Community Brag Posts

My very first project using the Compound Miter Saw. Easy Cuts. Easy assembly. Cost was about $1.50. I think I am going to make kits (as suggested in the sister plan) for a couple of birthdays coming up!

Standing/Walking desk with side bookshelves built in. Desktop folds up and out so keyboard is at correct level for my height while walking on treadmill. When folded down, keyboard is at acceptible level for standing on ground. Desk designed so that the small walking treadmill can slide under and be out of the way when not in use.

Lifting Hinges used are Woodtek Coffee Table Lift Mechanism:  https://woodworker.com/coffee-table-top-lift-mechanism-lr-mssu-164-228…

Made from pine boards. Had to add 2 2x4's underneath to hold the drawer.  

This is a modified plan for Ana White's Farm House Table.

I shortened the table to about 72 inches with breadboards on the ends and added removable breadboard extensions for a total of about 100 inches of table for a 12x11 room. I also built the Farm House bench but shortened it to 48 inches.

The wood is white pine and Douglas Fir 4x4 legs. The total cost was $198 for the wood/screws and about $30 for the stain and sand paper. I bought an additional set of countersink bits for holes.

I used the following tools:

• Hand Saw
• Table Saw
• Compound Miter Saw
• Hand Drill with various bits and countersinks
• Square, pencil and straight edges
• Tape measure
• Clamps
• Wood Chisel Set
• Sharpening Stone
• Level

• It took about 35 hours of work.

  The stain is English Chestnut and we pretreated the wood to accept the stain by using wood conditioner. This made a dramatic difference in leveling out the stain between the white pine and Douglas Fir. I used 3 coats of clear polyurethane and 2 coats of satin on the top with gentle sanding in between coats.

I used the charging station plans as my first attempt at building something using pocket holes, and also my first real attempt at building any piece of furniture from scratch. I stuck pretty much to Ana's plans except for not cutting the front footer (I didn't own a jigsaw at the time) and using panes of frosted glass as the center of the doors.

As a piece of furniture it gets used every day, but it has been most invaluable to me as a learning experience. I've built many pieces of furniture in the time since I made the charging station, growing my skills each time. But this project was where I started, so it always feels a little extra special to me.

This table follows the plan pretty closely except that I wanted to use Red Cedar because of its beauty and durability. We can only get Red Cedar at one National Chain here and it only came in 6" widths, which meant a few recalculations. We also used deck strips (as recommended at the store) to attach the top from underneath (shown in photo) and adjusted the screw length to accommodate. We were able to keep waste to a minimum (seen in photo with triangle) by making sure to cut varying lengths from the boards (ie. one board gave us the length and width of the table). This was made easier by the available lengths of board from the store (8', 10', 12'). Another recommendation from the store was to use coated screws with cedar to prevent black streaks over time.
I love my new table!

Built for my sister. Because she liked mine so much :) I also built her an apothecary console to use as a side board in the dining room

After searching and searching for a decently priced bed for our two year old and failing to find anything that I liked under $400, I decided to do a google search and came across the directions for the Emme twin bed. I loved the design and the color of the stain in the instructions but had to go with white as everything in our toddlers room is white. My husband said the instructions were simple to follow. I think he did a wonderful job for his first time ever building anything. Not to mention my little girl loves the bed. Thank you Ana!

It was time for potty training and when it came time to wash her hands her arms were a little too short. So I threw this step stool together over a few hours and with the little one being a Minnie Mouse fan I had to add the Mickey head. Great project for those wanting something easy and quick.

What do you do when you want to upgrade to a king size bed but cant find one you like at any store?  You build one yourself.

I actually built this before the king size plans were available by using the queen size plans and bumping up the measurements accordingly.  We both loved the farmhouse bed so we only made a couple little changes.  One obvious change is to the posts at teh footboard...i cut those to about 48" high so I would still have a place to hang my PJ's.  I also took the router to the tops of the posts to round off the edges just a bit.

It came out great and my wife and I love it.  She likes to show off pictures every chance she gets.

This is by far the biggest project I've completed yet. It actually surprised me how easy it was to complete. It did take me about 4 days to build the project and an additional week to sand and paint the project.

I followed the playhouse loft plans and the storage stairs plans, adjusting only the back to allow for the additional length of the slide. I didn't add the windows to the sides (I didn't see any point in having them there). I also used the castle loft plans for the slide. When I first started this project I was planning on making the slide completely separate. I changed my mind mid project after I had the side wall cut to length at Lowe's, so I just added that small piece to the left of the slide to make up for the gap. I also made this project in 4 separate pieces (stairs, slide, front wall, back) so I could put it together in her room in one evening and not have to kick her out. Once we moved it to her room all I had to do was screw the four corners in and attach the back wall and bed slats.

I definitely recommend not using particle board. I had no idea what the difference was between particle board, mdf and plywood when I started this project. Particle board was less then half the cost of plywood, but looking back I would pay the extra for the plywood. I don't feel like the screws hold well in the particle board and it also chipped on the bottom some. I actually had a chunk come off in the corner where I must of screwed to closely to the edge. I'm sure this is basic knowledge for most, but for those newbies (like me) just a little tip.

I had a lot of fun building this bed (not so much sanding and painting) and learned a lot. Now off to browse for my next project :)

It took us about 2 days to cut, assemble, and paint.  

http://www.whisperingwhims.com/2015/03/diy-pottery-barn-addison-style-headboard/

After buying our first home we decided we wanted to build our own kitchen table so we stumbled across Ana's plans and I'm so glad that we did!