First Build - Redwood Adirondack Chairs
Love the results of my first building project.....a pair of redwood adirondack chairs. Angled cuts were a great way for a beginner to learn to use the miter saw.
Love the results of my first building project.....a pair of redwood adirondack chairs. Angled cuts were a great way for a beginner to learn to use the miter saw.
I had to make some adjustments to the size, because our new mattress is 180 x 190cm, and I had a couple of problems with the plan, it was probably me rather than the plan, but nothing that I couldn't overcome. The bed is pino (pine) purely because I couldn't get any other dry timber in Colombia, unless I won the lottery.
The boards on the headboard panel, I pocket holed (using ordinary wood screws) as well as glued, to ensure they will not part in the future, and I used lag bolts to attach the base to the footboard.
The bed is a few inches taller than the plan, purely because my Wife wanted one of our dogs to be able to continue sleeping under the bed!
Unfortunately due to the small size of the room, the photos do not show the bed that well. The full build is on my Blog.
Now to make the night stands!
Thanks for the Plans Ana. Though we had to convert every number the plans helped us a lot. Our playhouse turned out really big: 8x8 foot. We had to include our heater under the window, so our tunnel is much bigger. It took us (three people) a half day shopping and two days and one night building and cost 600-700€. The kids where amazed when they opened the door a few days after Christmas. We still think about adding some features like a slight or a bed...
Easy build
We used MDF, drop-leaf lockable hinges for the leaves, and piano hinges. I wouldn't recommend MDF because it wasn't strong enough for the screws and we ended up having to add bits of plywood to reinforce the areas for the hinges. We also put pegboard on the back to avoid things popping out the other end, and I'm planning on getting some hooks to hang crafty things like scissors and glue guns.
Despite the modifications we had to make, I love my little sewing table! It fits perfectly under our dining room table and but has tons of workspace when it's folded out. Perfect for a small, cramped house! The finished project isn't quite as bright yellow as the flash made it seem, but it is still bright and happy!
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 20:23
Looks great! I agree that plywood just holds together better.
I noticed that there's room to add 2.5" of length (when hanging down) or width (when in table configuration) to the side pieces. If you do, then when you fully open the table, you can open up even 60" fabric completely and cut pieces such as chair backs easily.
I think it might be a modification worth making.
Thu, 01/21/2021 - 12:21
Great idea!!!!! If you did this it would require more than 1 piece of plywood though.... I think that's why it's the dimensions it is. I plan on making one soon. So excited!
Tue, 10/04/2011 - 19:49
That's it. Can you sew on it, or does it shake too much?
Wed, 09/05/2012 - 21:24
It is sturdy enough to sew on - I usually put it on a rug we have, which may stabilize it. The table did shake a bit, but it didn't affect the sewing very much. I'm not sure how it would do on the tile - the sewing machine might move it a bit because of the wheels. But, I also don't use it much for my sewing machine and use it more for my cutting mat and measuring since I don't have a large flat table at my house.
Rapunzel - I agree, there is room to make the table bigger. I think if/when we make another, we'll do that. It's surprisingly big now, but there's always room for more table sewing space!
It was time that my son finally got a real bed. Additionally, he needed a desk as well. This is why I chose the Chelsea bunk system plans. I had to make some modifications that you can see in the pictures. The first modification was taken from GROOVYMOM2000, the chalkboards. I don't have any chalk at the moment so it looks like black paint from the picture but its the spray on chalkboard stuff. The subsequent modifications were made for stabilization. I added supports to the desk before I started finishing the wood with stain and polyurethane because it was WAY too unstable. I thought that the bookcase was going to be okay but once the bed was on top it had more wobble than I felt comfortable with. This is why I added the 45 degree 2x2s to the bookcase corners. I will have to remove them and add some better looking ones in the future but they REALLY made a difference; the bed is rock solid now. The ladder was thrown together last minute with a rather advantageous plan that didn't work out. I tried to incorporate hangers into the cut so it could be removed easily but my jigsaw blade was too dull and ripped the wood to pieces. At this point I just slapped the pieces together and screwed it into the side of the bed. He might have to go a couple months before I decide to build a new one the right way. This honestly turned out to be a lot bigger project than I planned at first. Building the bed was fairly quick and easy but sanding, conditioning, staining, and protecting the wood took almost a week. I am pleased with the outcome but painting the bed would have made a significant time difference. If you do go with stain then let me suggest you stain the guardrails before assembly.
In our new home there was a 46" wide coat closet at the entrance. My wife wanted a place to sit down, take off shoes and put our coats and backpacks when we were home. I found Ana White's plans for this shoe bench and modified it to fit our space. The project took 3 days to complete due to the painting, staining and polyurethane, construction of the bench itself was quick. Previously I added a light switch and two 3" LED recessed lights in the ceiling. The project came out wonderful and I am very pleased. Thank you for the inspiration!
-Mike
These were my first Ana White pieces of furniture. I was so pleased at how fast they came together and how clear the instructions were. These were a Christmas present for my son and after taking a look at your website, he is full of enthusiasm to start building his own pieces. Thanks Ana.
Fri, 01/04/2019 - 13:29
This is such a beautiful first build! I bet your son was delighted! Can't wait to see more from you guys! Thank you for using my plans and sharing a photo - it is much appreciated. XO Ana
I just started building when I found Ana’s site. This chair was the second thing that I’ve built. I can’t believe how comfortable it is and how easy for a novice like me to put together.
So much fun to make & great for entertaining.
Love this project! I used cedar boards with red mahogany stain. I did adjust the gaps to a 1/4 inch.
We built this from a 4 x 4 left over from another project and 2 - 4 x 4s 36" long from a pallet I rescued from work. The middle post is 78" long with 3 feet buried in the ground. The "Fancy Iron Hose Holder" was purchased from Amazon for about $20. The post cap was a used one rescued from my husband's woodshop. We layed out the 4x4s on the garage floor and screwed them together, added the hose holder and end cap, and spray painted the project black. I am going to remove the hose holder and paint it a different color so it will stand out better.
Using the guidelines for the “BEST DIY Garage Shelves (Attached to Walls), I added this to our unfinished basement area for additional storage. I plan to replicate it in our actual garage as well and build the freestanding shelves also!
As a bonus, I used this plan as inspiration and built directly beside it, which is an unused space under stairs, a wine/liquor storage shelving replacing the plywood with cut 2x4s for added weight capacity/stability.
Couldn’t have been easier!
Wed, 10/19/2022 - 09:14
Thank you!! I am so thankful for Ana White and team! These projects are helping me build a lot of confidence to continue endeavoring more challenging projects each step of the way :-)
This was my first ever build and I did it on my own, so I'm super proud, but there are admittedly some things I'd like to learn from. The top trim piece is missing because the board was too crooked to attach and I was too impatient to wait to go to the hardware store again! It also stands crookedly. Not really sure why, but if you have any idea, I'd love to hear because I had a great time building it and look forward to my next build, but want to learn from that mistake first! Thanks Ana, I really didn't even know how to use a drill before hand, what an inspiration you are!
Camp Loft Bed modified to fit two twin loft beds in the bedroom with a shared platform step.
Age of boys in bed: 6 and 4
The boys have yet to agree on a stain color...awaiting their decision.
A little taller, and a different finish, but built from scratch inspired by your design. Thanks so much.
Thanks for the plans!
Wed, 10/19/2022 - 08:32
Looks great and perfect space saver and organizer!
I love this bookshelf! It was quick and easy to build, the finishing took the longest. I decided to add a contrasting top with pine boards stained with dark walnut. I love how it came out! Now, on to my next Ana White project...
modified the plans by making the top from 4 1x6s and adapted the legs to use 1x6s instead of the 2x4s. The wood I used was higher grade pine than what is called for, but because of the reduced size (2' x 4') I came in at the same price.
This little girls room needed a little happy birthday! I planked the wall with birch veneer, made simple box frames for the beds and desk, and attached them to walls with heavy duty cable. Then my friend added her designer touch, and made it cozy and girl CHIC!
Comments
JoanneS
Sat, 09/07/2013 - 19:59
Fabulous!
Love these gorgeous redwood chairs! The color and grain on that wood is awesome, and the clear coat is perfect for it. You did a great job on this build! I popped over to your blog and I enjoyed your post on this build very much. Well done!