Community Brag Posts

woodworking bench

Submitted by jcengel on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 21:17

Used the sturdy work bench plans for the base. The base is 60" x 20". The top is 6'x2'. I wanted 2" overhang all around to accomodate clamping. I used 3/4" oak plywood for the benchtop. It's stacked as follows, oak plywood, 3/4" mdf x 2, oak plywood for a massive 3" thick top. I used pocket holes to join the legs and on a few of the other joints including to attach the top. The benchtop layers are screwed together with 2.5" wood screws with countersinks for the heads. I would have put a full shelf in but that's the piece of wood I had so I used it. I bought the 7" undermount woodworkers vise online for around $70. It's mounted with 2.5" lag screws and washers. I did not use exact 2x4's for the base, I used the standard 2x4's (which are actually 1.5" by 3.5"). The bench is pretty sturdy as is but with the massive top/vise and not using standard 2x4's it is not as solid as I would like. It's fine for now but eventually I going to install some threaded rods through the legs length and width to pull it together rock solid. I put some tung oil on the top and later i'll put some wax paste over that. I'm going to seal the edges with shellac or maybe just leave as is. Eventually put some bench dog holes in the top for my vise. I did this all with a cordless drill/bits, kreg jig, circular saw with homemade fence, rulers, squares, random orbit sander etc. Took about two weeks time, working mostly on weekends. The bench alone is around $130, all bought from a "big box" store. Be ready to spend more $$ on tools if you don't have them. This is my 2nd project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
tung oil
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Hand Made by: Rusty Pine

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/22/2016 - 09:27

I made this in 1 day from the plans here on Ana White what a fun project it was and fairly simple to build 

for such a beautiful piece..www.facebook.com/groups/ozaofwc/ 

Estimated Cost
it cost me roughly 49.00 to build materials got at home depot here in florida..
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We used Varathane Dark walnut stain..
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sawhorse Table - Sewing Table

Submitted by samdwest on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 14:46

Found the plans for the sawhorse table on Ana and knew it would be perfect as my new sewing table. Such a lovely piece that will be very universal throughout the house!

Became a weekend project only because of the stain and painting that had to be done.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Mermaid Treasure Satin on Legs with Glaze
Minwax Polyshades Espresso Stain on Table Top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Beer Wall for Wedding

My cousin recently got married and wanted a beer wall at her wedding. I quickly searched Ana's site for the perfect plan and chose the Tall Panel Headboard for my starting point. With a few modifications it became a beer wall in no time at all. I love how Ana's plans can be easily modified to make a totally different project.

No fancy wood was used here. Just regular wood from the big box store. A jockey box was attached to the back side of the wall. It worked awesome!

Since I discovered this site in January, I've made close to 30 items from her plans. I'm ridiculously addicted and not just with Ana's site but also with her blog friends. For Valentine's Day I asked for a Air Strike gun and got it. It was better than jewelry and chocolates! I'm well on my way to collecting my own tools and learning how to save money by making it myself. Oh, and I can't even begin to tell you how impressed everyone is with my finished products.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
roughly $200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar paint from Lowes
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor Sectional

We have been looking for a deal on an outdoor sectional for a whole year. Nothing. The cheapest we could find was $899 for one that was much smaller than this one and with thinner cushions. So we upped and drove to the lumber yard and purchased the lumber on the list and got to building. The total cost of lumber was $200, the Spax screws we already had on hand. We used pocket holes for the joints. The wife made the cushions herself. She had most of the fabric on hand, we just had to buy 3 yards for the back cushions, which are made of standard size pillows. They have been sprayed with fabric protectant for outdoor use (I think she used the Scotch brand). The seat cushions are 5 inches thick (they are wrapped in silk film to protect them from getting soaked when it rains or when someone who just got out of the pool sits on them), around $100 for both. It took her a couple of days to sew the box cushion covers.

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Rustic Planked Wood King Headboard

This was a very nice and easy project. I probably could have finished in one day if it had not been 105 degrees outside! I recommend these plans to anybody who knows how to use a saw. I also used all screws instead of nails. Wood- Grade II Pine, purchased from Lowe's FInish- One coat Minwax Dark Walnut oil based stain One Coat Minwax Polyshades Mission Oak After the Polyshades dried, I went over the whole piece with steel wool to smooth it out.

Estimated Cost
$130
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Finish:

One coat Minwax dark walnut stain
One Coat Minwax Polyshades Mission Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Simple Outhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/18/2020 - 13:45

We used the plans from the Simple Outhouse to make a space to hold our porta potty. The door is a repurposed barn door and I think it looks amazing! These plans were perfect for us as we were able to build it in panels and reassemble on our property by the lake. Some screened windows to allow for ventilation and light were the finishing touches. Thanks Anna for the simple to follow plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 Canadian
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used pressure treated wood for the base and deck. For inside, we repurposed some scraps of composite decking. Painted with exterior latex "driftwood".

My Greenhouse

I went from a 6 x 8 Harbor Freight Greenhouse to this one 10 x 12. I added a few windows...

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Garden Shed

Submitted by Deborah on Sat, 08/18/2012 - 23:01

I have been dreaming about building so many things featured on this website, and I finally buckled down and built something. I figured that an outside garden shed would be a bit more forgiving than a project requiring a bit more precision, and from the picture, you can see that it's not perfect! I'm still working on trimming the shingles and I still have to stain/seal it. I've got to admit, when I first picked up the wood for the project at the store, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. But I just jumped in, and here it is.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Plan to stain it with some sort of deck stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Planter Boxes

Submitted by rendall28 on Mon, 06/22/2020 - 16:26

I followed the plan exactly including the suggestion of the fence paint (2 coats). This was a very easy build. It took much longer to paint than it did to build. These boxes are the perfect accent on our new patio/firepit.

Estimated Cost
$10/box for the wood
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Fence Stain (white) 2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Nightstand shelves

Wanted new nightstand but also wanted so shelving for pictures and stuff. Saw a picture on here and google images and decided to make it my own.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
paint is Rust-oleum Chalked (linen white). Had this from pervious project.
Stain is Minwax semi-transparent Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Dining Table

Submitted by rpecho97 on Fri, 07/10/2020 - 08:08

Wood - common pine Stain - Danish Watco Oil Light Walnut - 4 coats Top of table Sealed - Minwax Polyurethane Clear Satin - 2 coats Legs painted with Rust-Oleum Chalked Charcoal - 2 coats

Estimated Cost
$50 lumber
$50 stain, seal, paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Danish Watco Oil with topcoat Minwax Polyurethane Clear Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

I made Adirondack chairs!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/01/2020 - 12:39

Hi from Pittsburgh! I’ve always wanted to make stuff from your site, and I finally did it — I made Ana’s favorite Adirondack chairs and man, are they comfortable! I made them out of cedar 2x4s and cedar shelving pieces for the slats. Very comfy and I hope they last a long time. Awesome instructions, Ana— I’ve directed my neighbor to your site bc he wanted to make some, too!

Estimated Cost
$80/ chair
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Chairs by fire pit
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Window Seat

Submitted by MaryL220 on Tue, 08/11/2020 - 19:28

My daughter turned 5 in July. She loves twirly dresses, unicorns, and building. Her current project is a full size airplane made from wood. She is certainly ambitious. For her birthday, she received all kinds of building toys (Legos, knex, etc.) and quickly got to work, creating masterpiece after masterpiece. Like every 5 year old, dismantling a masterpiece is unthinkable. So, she has taken it upon herself to display her projects on every available surface, despite its intended function (i.e., my desk). We needed something that she could use to build, store, and display her projects that wasn't in the way and didn't disrupt our everyday routines (Mama's gotta work!).

Enter, this window seat. I've been wanting to build one for years but never really found a plan I liked. This is exactly what I was looking for, as it has enough building space and storage space to meet our needs. Maybe one day i'll get to use it as a window seat!

I used the flip top storage bench plan and modified the length to fit our windows. The lid is 69" wide and the base is 64.5". I added some supports in the middle, as well. I painted the inside storage space purple to give it a kid friendly touch. I also added lid supports on both sides to prevent pinched fingers.

Estimated Cost
$100?
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint with purple paint in the storage area. Sealed with mod podge hard coat. 😁
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Old English Style Farmhouse Dining Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/27/2016 - 06:12

First table my husband and I have ever made, and it turned out beautifully!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial Stain, 2 Coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Hemnes cabinet with wire mesh

I'm still pretty new to woodworking so this cabinet took a little longer than it probably should have. I made the drawers a little deeper than the plans originally called for, which changed the height of the cabinet doors, but otherwise, all the other dimensions are the same. The laminated glass would have added another $100 to the cost so I used a chicken wire mesh that I dry brushed with the white I used on the interior. The knobs are from Anthropologie and I added a little trim piece around the top. I really love how much this cabinet holds. It is very versatile.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 including wood, hardware and paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a custom mixture of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint ( Duck egg Blue) and an antique white. The mixture was about half blue and half white. I finished with a couple of coats of dark wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

CroomScM

Sun, 10/30/2016 - 13:07

love it! Did you have any issues getting the drawer in when the slides are installed? We installed the slides on the drawer box and then the slides on the case and we had to loosen some to actually get the drawer in, because the little wheels of the slides were basically blocking us from pivoting it in. Thanks!

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