4s for the legs, tapered them for aesthetics (similar to some other posters), and reinforced them with "L" brackets to reduce the wobble. We finished it with Semigloss white paint, Minwax Honey stain, and Minwax Gloss Polyurethane.

If I can make this table, just about anyone can.

Estimated Cost
150.00 for lumber,
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Honey Stain, Minwax Gloss Polyurethane, and Semigloss White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

shelbyautumn

Mon, 11/07/2016 - 11:29

Your table is beautiful!

Do you remember how you tapered your legs? I'm trying to figure out if I can do it without a table saw.

Thank you!

Second Project: table saw/ miter saw work bench

Submitted by jamesjill on Sat, 01/30/2021 - 20:34

Used part of the Ultimate Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Stand to just build one of the roll-away workbenches to work with my miter saw and table saw. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Lovin the Drawer dividers

Finished this in no time and wow did it create a lot of space. I was able to get rid of my knife block because there’s now room for my knives in my drawer. Thank you Ana for sharing your wood work with us! This was well worth the $25 I spent!

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rural School Bus Shelter

Submitted by Medeek on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 09:02

Rural Bus Shelter with 3/12 shed roof, designed to keep your kids out of the elements as they wait for the bus. Shown with log siding and 2x trim. Can be constructed on a slab on grade or remain portable with pressure treated runners and wood floor as shown.

Upgrade further with electricity and insulation for those really cold and dark climates (ie. Washington, Oregon, Alaska, B.C.).

I will make the plans for this shelter freely available to all that are interested.

Estimated Cost
$1200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Very good idea to stain and treat the siding which will greatly increase its longevity and attractiveness.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Free Standing Closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/28/2021 - 09:13

thank you so much for these plans! We cut the original design in half, so it would fit the space- we used pine so the boards were a little warped but eventually everything screwed down into place and now it really does free stand and its all level! We may add a crossbeam at the back for extra stability. Stained with Ipswitch Pine by Verathane , 2 layers with sanding between, basic piping from the hardware store. Well under $200 total!

5.5 feet tall, 6 feet wide, 2 feet deep

Thanks again, your plans were thorough and easy to follow.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Laquer - semi gloss
2 coats, sand in between
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse table with epoxy finish

This is my first big woodworking project. That being said, there were a lot of mistakes that were made. In the pictures you can see the beginning stages when I was making the base cuts and assembling the table top. The picture with the dark top and natural legs was the beginning of one mistake. I bought gel stain because it was the color I liked but I had no idea how to use it correctly. Because of this I left the stain on and it was waaayyyyy too dark. I had to sand down the entire top and redo it. After fixing that I correctly stained the base, extensions, and bench. The extensions I made are not in the photos because I forgot to make the cuts to slide them in. I'm supposed to do that this weekend... After staining I polyurethaned the base, bench, and extensions to give them a nice shine. The table top I finished with Liquid Glass two part epoxy. That gave the top a super hard surface that shines and makes the normally soft pine top, rock hard. I figured this way when my daughters do homework on it they wouldn't leave their writing indented in my nice, new table. I hope you guys like it and I plan to do many more projects and post my results here. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.

Estimated Cost
$300-$325
Finish Used
Minwax hickory gel stain, polyurethane, and 2 part epoxy acrylic finish. The gel stain must be applied and then immediately wiped off. The polyurethane may need multiple coats in order to achieve an even finish. The epoxy must be poured on and spread evenly. Remember that if it drops on something and it is allowed to dry that it will usually rip up whatever material it is on our you will have to sand it off. USE DROP CLOTHS.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Baby proof

Submitted by shoak on Thu, 02/26/2015 - 12:02

We just recently had our first child and decided we needed to protect our electronics a little better from the soon to be mobile baby. Turned out great! I highly recommend leaving the back off until the piece is completely stained or painted. It takes up less floor space and the tv is totally out of reach of little hands. We customized the shelf heights to fit the sound bar and computer perfectly. I was so excited when I stumbled across these plans looking for a new tv stand. Everything I found either wouldn't fit my computer     Or didn't have doors. Love it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain with two coats of satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Garage Shoe storage and Bench

Combined Mimi's Storage Bence with the Shoe Shrine Shelf and came up with a what we really needed.  I like how it turned out!

