Community Brag Posts

4x4 Truss Beam Table - Oklahoma Style

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/19/2022 - 13:14

This is one of our favorite projects. Loved the pics and plans when we saw them and knew we had to build it. We shortened ours to 5ftx3ft to fit the space in our home. Just waiting on the chairs to arrive to finish it off. We used the Kregg Jig to hide the screws and also glued all joints. I'm sure the kids will be fighting over this one when it comes time.

Built from Plan(s)

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Ten Dollar Ledges

I needed something for my living room wall and then I found this plan. I love it! My husband helped me knock these out really fast. I sanded them then used primer and 2 coats of white trim paint.

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer, White interior high gloss trim paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Homemade "First-Ever-Creation" Washer/Dryer Pedestal!

Submitted by WazzuZach on Sat, 07/13/2013 - 15:46

This was my first wood project... ever. But I didn't want to dish out the $500 for the back-saving store pedestals. This thing is big and sturdy. I have a few random comments below that may help out others with my little experience.

- Lowes does not cut 4x4s. Only 2x4s. Also, call Home Depot to make sure their saw is working before you grab all the wood on your cart :)

- Careful about adding trim to the outside of the pedestal (by outside I mean with left/right side, as opposed to the front). That extra piece of trim will increase the width of your table and it may not fit in your home's spot.

- Wood Putty is ok but cannot be sanded and always stays soft. Wood FILLER on the other hand hardens. I used this extensively to help spiff up my poor trim job. Especially the corners.

- Speaking of poor trim job, I was told after the fact that you should clamp down the trim before you nail. Everytime I tried to nail a piece of trim it would wiggle out of place.

- When wood glue drips, it becomes hard to sand and leaves a mark under the pain it not cleaned up well.

- I didn't know what a countersign drill bit was, but when I dished out the Hamilton for one I found out that any ole drill bit may have sufficed. I'm gonna need some clarification on this, but I ended up pre-drilling almost all of my holes because my electric drill was not powerful enough to screw into the wood.

That's about it. It was a fun first project, but I definitely could've used a few more helpful details, or at least someone who knew something about wood to point out how little I actually know!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

yurra-bazain

Sun, 07/14/2013 - 01:35

It's amazing to see all that you have learned on your first go at building! You've done a great job; have you been bitten by the building bug now? I know I have! =D

Woven Bench

Submitted by jeglover on Fri, 07/10/2015 - 20:42

Turned into a more time consuming project than I first envisioned. I think it turned out great as everyone seems to like it. Going with the two-toned design made the finishing much more difficult but produced good results.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mixture of stains,
primer and indoor/outdoor semi-gloss paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Loved this project. Very easy!

Submitted by atg5004 on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 17:22

Was able to plan out and cut every piece before drilling pocket holes and assembling. Made it even easier by using the vertical spindles on the ends. We absolutely love having this to separate the two living spaces. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Loved the Adirondack build

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/29/2022 - 17:00

Thanks so much for these plans. I looked at dozens of Adirondack plans but 99% of them had tricky cuts requiring templates and more perfection than I wanted to give.

These are very straight-forward. I removed an old deck last year and saved all the 2x6 decking. I used those for this build. Ripped some down to 2x4’s but left the rest as-is for wider arm rest and seat/back boards. Everything came together perfect. Took me longer than I’d like to admit on the first, but the second went quick.

Can’t wait to drink a few beers in these chairs.

Thanks again,
Taylor Jones
Memphis,TN

Comments

brookstone headboard

This was the 2nd project I made and was amazed at how simple this was. Really easy and quick:)

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

Fold-down Backyard Bar

Submitted by bdel on Mon, 07/15/2013 - 10:10

Hi Ana,

I saw your link on Facebook to the fold-down bar by Home Depot, and I wanted to show you the one we built last year. We're pretty proud of how it turned out! It was easy to build - we just used a reference photo we found on the web and built it to our own specifications. We have a very tiny backyard with absolutely no space to set up a drink area, so this works perfectly. It folds up out of the way when it's not needed (and doesn't have to be packed away for the winter!)

After installing it, I handpainted the back (bottom) with an inside-joke between my husband and his friends. "Duffy's Bar and Grill!" is how they answer the phone whenever one calls the other.

I hope you like it!

Barb Steadman
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany stain (MinWax), Polyurethane topcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Made with 2x4s and barn wood top

Submitted by Misterskw on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 17:35

I made this table for my wife. The top is some oak barnwood attached with table buttons to allow for seasonal changes, and the bottom is two by fours resawn to fit. Thanks for sharing this plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Roughly 40 since the top was reclaimed
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax English chestnut and polyurethane. 3 coats each.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Helper Tower

Submitted by Bradnag on Sat, 02/03/2018 - 13:12

This was my first project using a jigsaw. Both of my children absolutely love it. If I had to do it again, I probably would have made the folding version instead, but I am still very happy with how this tower turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$8
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
PPG Speedhide semigloss paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids Lego Table

Submitted by Nyk Cole on Sun, 02/20/2022 - 12:01

Used the Lego table plans to create a place for my kids to build their legos. I added lego plates on the doors and inside for them to build on and added some color.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

My First Project

This is my first ever wood working project. I had a blast learning how to use the Kreg Jig. I learned a lot!! I finished it in about 6 hours, then sanded it and painted it the next day. It is not perfect, but I like it.

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Black Statin Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

loft bed and daybed combinations

Submitted by amifischer on Wed, 07/17/2013 - 06:46

When we moved to our new home, our three boys wanted to share a very small room so we came up with this combination. The daybed is actually two stacked beds because we needed more storage space. We plan to create the desk/shelves under the loft bed soon!

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

Modified Farmhouse King Bed Plans

Submitted by lampertg on Sun, 07/19/2015 - 04:26

I'm from Israel, and i love your site.
i've already built several projects from your plans, but this one was the most challenging one.
I wanted the bed to support a mattress (without a base), so i had to modify the plans. I've added 2X4 to the siderailes, between the headboard legs, and to the footboard, and also one in the middle (see attached photos) to support the thin 1X3's that are the base for the mattress.
I painted it using a water based yellowish cream collor (I know that water based color in not the best choice, but it's just so easy to clean ).
I used a Wagner electric spray painter/gun to paint the bed, and the result was very satisfying.

the wood i used was pine.

Estimated Cost
300$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Water based
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse King Size Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/14/2022 - 15:02

Built from birch wood and finished with wipe on satin finish

Comments

Pallet Shelf for books

My daughter's books never seem to end up on her book shelf in a way that she can easily see them. They are usually laying on their sides and stacked in heaps. We needed a way to keep them organized and easy for her to find the books she's looking for. I made two shelves in less than 20 minutes total.

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Patio Sectional

Submitted by camilton on Thu, 07/18/2013 - 12:24

I absolutely love this sectional! It is a little awkward for my pregnant wife to get up and down from because of how low it is but when you are down it is really nice and you can just kick back and relax.

It has its flaws but for my second ever attempt at building something I am very proud. And out of this project I found a great local lumber mill with excellent straight boards for great prices, learned when it comes to something like a counter sink drill bit spend a little extra learned this after snapping both kobalt and ryobi brand and buying the sturdy dewalt that is in my garage now.

After sanding I used Rust-oleum spray paint and sealed it all with two coats of Cabot spar varnish.

Added bonus our Wal-Mart had cushions on sale for 50 + percent off!

Estimated Cost
175
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-oleum spray paint
Cabot spar varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Man Crate for Grandson

My Grandson Brax is staying with me for a few days this summer and I thought I'd get him invloved with a wood project. We decided on building him a "man crate" to keep toys & other boy stuff in. He was a great help, and got to have a lot of fun while learning to build a DIY project.

Maybe one day Brax will love to build things out of wood like his Paw-Paw.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshield "Espresso"
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Outdoor Chair from 2x4s and 2x6s

Pretty simple and straight forward, just time-consuming without the right tools.

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

Comments

Garden Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/03/2022 - 09:31

Second project ever! Came out pretty nice in my opinion!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments