Community Brag Posts

great project to do with the kids

So I've always loved the old mail collection boxes. I have also always been dissatisfied having a ordinary mailbox. In steps the East Fork Mailbox. Tada! No more ordinary.

Ana posted plans for Grace's Mailbox, and that's what I'm linking this post under, but there isn't really a whole lot of similarities outside the shape.

I don't know that it's really worth it to anyone for me to post actual plans. Since 100% of the materials I use are rescued/salvaged (every last board and screw), the plan shopping list would usually fall somewhere between goofy and impossible. When I build anything, the materials I have on hand dictate my plan, not the other way around.
Having said that, if anybody is ever interested in a real plan from me, let me know. I would be willing to work on a redesign in order to accomodate a more conventional materials list, just don't be surprised if I encourage you more than once to go scavenging for materials.

I did uplod this project to the Sketchup 3D Warehouse, but it's not perfect. I was in a hurry, so nothing is grouped as it should be. Also, the center section of my mailbox is a large drawer mounted on slides for packages and outgoing mail. The Sketchup model doesn't reflect that. Download it for a reference model if you'd like. http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=551fcbbeb0e75c3dc2c3…

One more note: I built my mailbox 41", to take into consideration the terrain and road. USPS regulations dictate mailboxes meet certain dimensional criteria. You can find the regulations online or go chat with your postmaster.

Obviously fell in love with Ana's plans after I had a mild heart attack at the price of refinished ones. But I still really wanted to keep the wheels looking somewhat original.

So after weeks of searching and placing wanted ads everywhere - a lovely lady contacted me to say she had an old barrow in a slough behind her house and would the wheels from that be any good!

You bet they were. (They are cast iron and weigh a ton (hauling it out and getting it in my truck was a story on it's own!)

Unbelievably (and I seriously mean this) the plans for Anas table and the dimensions of the 'axle' part of the wheels fit like a glove.

Do you love the paint pot balancers in the second pic lol I was holding out for the perfect wheels and I really am still searching for the right style to use, but for now I've attached casters (cos paint pots didn't give it that right look!!!!!) and I love this table

Thanks so much Ana x

I built this out of rough cut pine direct from the saw mill. The wood is beautiful and thick, but it took a TON of sanding! It fits 6 medium Ikea Trofast bins with a bit of room to spare.

The hardest part about this project was figuring out how to hang the shelf on the wall. I have never made anything before and wanted to buy the Pottery Barn version of this but did not want to spend $600 + shipping so with some help from some friends and my husband, Voilà!

I spent about $100 total on this project. We did buy a jigsaw for this but plan to use it for many other things so I'm not counting that. It really doesn't require much skill and wasn't all that difficult. We put ours together with screws and since I was painting it I wasn't worried about the imperfections along the way. All that's left to do is sew a cushion! I am so happy with the results! Thank you so much Ana White for these plans!

This was my husband's first build and I think it turned out great! I was very nervous about painting it such a bold color, but after distressing it, I absolutely love it! My three kids each have a drawer and cabinet for their homeschool things.

The first real project I have attempted. I don't have any real experience with woodworking outside of shop class in junior high school.

My mother has been asking for one of these for many years. Mission accomplished.

First project we have done. We love how well the shelves turned out. We modified the original plans to 9 inches deep. We had one hang up with the original plans b/c the two inch screw at the end of the frame go in perpendicular to the wall and we didn't have a way screw the frame into the wall and hit a stud. We added a hidden bracket on the end directly to the outside piece. It was a fun project and opens up our small kitchen tremendously.

I wasn't planning on doing another project so close to Christmas but I saw this and couldn't resist. After the holidays, I will be making one for myself, because it is really comfortable to hold!

I did both versions, one with just the crayon holder and one with the lap pad. For the lap desk, I used 1/4" birch (purebond) plywood, just because its lighter.

Thank you ladies so much for all the fun projects! I have to catch up on my brag posts, I've been so busy building (and trying to finish my dissertation!)

Happy Holidays!

This was a great project to do. I have a family member that paid that full price for the real Pottery Barn piece. I then made this one and showed it to them. Ha!

I used Alder ply but because of the expense I only bought 1 sheet which will run $90-$105 from Menards or Home Depot. Other lumber yards ran up to $140. I got all the pieces out of 1 sheet except for the 2 adjustable shelves which I used birch ply. And you can't even tell. I was going to make my own jig but just bought the Kreg pocket mini jig. Invaluable! and about $20. I found the overall cost from the plans to be under reality. Acrylic, hardware, and hinges will run you $70-$80 easy. But I guess if you use cheap pine or something than maybe you can be close to the estimate. 

As queried by others, I too found the plans to specify how to attach the top. I used tiny "L" brackets around the underside perimeter and attached them with my screw gun to the frame (pic attached). For the doors, I didn't like the idea of just screwing the acrylic glass to the inside of the door so I routed the inside and attached some plastic tabs I found in the screen door section of HD to hold them in place. (pic attached). You could also use small mirror clips installed upside down.

I wrestled with the color choice for a long time but finally found the Minwax Gel Stain Mahogany (which is different than regular stain mahogany) to be the right color. After staining and a coat of sealer, I glazed, let dry, then sealed some more. Finished it off with some supa-fine steel wool and paste wax.

I love this piece now because I only glued certain pieces so that I can take it apart and put it back together as I am moving soon. (out of country). The European hinges were a bit of a pain to mess with since they have some movement to them and only lateral adjustments, no vertical. But it came out great. (I think)

Thanks so much for these plans!

Two hours and done!

I love my 3' x 5' shower and with all that space I thought that having a little spot to sit down would be really nice. After looking around online and at some stores I couldn't find anything that I liked that was also reasonably priced so in the end I decided to make my own.

For details about how I built it check out my blog: http://www.homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2012/2/18/simple-diy-shower-sto…

This was an upgrade from the Ana's project on the stable. I made the shingles from cut thin strips of wood nailed to a 1/4" roof with a pin nailer.

Standard cedar deck, as you can see not complete, . However the benches are complete. Seen a picture in a book and custom cut and fit peices on my own

I’m no carpenter but this went well. I did it all with pressure treated because it is in the open. They filled in the area where there used be a hot tub. Surprisingly comfortable, too. Thanks Ana

**The second pic is of the grill I built for our wedding. It was done in about 4 hours with NO plans, and a whole lot of on-the-spot thinking. All while precooking 120 lbs pork butt, 200 ribs, baked beans & whatever else that oven pushed through that day. I look forward to one day having the time to draw out the plans, and throw them up here :D **

Hey! It's been a while since I've posted anything with so much going on, but I thought I'd share a photo of a project I finished a while back. These were actually built as a gift for my in-laws to thank them for organizing our wedding. They were thrilled, and decided to incorporate the benches into the reception. As of late, I've been remodeling one living unit, one office, and one new studio & on top of that, getting married. I'm sure you can see how uploading something as simple as a photo is a chore in itself. Nonetheless, here is the finished project.

I changed a few things from the original plans; The biggest being the holes that convert from picnic table to bench. I realize not everyone is the same height, body shape, etc, so I took this into account. I actually have an additional hole on each side. One to pivot the table, one to lock it in as a bench, one to lock it in as a table, and one extra bench hole for those who prefer more of a decline/incline position. It all turned out great & works perfect for either bench or table. Very sturdy, and nothing but compliments. As a matter of fact, people asking over and over again where I bought it & for how much :D The reason I put 10-20 hours is due to the paint. I used three coats because, even though I used plenty of primer, pine just loves to soak it up. I also wanted to make sure every bit of it would be covered as much as possible for the weather conditions outside. It turned out having a rubbery coating feel to it, much like those of galvanized benches dipped in paint. Overall, very pleased with the outcome.

Cheers for the plans!