Community Brag Posts

I used the basic construction of the turned leg coffee table, but used 2x4s screwed together for the legs, added a couple of supports, and made the dimensions larger (38.5" x 62" for a dining table that seats 6). I used pocket holes for all the joints and it came together pretty easily. (One day, though, I am going to build a project without drastically altering the plans. One day.)

I needed some organization in my small closet, which originally only had one rod and one shelf. This is what resulted, and I made it from scraps from other projects, which is why the closet rods are mismatched...they'll be covered up with clothes hangers soon anyway. I had to buy the drawer slides and one more set of closet rod holders. I had some copper pipe straps and decided to use them as pulls on the drawers. I plan to make some crates out of cedar fence pickets to fit the shelves.

I just got the Kreg Micro Jig and used it on the drawers, which were made out of 1/2" plywood. I prefer to make drawers by using the table saw to create overlap rabbets and then use the nail gun to put them together, but it was 15 degrees outside today so I opted for the micro drill. It went pretty well...definitely caused less splitting in the 1/2" plywood than the regular kreg jig.

My wife is an avid quilter and I've just begun woodworking, so when we needed a bed for our spare bedroom, we combined my love of woodworking with her love of quilts to come up with this bed, modified from your plans.  We couldn't be happier with the way that it turned out!

My dad and I built this for my mother in law. Her apartment gives them the option to decorate the area outside the door, so needed a specific size. Love the way it turned out!

New dining room with a board and batten, farmhouse table and six parson chairs.
Thanks Ana!

I remodeled the main floor bathroom for my parents. My mom had seen a vanity she like at a home center. Then she thought about doing an open vanity. Then I showed her the one Ana did for the Momplex (48" Turned Leg Vanity). and she loved it. This is what we came up with.

It has bead board panels on the ends and the doors. V-grove planks for the bottom shelf.

The top is made from 100 year old ship lap siding from my brother house. The sink is hand hammered copper with a venetian bronze faucet.

I built this console from the Grandy Sliding Door Console. I modified the plan slightly and lowered it to about 30 inches high, and have since hung the TV on the wall. I made the sliding door hardware at a local metal fabrication shop, and used patio door wheels for the hardware. It is stained with Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain wiped on with a cloth to ensure a non-uniform stain for a distressed look. I used the Kreg jig for most of the connections, and added support of the mid shelf in the back of the piece.

Workbench on wheels. I modified the simple workbench to shorten the legs but added Wheels to be easier to move around as I have uneven ground on dirt I had to add pneumatic wheels.

We have not added the final details but the chairs are already getting regular use. They are very sturdy so the girls use them for climbing as much as they do for sitting. I was a little worried that my chairs would not sit correctly but following Ana's "trick" for leveling them out worked like a charm. Now we just have to find the time to make two more so the girls will have room to accommodate friends when they visit... but there is that long list of other projects on my "to do" list... Thanks Ana! we are growing more confident every day! ;-)

Put together this rustic x table in about a week of spare time. I finished using Ana's espresso finish tutorial with the red elm gel stain but it was too red after three coats. I bought some regular black stain and put two coats of that on the project and it turned out great.

My wife wanted to incorporate some turquoise into the project. I did not. :-)

We compromised with the turquoise x's. I think the colors go well together.

I spent about $50 on wood and $40 on new stain, spray poly and paint. But that stain and paint will last the next 3-4 projects. So I'd say the total cost for this actual project was around $70.

This was my first ever project I put together. Now I have a list of about 8 things I'll be building in the next few months.

This bed came out beautiful! Thank you for the plans. 

Great outdoor seating built with 2x4's

Loved this project. I bought a jig saw, and I had so much fun. I bought the black and decker one it was around $25.00 and works great for small projects like this one. Another birthday present for a beautiful girl who is turning 5 and I know there is always space for a step stool in the house with young ones. Hope she likes it.

Thank You Ana I have been having so much fun!!

About six months ago I got my first router. I tore up a few boards with it experimenting but mainly used it for basic round-overs. I wanted to learn more so at Christmas Santa brought me the router table. My first real project was to build a project that would be a learning experience as well as produce something useful so I chose the Drill Bit Cabinet. You can see the plans at

http://ct-web2.unh.edu/lee/drill-bit-cabinet.pdf

This project requires cutting rabbet and dado joints. Basic joints but also requiring accurate cutting. There are no nails or screws holding the box together. I countersunk screws into the shelves for stability. The final result is what you see in the pictures. I learned a lot. A great starter project for novice router users. I took two days to complete the project but a knowledgeable worker could do it in a day.

I also deviated from the plans somewhat out of a desire to make the build easier and less expensive:

1. The plans called for cutting boards from a 1x8 but I chose to stay with the full size 1x8s I had in the garage. So the final dimensions became: Height 19-1/2 inches, Width 10-1/8 inch (closed or 20-1/2 inches open), and Depth 3-1/2 inches (open or 7-inches closed).

2. I could only find 30 inch and 12 inch piano hinges so I went with the 12 inch. Works fine. I must say I really need practice installing hinges. Took me two tries to get this one right.

3. The instructions call for cutting the box in half with a table saw but I don't own a table saw. So I cut the box in two pieces using a straight bit on the router table advancing about 1/8 inch at a time until I was within about a 1/16 inch from breaking through. I used a regular saw to finish the job and the sander to remove the little bit that was left. Worked fine.

4. The plans call for screws to act as the pivot for the two tiltable bit carriers. Instead I just inserted 1/4" dowel. Works fine.

Had a blast building this for my mother. Only problem now is everyone in my family wants one!

This was my very first furniture-building project. I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out! It's definitely not perfect, but with some practice I plan to try bigger projects! It was a little more expensive than I would have liked because I had to buy a pocket hole kit that was $40, but hopefully I will be able to use the kit for future projects.