Community Brag Posts

Coffee Table with Drawers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/18/2023 - 12:14

This was inspired by a Potter Barn table that looked similar. It was one of my first projects. I couldn’t afford the 2000 plus from there so built it. Sanded very fine and used Dark Walnut stain. Sealed four times with polyurethane sanding between each. Rubbed last coat of polyurethane on with cloth and used 0000 steel wool to give it a very soft and smooth finish.

Lynn

Farmhouse Table - My first project!

Submitted by ksuehr on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 13:02

I followed Ana's plans for the farmhouse table and bench. This was my first project and it turned out really well! The flash makes some of the table top look discolored but it does not look like that in person - just a weird flash thing I think :)
The project took me about a week - table and bench and I only worked on it during nap times and when the kiddos went to sleep! The original plan was for a 96 inch table - I shortened mine to 75 inches to fit our dining room.
A great dining room table for us and it cost around $200 for both table and bench.
I am so proud that I actually built something that my family can use and I get so many compliments on!
Thanks, Ana!!!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax in jacobean plus a polycrylic finish (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wooden Illusion

Submitted by mtairymd on Sun, 03/16/2014 - 07:39

I found a picture of this online but couldn't find the instructions on how it was built. With some trial and error, I recreated the illusion.

Watching the video is the easiest way to see how it works. I've included a drawing which is linked in the video description.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3vbaZP2cL8

Build Instructions:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Wooden-Illusion/

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Extendable Triple Pedestal

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/16/2016 - 12:07

I made this extendable triple pedestal table based on Ana's orginal plans.  I had to "engineer" the extension system - which was fun - and it worked out nicely.  I also added a threaded rod through the pedestals (towards the top) to give added support in addition to the pegs through the centerboard.

Thanks for the inspiration and the plans, Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I used select pine for the table top, but construction grade lumber for the base. For the extension slides I also used 2x2 select pine. Therefore the cost for me was higher (than Ana's) - and all totaled about $400. More, if you include stain, poly, hardware, misc. tools, brushes... But you get the idea.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Stain (minwax) 1 coat
Helmsman Spar Finish (minwax) 3 coats on table top; 2 coats on base

I used beeswax on the extensions to get them to slide nicely. But don't get beeswax on any wood that you're going to finish...it repels stain and finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

mullencl

Mon, 04/13/2020 - 06:53

So I realize it's been a few years but I'm curious if you can send me plans/talk me through how you made this expandable? I would love to build this table but I can't seem to wrap my head around the expandable part.

Dresser to Buffet

Submitted by tazO on Fri, 06/01/2012 - 06:07

I have been looking for a dresser to transform into a buffet. I posted on a facebook yard sale group and a wonderful woman offered me one she had been keeping in her garage for free.
Step one stripping a lot of old paint and sanding, sanding, and sanding some more. I found a stencil i like on etsy. Stenciled that design onto the top of my "buffet" with white paint and then when it was dry lightly sanded it. I then stained the entire top the color i wanted. 3 coats of varnish finish that off.
The next step was the bottom. The hardest part about that was getting all the old paint out of all the ins and outs of this piece. Once that was done, with the help of the husband, we removed all the rails and braces holding the bottom 2 sets of drawers. It was put together with interlocking pieces so taking it apart left some hold in the side and middle brace. My husband cut pieces to fit in there and were put in place with wood glue. Once dried they were sanded completely smooth. We used a 1/4" piece of luan for the back and 3/4 piece of pine for the bottom of the now open area. A little trim, 2 coats of white enamel and some new hardware for the drawers and tada a new buffet..lol.
Just got it in yesterday so I'm still decorating, but i love the way it turned out!

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 06/01/2012 - 06:29

That came out really nice. Love the stencil touch, too! I am looking for a dresser to turn into a media console. Never thought about posting on FB. Great idea!

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by ajdostie on Tue, 03/18/2014 - 22:33

This was my husbands first time using a plan from the Ana White website. For finish we used Danish oil in "dark walnut" and we also put a coat of beeswax on it as well. We are so happy with the end project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Danish Oil "dark walnut"
Beeswax wood finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Bathroom Vanity

Submitted by Decross on Thu, 08/15/2019 - 11:49

This is a heavily modified version of the rustic x kitchen island that I tweaked to make for 2 sinks. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sandishmily

Thu, 01/18/2018 - 05:30

Hi i actually have a question about the tv stand you made. I love it and I'm wondering what paint you used?  Sorry i wasn't sure that you would see my comment on the tv stand link because it was under guest.

King size Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/19/2020 - 15:59

This is a plan that My 16 year old son chose to do for a project to fulfill a goal to learn some woodworking skills during our unexpected downtime from School.
Mom is thrilled with the new space.
He adjusted different sizes based on what lumber we already had. He used 1x7’s and routed a 45deg on the edges to give the tongue and groove look. Posts are 4x5 and top railing is 2x7.

Estimated Cost
$40 in paint and supplies. Wood was free from a friend.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Furniture Enamel.
Color - Web Grey
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Nursery Dresser

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/26/2023 - 12:18

My first attempt at a dresser before my first grandson arrives.

Rick White

Comments

Perfect for lego table

Submitted by vic b on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 18:49

This table took six hours to build plus finish and is perfect for Lego.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
maple stain and varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cottage End Table

Submitted by JamieLynn on Tue, 04/01/2014 - 13:25

This was my 4th woodworking project and boy did I learn a lot! I was dead set on building something with a drawer and also with staining it. My first for both. For one of my first wood projects, I think it turned out cute =) It's a definite improvement on my first 3 projects!!

The plan was great, I changed up the top a little but not by much. Otherwise followed it pretty step-by-step. I did not do pocket holes (a Kreg Jig is my next purchased).

Estimated Cost
25.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyurethane and English Chestnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/24/2016 - 10:06

Farmhouse style table using Ana-white plans and HoneyBear finish. 

Estimated Cost
Wood $100
Kreg jig $100
Paint/misc $50
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White paint
Dark Walnut Stain
Min wax semi-gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Train Table

Submitted by Josh on Wed, 06/06/2012 - 13:10

Train Table with removeable top.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 - $200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rockler General Finishes Espresso
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Jay (not verified)

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 07:52

that is a beautiful solution to beeing taken over by the toy monster! Great job!

My version of the large wood pet kennel end table

I made this from scrap plywood in our garage for my step-daughter's five-month-old new boxer/lab mix Marley. I used my Kreg rip-cut and pocket hole jig. I even drilled pocket holes to put the four sides together.

That, however, is not Marley in the picture. That is our older Catahoula Leopard Dog Oreo. Marley's owner and her mom chose the color scheme and painted and afterwards, I hung the hardware back on.

The only change I made was to use 1x3 for the entire door rather than 1x2s for the sides.

Thanks for the plan Ana. You are great.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Flat Behr paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/27/2016 - 16:40

Built for our cabin! 

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

Small X End Table

This was a fun project spread out over 3 weeks to enjoy working on while quarantined at home. It was the first project I worked on featuring mitered corners. It took some practice and many "polishing" cuts to get everything to line up right, but in the end they looked great! I went with a Birch interior plywood instead of you typical (pine?) plywood because it looked a lot more furniture esque. I trick when using a circular saw to cut the plywood is to keep the desired side up when cutting in the direction with the grain and the desired side down when cutting across the grain. When cutting across the grain, the blade can fray the edge of the top ply. I also added braces attached to all 4 legs flush with the top of the legs using 1x2's. This allowed me to glue and screw (1" screws) the table top to the base from underneath so it was hidden rather than nail from the top. I didn't want to have nail holes on the table top because, even with wood filler, they would stand out from the rest of the wood.

I chose to go with the cheap pine that home depot sells instead of the Select Pine because the cheap pine has a lot more character and offers a more rustic look. The pine can be pretty beat up so it takes a while of digging to find the straight boards without any major defects or cracks. I just figure it's part of the experience. Once I have my straight boards I sand everything down so the boards are completely smooth and have softened edges. Clamps are a must and a HUGE help with getting everything lined up during the assembly. I neglected clamps in some of my first builds because I didn't have them and didn't want to invest. I had a real hard time getting things level and straight. Never again.

Other pieces I've build from Ana's plan include (in order of build):
Ana's Adirondack Chair (4x)
Reclaimed-Wood Look Headboard, King Size
Modern Outdoor Chair from 2x4s and 2x6s (2x)
Simple White Outdoor End Table
Rustic X End Table

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
One application of Varathane Early American Premium Wood Stain
Three applications of Varathane Crystal Clear Matte Water Based Ultimate Polyurethane

Calif King Bed with Matching Nightstands

Submitted by abaxter0 on Sat, 04/05/2014 - 14:43

The next few months are going to be crazy! My fiancee and I will both be graduating in May. Our wedding will be be just over a month later in June. Sometime in the middle of all that craziness, we will be moving. I'll start a new job and she will be starting a graduate program.

With all this coming up, I had been looking forward to my last spring break as a college student to go "home" and relax by working on a couple Ana White projects that I had picked out. I ended up working from about 9 or 10 am to about 10 pm every day for 8 days to get everything finished! just sitting in the garage working and running back and forth to Lowes was so refreshing. The time flew by and I ended up with two great pieces that my fiancee and I will enjoy for a very ling time.

I spent a bit more than expected after ordering the cheapest ($20) kreg jig from Amazon and other small things like paint but the value for for what I created is still great!

Bedframe:

I love learning how to do new things but I had relatively little experience with wood before this project. I picked up a miter saw a year ago when it was on sale at Lowes and hadn't used it except for cutting laminate flooring so I was excited to be able to use it finally! I had a table saw that was picked up at a garage sale that hadn't been used either which came in handy! My uncle brought over some other tools that were indispensable like a belt sander and finish nailer.

Everything went pretty smooth. The only advice I have is to make sure that you measure EVERYTHING. For example, the slats used in the headboard and footboard need to be the correct width when glued together. Mine came out a little short due to the dimensions of the wood. It was an easy fix for me: use 1x4s on each end instead of 1x3s. I found that when I finished the main three pieces (footboard, frame, headboard), the frame was slightly too big to fit into the footboard and headboard. That's where the belt sander came in handy! Just be careful... the belt sander works FAST.

One change I made to the bedframe plan was that I added 3 inches to the legs. My fiancee and I are very tall so I thought this would be a good idea. I like how it came out but I will warn you... this bed is TALL. Especially with a mattress and box springs! One huge positive aspect of making the bed taller is that a 12" storage box fits perfectly under the bed (see picture). I didn't do this on purpose but it's going to be nice to have all that usable storage space!

My final note on the bedframe is that it is huge. I'm not looking forward to moving it (although I think it can be done). I used kiln dried wood from Lowes for everything which worked fine. The only pieces that are not dry are the two 2x10 side panels on the frame. These make the frame SUPER HEAVY. Just a warning.

Nightstands:

The nightstands were so much fun to make. I used the Kreg jig for everything on it and I highly recommend it. I would not even try to build these without a kreg jig. Besides, the Kreg jig is so awesome to use (I also highly recommend the Kreg screws and the Kreg brand clamp).

I used 2x3 instead of 2x2 for the legs (2x3 at lowes was like $1.50 in stud length compared to like $8 or something ridiculous for 2x2s). I had to be careful with the plans by using 2x3s and get creative in a couple areas but it worked pretty well and made it so much cheaper. I spent under $50 total for two nightstands!

Finish:

I know that these pieces are going to have to be moved so I wanted to finish them with protection being the number one priority. With that in mind, I used a semi-gloss Valspar paint + primer from Lowes and then several coats of semi-gloss poly. I could have done a better job finishing (for example, I only applied one coat to the back of the headboard where no one will ever see) but time was an issue as I only had a week to finish everything before heading back to school. I also probably should have waited a bit longer between coats of poly but whatever.

I stained the tops of the nightstands with an ebony stain and used the same Swiss Coffee Valspar Paint + Primer from Lowes as I used for the bedframe.

Estimated Cost
$200 - $250 for Bedframe, $50 for Nightstands (2)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Semi-Gloss Valspar Swiss Coffee Paint + Primer (1-2 coats, depending on whether or not it will be a visible part of the project)
Brush on Semi-Gloss Poly (3-4 coats)
Ebony Stain

One gallon of paint was plenty for all three pieces.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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