Estimated Cost
$225
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Simple white trim paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ultimate tool bench with rolling carts

This plan is so perfect and I love the fact that it has a space for most of the tools, for a miter saw, table saw, and could be customized to your needs and tools that you have!

Comments

Patio cooler/Grill cart!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/22/2017 - 14:06

Great project! I'm new to wood working and have been looking for simple but challenging builds. Needless to say this fit the bill... This grill cart was a great starter build and ultimately became a Father's Day gift!  My Pops loved it! 

I did add a couple of custom pieces: a foldable table top extension and towel bar... things Dad will undoubtedly need as he's an outdoorsman who loves to BBQ!

Thanks for the idea/design plans! 

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-gloss spar urethane (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

5-Tier Wood Planter

This plan was easy to follow, accurate and came together in just a few hours. I used some reclaimed barn wood for the 2x6s and dog-ear pickets for the remainder.

I made it harder for myself than it had to be. I didn't follow the directions closely enough and cut the box ends at 5 1/2" instead of 5 1/4". That meant that the bottoms had nothing to press-fit against. So, I had to do a little workaround to fix that. I made a 1" shelf at each end of each box so that the bottom could sit on these little shelves. The upside to this mistake is that there was now a drainage slot all along the front and all along the back of each planter box. 

I stained and sealed it. Finally, I lined each planter box with weed matting that I'd cut to size and cut drain slits in. The matting doubles as a way to keep the planting mix from falling out of the long drainage slots while allowing water to drain through the little slits I poked in the fabric. (I poked drain slits only along the front edge so that water would drain into the planter box below instead of onto the ground.)

I'm happy with the plan and the finished planter!

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of Cabots Premium Stain and Sealer in Gingersnap. One coat of Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Porch Swing - I LOVE IT!

Submitted by MelanieG on Sat, 04/11/2015 - 15:38

I've been wanting to build this swing for a year now, and finally it's completed.  I LOVE it!  The modern design is perfect for our front porch as our home is more of a contemporary style.  It was the first project I've done using the Kreg Jig Kit, which is AWE-SOME!    

I modified the plan a bit:  I made the swing 52" long, and used 1x4's for the back support instead of 2x4's.  I also upgraded the top and back 1x4's and 1x6's to poplar wood so the grain would be finer.  The plan was simple to build.  Thank you for your blog and providing plans!  There are other things on your site that I look forward to making.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Michael K

Sun, 04/12/2015 - 06:29

That porch swing looks great! I have to say that its a great addition to an already sweet looking porch area you have there.

Washer/Dryer Platform Pedestal

Submitted by Dimarc67 on Fri, 04/17/2015 - 10:45

 

THE MOTIVATION
After a recent washer outage (that I was ultimately able to repair myself), my wife and I talked about eventually replacing our front-loading washer/dryer set.  One of the bullets I hate biting is paying the exhorbitant prices for the matching pedestals for new washer/dryer sets.

Having just bought a good set of cordless powertools, and having watched my father when I was a kid build countless household fixtures, window dressings, furniture pieces, etc., I decided to try my hand and construct a permanent platform for our current washer/dryer set, thereby eliminating the need to ever buy manufacturer pedestals again.

The existing pedestals were a standard 15" high, with a storage drawer, which we felt was still not high enough for comfort.  And, the washer pedestal drawer was entirely inaccessibl due to the 2" walls on the washer drain pan, so its drawer was totally useless, wasted space.

And, lastly, we really wanted more space for clothes baskets full of laundry, which we generally stacked (full and haphazardly) on top of the machines.

 

THE CHALLENGES
The largest challenges were mainly logistics, and gravity.  The washer/dryer would have to be unavailable for at least 2-3 days while they sat disconnected in the next room waiting for their new home.  So I coordinated with the family so they'd know when they needed to have their laundry done, or tough it out until I was done.

There was no way to know for sure what the drain connection for the washer pan looked like until I got the washer out.  So it was a small gamble that I'd be able to get the parts needed to extend the drain pipe up to the new platform right when I was ready for them.  Fortunately, this was no issue at all.

The biggest challenge turned out to be toward the end when it came time to lift our 230-lb. washer onto the new platform.  I seriously considered disassembling the washer to the point that I could remove its molded concrete counter-weights, but instead (and arguably stupidly) elected to use a large hydraulic car jack to raise the washer.  This ultimately worked, but I have to STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST trying this.

 

THE SPACE
Our laundry room is also the "mud room" between our kitchen and the garage.  It is only large enough for the two machines, and the walk way between the two doors--in total, about 70.5" square.  Building the platform from wall-to-wall made the most sense, and minimized framing by fastening edge framing directly to the wall studs. 

 

THE PLAN
Pretty basic:  2x4's all around for the edge framing--back and sides fastened directly to the wall studs, and front 2x4 supported by two, notched 4x4 legs.  3/4" plywood for the subsurface, and 1/4" laminate faux-wood flooring on top (left over from reflooring, so it matches the floor below).  Bore holes for the washer pan drain and the dryer vent.  1" quarter-round molding on the sides, and 5.5" face piece flush with the top of the molding across the front (spare lauan I had looks perfect).  I also made a point of putting the machines on the platform before the face piece since it might have been in the way or damaged.

Anyone will tell you that it's best to at least sketch out what you want to do so you can minimize surprises, forgotten parts, etc.  I, of course, did virtually none of that, and made several course changes and corrections along the way.  For this project, I was lucky that I didn't need to backtrack at any point, and probably won't learn this lesson any time soon anyway.  However, you SHOULD.

 

TAKE-AWAYS
The main mistake I made was while gathering the platform dimensions for cutting the plywood.  It was only blind luck that kept me from having to do it more than once (and having to buy more than one 4x8 sheet).  I know that it's actually very unlikely that two adjacent walls are perfectly square, so I made a point to measure the width between the walls at the back and at the front--and, sure enough, found a 1/8" difference--wider at the front.  But when I measured and marked the plywood for cutting, I measured both distances from the precut edge, and then cut.  By doing this, I inadvertently assumed that one of the back corners was perfectly square. 

What I should have done was used a carpenter's square in each back corner to extend a square line from the back edge to the front, and then measured from the square lines to their respective side wall.  This would have accounted for neither back corner being square.

Fortunately, my mistake wasn't big enough to keep the plywood from fitting, but it was very, VERY close.

 

GIDDY
I honestly couldn't be happier with the finished project (or more smug).  We've raised the washer/dryer 9" higher than they were (24" off the floor), and we now have basket storage underneath all the way across.  I placed two 24" plastic cabinets on top, which still leaves room for the detergent right over the soap inlet on the washer.

And, most importantly, I got to use every powertool I own.  Kinda beats "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" thing, huh?

 

Estimated Cost
Most of my project made use of spare lumber and materials I've had on hand forever. The 4x8 sheet of plywood was about $30 at Home Depot.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural. No finishing, staining, or painting. Lauan has a natural stained oak coloring, so it was perfect for the facing. (A soft wood, Lauan--"lao-AHN", also sometimes called "Philippine Mahogany" simply for the darker color--used to be as readily available as pine, but I haven't seen it in stores for many years.)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Mantel storage bed

This is a queen size mantel bed with storage as cubbies only (also Ana White).  The paint is Eider White from SW (white with grey undertones, no yellow) and water-based poly since I really didn't want any yellow in in.  

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Eider White
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wall Crates

Really cute and simple project. I left one stained for the rustic bathroom and painted two white for the beach themed living room.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
painted two in white dove by valspar and stained one in oak with Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Simple Outdoor Dining Table - Kreg Jig Version

Submitted by mstephe7 on Mon, 09/18/2017 - 10:57

I followed the plans to the dining table with the suggested 1/4" spacing and extra slat so that this table will match the bench I will be making next.  I used the kreg jig for everything so that there are no visible screws.  This table is relatively simple to assemble and seems sturdy yet not too heavy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-transparent deck stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Little Farmhouse Action

Submitted by SamWiseMan on Fri, 06/07/2013 - 21:34

I used 2x8s for the tabletop and bench tops, with 1x4 to frame it. The legs on the table are 2x4 times 2 to look like 4x4 (can only find them treated around here). I messed up in my calculations on the benches. I intended to do the same with the legs there, but was forced to do 2x4. I don't like it as much, but they will do fine. The table is stained in Rustoleum Kona, used a wire brush to make it look rough, and then sanded it a little bit. The bottom is actually spray painted in Ivory.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum's Kona water-based stain and Rustoleum's matte finish poly. Rustoleum spray painted bottom in Ivory.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

basteeley

Fri, 04/08/2016 - 16:09

This is a most difficult site. I have signed in and would love to have the plan for the Little Farmhouse Action table and bench for outside use by SamWiseMan.

Weekend Project: DIY Kitchen Island

Submitted by bdel on Fri, 11/10/2017 - 11:09

We have a limited amount of counter space in our kitchen, while also having a large open space that is unused. We've always planned on including an island once we renovate, but we didn't want to wait. We decided to build a butcher block-style island with open shelving underneath - a simple design that would give us all the counter space we needed and some additional storage space.

We bought a premade bamboo tabletop, as well as 4x4 cedar posts for the legs, 2x4s for the framework, and 1x2 slats for the shelf.

You can see all of the details of how we built it in the blog post, but here are a few of the features:

- an interior framework that connects to the tabletop and outer framework so that no screws are visible on the outside

- countersunk GRK structural screws used to attach the legs htat look like carriage bolts

-feet are angle cut so that floor is less likely to be scratched if the island is moved

 

We're really proud of this build and are enjoying having so much extra counter space. It's amazing what you can get done in a weekend!

Estimated Cost
$200 - $250 - pre-made top, cedar 4x4s, pine 2x4s, pine 1x2s, assorted screws, finishing nails, stain.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial stain on pine (2 coats), mineral oil on bamboo top, no finish on cedar.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

DIY Mobile Lumber Rack

I finally have order in my garage! I built a mobile lumber rack using plans from the Rogue Engineer. My husband and I knocked out this project one Sunday afternoon. It can store a huge load of lumber and best of all, it’s portable. We are very, very pleased with the final project! Storing all our lumber on the rack has freed up a great deal of space in our garage.

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jennibee

Sun, 06/21/2015 - 16:07

I made one of these about a month ago after seeing it on the Rogue Engineer's website and just love it. It's exactly what we needed since we are always having to move things around in the garage. You did a great job.

jennibee

Sun, 06/21/2015 - 16:08

I made one of these about a month ago after seeing it on the Rogue Engineer's website and just love it. It's exactly what we needed since we are always having to move things around in the garage. You did a great job.

Our new pantry

We bought a vacation home that has such a small kitchen. I knew we needed more storage. So I checked out Ana's plans and made this bad boy based on the Simplest Armoire plans.

The home is in the mountain/lakes area of northern New Hampshire, so I wanted to bring the outside colors in. I used Valspar Cabin Red paint and the Valspar Antiquing glaze over the top after distressing it a bit.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 +
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Cabin Red paint
Valspar Antiquing glaze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner