Community Brag Posts

Wine oak barrel Adirondack chair

Submitted by Medickep on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 12:11

I got some oak barrels from a local vineyard and decided to try making some adirondack chairs. It was harder than I thought it would be, but well worth it!! The stain was a little darker than I thought it be, but it's rubbing off on me!

predrill, predrill, predrill, and learned a valuable lesson in predrilling, as solid wood under strain cracks easy when using 2 1/2" deck screws!

I need to whip out the nice camera and stop using my cell phone for finished products!

Estimated Cost
Around 100.00 dollars per chair (depends on cost of barrel!)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Cabot's Australian timber oil. Not the cheapest product out there, but they actually recommend one coat only and no sanding necessary for future coats. Once it stops beading water, just clean the chair and than reapply! It penetrates deep and forms a wax protective layer that repels water! This is why I chose not to varnish the item!!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 05:16

I never heard of using wine barrels in this way! I love it. It came out fabulous!

Medickep

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 05:34

Thanks you. People make a lot of stuff out of wine barrels. Chairs, stools, Tables, candle holders, and even serving platters!

Joni

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 06:57

This is awesome! Very cool design. It looks very comfortable! Thanks for the tip on the Australian timber oil; I never knew what would be the best finish for an outdoor piece.

Joni

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 07:03

This is awesome! Very cool design. It looks very comfortable! Thanks for the tip on the Australian timber oil; I never knew what would be the best finish for an outdoor piece.

Medickep

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 11:38

It is very comfortable, especially with a glass of wine. I chose the finisher I did because I live in Oregon with a lot of rain!!

Why does everyone's post, including my own show up as duplicate?

Medickep

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 11:38

It is very comfortable, especially with a glass of wine. I chose the finisher I did because I live in Oregon with a lot of rain!!

Why does everyone's post, including my own show up as duplicate?

acd4476

Sun, 07/21/2013 - 17:05

Awesome chairs! Beginning to think I need to make some as well. Did you have plans for this project or follow a generic adirondack chair plan?

Foldable Farmhouse Rustic Dining Table

My wife wanted a portable farmhouse style rustic dining table that she could take to photoshoots and other events. I started with a top made with 2x6s and make the legs with 4x4s and the rest with 2x4s. Stain is dark walnut with a clear coat on top.

The legs are attached with door hinges and can fold into the top for more portable use. There is also a board that can be inserted in the bottom slots so that when in use the legs can not fold in.

So far the rustic dining table is working out great, although this table is VERY HEAVY and needs 2-3 strong people to carry it around. I have also made a lighter version using 1x6 tops and all 2x4 frame and legs.

Photos courtesy of Jennifer Blair Photography Designed by Amber Veatch Designs

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Juanita_r

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 04:15

Oh I really hope that you are able to put these modified plans up!!! A foldable farmhouse table.... what will they think of next!

Unicorn1960

Sat, 10/22/2016 - 17:21

I cannot find the plans for the tiny house drawers any where.  Can someone please point me in the right direction.  Thank you! 

Channing Bookcase

Submitted by FrankJr on Sun, 06/28/2015 - 13:42

We needed a bookcase to fill a void in our living room and this was it. I altered the dimensions to increase the height to 72.5". I also added crown molding to the top which turned out nice. I used the same Bombay mahogany stain suggested by a previous post.

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

Super Hero House

Submitted by carongirls on Sun, 08/11/2013 - 13:48

This was hard for me because I am horrible at using the jigsaw. If I do another one I'll probably not do as many door openings.
It took longer than expected due to filling in all the pocket holes an waiting for the wood filler to dry.
My grandson loves it, he didn't care about my mistakes on it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Ladder shelf

Submitted by mltdblack on Tue, 10/16/2018 - 19:58

My kids desperately needed storage for their bathroom. The vanity is separate from their toilet and tub/shower. They were always forgetting to grab a towel before bath time. When I saw the wooden ladder shelf I thought it was perfect for the space. The only problem I had was figuring out the angle and height to place the supports on the front legs. With the help of my husband and a level it was a breeze. Once again it took longer for me to apply the finish than it did to build. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Not real sure. I had most of the lumber on hand.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust oleum Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

5 Board Bench

Submitted by truckrun on Tue, 09/17/2013 - 20:50

I was looking for a plan for a 5 board bench so naturally I came to your site. I made your basic design but made it a little bit smaller in all dimensions and I put a half inch split down the middle of the top. I built it out of pine and painted it flat black. I gave the legs and underneath 3 coats of satin polyurethane and the top and sides received 5.

You can follow the build on my blog at :
http://funwithwoodworkingtoo.blogspot.com/2013/09/project-how-to-build-…

You can also watch a video of the build on my YouTube page at:
http://youtu.be/1_hz2n7v9ss

Thanks for the free plans!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
MINWAX water based satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids table and chairs

Great little project. Finished just in time for Thanksgiving.

Andy

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mirrowax, polyurethane semi gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Thu, 11/26/2015 - 07:14

You did a super job!  These are absolutely adorable!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Built in bookcase with lights

Submitted by AndyH on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 14:19

Built in bookcase with lighting and power outlets in cupboards for audio and DVD equipment to feed to the wall mounted tv (to the left).

The photo with the lights is when it was unfinished and I also decided that I didn't like the inset doors and so made new overlay ones. Now I have four doors I need to use on another project...

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams Pro Classic Extra White Satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White

Mon, 12/14/2015 - 05:43

Inspiring to see such amazing work!  Love the attention to detail and precision.  Ana

Bown

Sun, 09/10/2017 - 18:45

Did you go by a plan? I'd like to do this but I definitely need a step by step plan.

Farmhouse Table - Thanks Ana!!

I tackled the Farmhouse Table over a long weekend while my boyfriend was away - he was surprised needless to say!
I have not attempted any woodwork projects since grade 8, but this was alot of fun - I did not find it very difficult and loove using power tools :)
I made the matching bench, however I guess I did not stir the bottom of the can well enough and my bench is now red :/ soo I am going to either stain it dark or paint it white and use it as a mudroom seat!

*I also made mine shorter - 7ft long to fit in our dining room and adjusted the bench to fit.

Estimated Cost
$160 for table & bench inc. wood, screws, stain, sand paper
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded it until I was pretty sure the risk of splinters was eliminated. After pre-stain conditioner, it got a coat of Minwax 'Ipswitch Pine'. The result was perfect on the table (two coats), however I must not have stirred the can well enough as my bench turned out dark red :/ I wanted it to look like it's 100 years old.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Maggie Jaye

Fri, 10/07/2011 - 17:15

Thank you so much Ana! We are in the process of renovating our house and your website has inspired me to take on so many more projects now!! :)

Margaret Kubiszyn (not verified)

Sat, 10/08/2011 - 19:46

I love your choice of stain - it is beautiful!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/02/2011 - 04:52

I built a similar table and I am having problems with my kids getting food in between the pieces of wood. Do you have this same problem, is anyone having this same problem? Does anyone have any suggestion as to how to fix it, how to keep food and other particles from getting trapped between the cracks? Thanks! You did a great job!!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:00

I am building this table as we speak. The thought occurred to me as well concerning the cracks attracting crumbs. I believe using clamps to make the fit as tight as possible will help. Also some poly finishes may be appropriate with children which may even seal the cracks... if sanded and clamped well.

Maggie Jaye

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:11

I did try my best to clamp the wood together as tight as possible - due to the pieces of wood not being completely straight, they are there.

I haven't had this problem yet. I do use place mats when eating at the table, that generally stops any crumbs etc.That's probably the easiest way to avoid it :)

Thank you for your comments!

Fireplace with recessed TV mount

Submitted by medicscott on Thu, 02/16/2023 - 07:46

This is a very custom fireplace that I built for my wife as a 40th wedding anniversary gift. It is built around a Samsung 55” Frame TV and a Vivo motorized mount. The motorized mount allows the TV to be lowered to a better viewing height than the standard above mantle position which is usually too high for comfortable viewing.

In order to maintain the flush mount effect with the TV in art mode, I recessed the mount into the fireplace. That required building a “back” frame for the TV mount then the outer frame for the surround. I covered the outer frame with ½” OSB then ship lap. The mantle and hearth is made from Poplar with walnut stain and Polyurethane satin top coat. The hearth opens for storage.

This was sourced from several different plan sets with a lot of customization and input from the Technical Support Staff at Vizo-US.

Comments

Ana White

Thu, 02/16/2023 - 09:46

Happy Anniversary!
This is a beautiful, well thought out project.
I was hoping someone would do the recessed mount, and you nailed it! It's so much better with the tv flush like yours.
Also love the motorized mount.
Thank you very much for sharing photos.
Ana

2x4 Sectional , table, and chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 04:57

Your easy to follow 2x4 proje ts turned out amazing. My outdoor set is complete. The chairs, also, came from your plans. I built all of it by myself in one weekend. Thank you

Comments

Redwood Farmhouse Table and Bench

Submitted by nkukona on Mon, 07/22/2019 - 05:35

Farmhouse Table and Bench. Made from all redwood. Table is all new wood, and half the bench was from reclaimed redwood. Used Danish Oil and Spar Urethane to finish the tops, and paint to finish the legs.   

Estimated Cost
Not sure, but redwood cost a lot more than pine. Maybe $400 or so.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

From Logs to Famhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/13/2019 - 18:45

So this DIY Farmhouse Style Table has been on my “make it” list for a while now. And what better time to make it than now, since we just got a saw mill. Check out the blog link below to read all about it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American Stain
Minwax Polycrylic Clear Sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Mario Castle Bunk

Submitted by jlholmes80 on Wed, 01/01/2014 - 00:30

So my son needed a bunk bed and we came upon the sweet pea bed. It was too girly for him so we decided to go with a theme that would be timeless, something he wouldn't mind having when he is 18 (or older, he is 10 now). What is better than Mario! (We are a house full of gamers, my 17 year old is super jealous of this bed lol). The build was fairly easy and the plans were straight forward enough, the time consuming part was the painting (without all the painting we could have probably build this in a long weekend). We changed a few things, like not arching the top windows, adding the 4 inch 2x4 squares to the top to give the castle look and stairs are made to look like stairs from the side so we stepped out the banister instead of angling it.

Estimated Cost
500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint colors were all Behr paint+ primer (mostly eggshell or flat):
New Brick, Black, Polar Bear White, Green Crush, Green Acres, Lemon Zest, Windjammer, and French Silver. Some of the colors (like pinkish tone on the stairs) we created on our own mixing the New Brick and the Polar Bear.

Polyurethane. I mixed regular oil based polyurethane (gloss) with mineral spirits (50/50) and wiped it on. It was remarkably simple and gave it a nice seal/finish. Last coat I used Satin Polyurethane because I didn't want the gloss finish. I opted not to sand between coats because this is a kids bed and I wasn't looking for that "perfect" finish, just wanted some added protection.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Mrswhetstone1

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 06:11

This is the coolest bed I have ever seen! I wish I could make this for my youngest. I could probably build it, but I 'm pretty sure it would go downhill when I started painting it. You did an amazing job and your son is a very lucky boy!

jlholmes80

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 16:10

You can totally do it! I am a horrible painter (I'm too impatient) and you can't tell with this because of how forgiving the design ends up being. There is so much going on it's hard to pinpoint the mistakes. :)

jlholmes80

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 16:07

Thanks so much! This was the first thing we ever built (although my husband did a lot of building stuff in his youth we have never done anything together and I was a total beginner) so we are very happy with it. :D I appreciate all the kind words.

amercpina

Fri, 05/03/2019 - 22:00

We are super excited to build this for our 9 year old son. To make this a Full size bed am I correct in thinking that I only need to alter the side panels by adding 15inches? I am paranoid about building it and the mattress not fitting. Thanks so much!

Bathroom Vanity I did for my mom Based on the Momplex vanity

I remodeled the main floor bathroom for my parents. My mom had seen a vanity she like at a home center. Then she thought about doing an open vanity. Then I showed her the one Ana did for the Momplex (48" Turned Leg Vanity). and she loved it. This is what we came up with.

It has bead board panels on the ends and the doors. V-grove planks for the bottom shelf.

The top is made from 100 year old ship lap siding from my brother house. The sink is hand hammered copper with a venetian bronze faucet.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
The vanity was finished using Rust-o-leum Ultimate wood stain in summer oak with several coats of a marine varnish to protect it in the bathroom. The top was only finished in the marine varnish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

DIY Faux Mantle /Fireplace

When I first saw Mimi's Faux Mantle I dreamed about building one for my house but I didn't know where. When I began renovating my Master Bedroom I found the perfect place for it on a bare uninteresting wall.

To add interest to the mantle, I stained the top and attached a faux hearth using a 1x12 painted the same color as the rest of the mantle. I also Diy'd a distressed mirror glass insert to bounce the lighting off. I added low voltage LED lights too.
It turned out better than I expected.

Visit my blog http://thepursuitofhandyness.com for a full tutorial of the building process and the distressed mirror glass.

Estimated Cost
$25.00 - $75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Silky White in Satin & Rustoleum Ultimate Stain in Early American mixed with Dark Walnut. Sealed with Rustoleum Ultimate Polyurethane in Satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modular Play Kitchen

I made this for my 3 kids for Christmas and I'm so glad I did!  They have gotten so much use out of it and love to move it around to set up different "houses" and restuarants.  Thanks so much for these plans!  I made the pieces a little taller, and use the play stove as the sink base too so that it could double as a dishwasher :)  

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Color Bay by Pantone
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner Media Console

Submitted by craw4dz on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:39

We had just moved into our new house and were using an end table for our TV stand I just didn't like it.  I found this and modified it so it's shorter and fits in our room better.  I also opted to not put doors on it and use it to display items instead.  This was a relatively easy build and I'm learning new things with every build I make.  It took about 2 days to complete not including filling holes/paint/stain.  I love it, it looks so great in our room and I am planning on building end tables to match as well as replacing our buffet with movies in it to match also.  Thanks for the easy-to-follow plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Whatever white paint I had on hand (haha) and Varathane Kona with a satin poly for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Miter Saw Cart

Submitted by Rennie82 on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:12

Coped the design almost to the "T." I loved this design because I only have a small shed to work out of and this stand for my miter saw was much needed.

The major difference between the original and my design are the folding arms. I was working within a very small budget and couldn't afford the fancy folding arms so I was able to do a little creative thinking and decided to go with a removable piece of 1x3 that is wedged under the arms with a block installed on the "leaf" and the main table. I used the old pythagorean theorem to figure out how to make it a level 45 degrees. With a little playing around I have both arms completely level and the stand is perfect!! I am excited to get some other projects on the way now that I have somewhere other than the ground to work with my miter saw.

I didn't use any pocket holes, but am picking up a Kreg jig set from someone this upcoming week and am looking forward to putting that into some use on my next projects!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
30 bucks or so
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

stephanier (not verified)

Fri, 05/18/2012 - 19:04

I would like to see a close up too if possible. I am wanting to make the saw cart plus two more carts with the middle flush with the top so I can push the two together to use for a workbench. How much weight do you think your sides can hold the way you set them up?

In reply to by stephanier (not verified)

Rennie82

Sun, 05/20/2012 - 11:28

I honestly am not too sure how much weight it would hold. I havent seen any bowing or pushing yet. I have used this so far to cut a piece of 4x4 12ft long made of cedar for my next project and didnt have any problems. I think if I need more weight holding strength, I think I would just change out the 1x3 and maybe use a 2x4 in there. I am also not a 100% sure how much weight the hinge can hold, maybe someone else reading these posts can be a little more helpful as far as that goes.

Colorful Custom Bedford Corner Desk with Live Edge Desktop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/28/2019 - 20:41

I followed the plans pretty closely. I added dividers to make 3 drawer units but I didn't find it necessary to have the top shelf go all the way to the back since it would never function as a shelf. I used scrap pieces for that and they weren't big enough to be full shelves.

I used 1/2" MDF for the bottom, sides, and backs of the drawers to cut down on weight, cost, and general bulkiness. I used this free app called Cut List to figure out the easiest way to have the guys at Home Depot cut all the drawer panels after I learned I'm not that good with a circular saw. I used a hack saw to cut aluminum bars for hanging files and used scrap wood to make the little brackets to hold the bars upright in the drawer. The full extension drawer slides are functionally and asthetically better but it would have been so much easier to put in basic bottom mount slides. 

I wanted a wood grain top and ended up with common pine boards over more expensive poplar or oak and I would use pine again without hesitation. I used Google SketchUp to figure out the widths of boards I needed to make the top with minimal cuts. Then joined them with glue and mending plates and sanded the hell out of them. I altered the dimensions slightly to make it the same size desktop as the Bedford desk. My two wing sections are 23" x 23" but I should have made them 23" deep by more like 24" or 25" long. I had to hack the bottom bracing to make a spot for the drawer units to slide into. If you alter the dimensions make sure you can secure a brace between the main body and the wing of the desktop and still have room for the brace at the edge of the wing. 

My cost includes things like a Kreg jig, saw blade, clamps, paint brushes etc. so you may be able to do this for less. I could have gone with a middle of the line paint I think. This project was a beast for me because a) I'm not a furniture maker b) I don't own a table saw which would have been amazing c) I picked the hardest way to make the desktop and d) I modified some of the dimensions from the basic plans. I worked on this thing for weeks (granted sometimes I didn't touch it for several days or a week). But it was a fun and rewarding project. 

Estimated Cost
$500-$600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Marquee, Minwax wood conditioner, stain (honey) and stain poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments