Community Brag Posts

I built this potting bench using leftover pieces of pallets and play wood from other projects...
It is a three-level bench to maintain order with my pots where we start our seedbed crops and reproductions by cuttings.
Any comments to improve my design will be sincerely appreciated.
Regards
Claudio from Chile

I watched the tutorial video first and then got right to it. My two, little boys played in the driveway while mommy rocked her off-square bevel cuts. I modified the 1x2 and instead used what I had on hand - extra 2x2s. Worked out great. Also, I used three reclaimed pallet boards for the top of the bench. I added an extra cross-support to handle the load.

I've always wanted a hutch on the dresser and this was the perfect match for what I wanted! I lengthened it to 48 in tall but followed the original plans other than that.

This was our first wood-working project, and it was a BIG one. I think it took us about 50 hours, though we did add a couple complicating steps into the process. We installed full-extension drawer glides and stained instead of painting. Both of those added significantly to our time. We also added a lip around top solid wood planks to give it a more solid look, so of course that added to our time.

The plans were great, though we had a tough time keeping everything square. Our cabinet doors were 1 inch thick (1/2 inch door, plus 1/2 inch facade drawer fronts), and that made it almost IMPOSSIBLE to find hinges that would work with the cabinet doors. Cabinet hinges come ready to fit 3/4 inch doors OR whatever-thickness door with a 3/8 inch routed edge. So I ended up having to purchase some really heavy-duty specialized hinges from our specialty woodworking store, and those cost about $18/pair.

We're really happy with how it turned out, and it suits our needs great. See our process on my blog below.

The top was made from big box 2x12s and after an exhausting search for untreated 4x4 lumber, I decided to use reclaimed beams.

This table was a birthday gift for my 3-year old cousin. It was fun to brainstorm ideas to get it exactly the way we wanted it instead of buying one pre-made. Once we had our plans it was an easy build, done over a weekend. A full list of materials as well as step-by-step instructions can be found in the blog post linked. The top is a 20x36 pine shelf board with a 1x2 pine apron attached underneath. There are vertical support boards to hold a raised tray for supplies, and to hold the paper roll under the table. Note that the table legs are inset at one end to accommodate the paper roll. We added two magnets to the face of the table and tied two knobs (with metal washers glued on) to the underside. The paper can then be sandwiched between the magnet and the metal and won't move around while the artist is at work. It's our favorite feature! There are also magnets glued to the inside bottom of the tray to hold the buckets in place and keep them from being knocked over easily. This project was so much fun! I love having the chance to share it with you all!

Adirondack Chair made in Texas. Ana, great plans and fun to build. Added arm rests and used soldering iron to burn in map of Texas and the name of the recipient!

Worked on this very casually and intermittently for about 3-4 weeks, though I would consider it a weekend project if you have all materials and tools necessary to complete, and a couple full days to devote to the project. With 2 young kids at home, I was only able to get an hour here and there at a time in my shop to work. I decided to leave off the top flip-down style doors, as our cable box requires line-of-sight to work, and my wife wasn't crazy about having to open those any time we were going to watch television.

I was a bit uneasy about the weight of the top, especially once the tv was placed, without any support bracing directly under the top-center piece of plywood. To add a bit of support, I added a 1x3 brace, attaching it between the tops of the 2 center legs, flush to the underside of the top. Completely hidden, and added just enough peace of mind for me to put my new tv on it, worry free.

Materials: I used maple hardwood plywood, and select grade pine for the finish/edge pieces. I found that polycarbonate sheeting was pretty expensive at my local hardware store, plus I had to special order an opaque finish, so I finished my doors with 1/4 plywood that I had left over from the back panel. I used 4 different grit levels of sandpaper (120, 220, hand sanded with 320, and then used 400 between coats of poly). Minwax Dark Walnut stain and 2 coats of clear satin polyurethane. Kreg jig is a must for a project like this, would have been lost without mine! I love that all the hinges and screws are hidden!

I'm planning to build the matching media towers from this collection next.

Modified one of the couch pieces so that the back rest only went as far as the depth of the adjacent couch; thereby making the rest of the couch a chaise. Cushions were custom made (walked into local fabric store and asked for a referral). Cushions were sliding out the back; but my build partner came up with a genius solution - used inexpensive metal threshold material and screwed it to the back seat slat. Works like a champ and looks nice too! 

Maple top plywood wrapped with walnut trim. Stain is minwax aged barrel. Warm satin polyurethane finish.

We needed a guest bed in a hurry and this fit the bill.

Modified the Round X Base Table plans a bit. Made the table 25 inches high, 38 inches diameter. I glued 4 poplar 1x12's together using a biscuit joiner. I then rough cut my circle with a jigsaw. I then made up a quick circle cutting jig to cut the perfect circle with my router using a straight bit. Then i rounded over the edges with a roundover bit.
Another adjustment i made was making the legs straight as opposed to being on an angle as it was intended as a children's table.
The table was stained using Minwax Chestnut Gel Stain, which is so easy to use.
I finished it with 3 coats of Minwax water based Polyacrylic.

The chairs were something i saw for sale on a website, so i tried to copy it. They were selling the chairs for $150 each, i made mine for about $15 for the pair. They are made out of pine stained the same as the table.

Did this project over the span of two weekends.

only tough part really was the X sides. Had to source from a friend.

Farmhouse Desk

Built desk for larger room but in hindsight should have shortened the length by about a foot. Great solid sturdy desk and easy to build.

For my son's 7th birthday, I promised him a new lofted bed. I poured over different designs, drooled over all of the different things I could make, worried about whether or not I could actually do it. Nothing in the market fit my requirements or my budget... I was determined to make this for my son.

Over the long weekend, this bed was constructed... a little "Loft Bed", a little "Claire", a little "Cabin" and a little inspired innovation and ta-da: The Fred-enstien Bed :)

Claire guardrails and bookshelf supports
Modified Claire Desk (work in progress)
Cabin Headboard
Custom built storage shelf stairs (he didn't want a ladder)

Next weekend will be touching up the paint and installing the remaining bookshelves

I was in mood for a while and made a few wall decor pieces this was one I put in my room

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!