Community Brag Posts

My father and I made this awesome poolside towel cabinet using the Benchmark Cabinet plans. A super easy 1 day build and it looks amazing on the patio. Bring on the pool weather! 

Thank you for the easy and fun bench plan.
It was really easy to install.
Even my 2 little daughters had fun (-:

2x4ncoffee table 

This was my first attempt at building anything....ever. It was so incredibly fun and I certainly learned a lot. My 8 little chickens are loving their new home and I can't wait to build my next project!

When I saw the plans for the miter saw stand that had two rolling tool storage carts, I knew I had to make it.  Having a cart used for an outfeed table is a brilliant idea.  It was a fun project to make.  I tweaked a few dimensions because I like taller workbenches because I'm taller.  Now my shop is looking more organized.

Using the Junior Height Camp Loft Bed plans...

I raised the height from 65 to 67 inches to better accomodate a bottom bunk.  Added bottom rails and extra 2X4s for the head board.  

I shortened the width and length of the stairs to better fit in the room, and in doing so, made a small mod to the post by the stairs to prevent the boys from falling down the stairs.

Kids Love them

This was my very first build, and I'm so pleased with how it turned out! I decided not to add the X pieces because I didn't want the table to look too rustic. I did add clavos for an extra touch and I love it!

My first build from your site. The plans are great!  I changed it and used half lap joints for the Xs to keep them as solid pieces. Only cheap lumber is available at the big box stores, so LOTS of sanding. 

I love taking good stuff that people throw out and up cycle them. Someone on my street had thrown out two sofa sets and the cushions were is perfect condition. They had slip covers on them too. I washed the covers and built the sofa to fit the cushions. I built two single chairs, a love seat and a matching table. Super happy with the way it turned out.

I didn't build this shoe dresser because I particularly needed one, but it looked so lovely that I couldn't resist.

- I modified the plans by building 3 bins instead of 2 so it could hold more shoes.
- I decided against the dowel stick and opted for hinges instead, which were surprisingly not too difficult to assemble. I found that I didn't even need the magnets after installing the hinges as the doors stay closed.
- I used 7" chains on both sides of each bin instead of a belt to make it extra sturdy.
- I added two back legs.

Et voila! This is the end result. I'm very pleased.

PS. Those flopping bins are a pain when you're trying to build!! An extra pair of hands is definitely recommended.

The Tryde Console table was the inspiration piece. Used kreg jig to join the top boards and connect the legs and aprons. The bottom stretchers were similar to the Farmhouse table plans. I plan on using this outside for a grilling table. I am not going to apply a finish - I want to see how the wood changes when exposed to the elements - hopefully it gets a nice Restoration Hardware-type finish.

These are just a few of the photos we took while we built our first project. My daughters and I did it over a weekend.
We got 8 pallets from Lowes for FREE, and cut them down to fit two twin sized air mattresses (standard size) from Wal-mart ($15 each). We used about 1.5 pallets for the length, but stacked them two high for a total use of two full pallets, two half pallets, and then the remaining half pallets were used as back supports.
We sanded them after we removed any bad boards or nails.
Then, we used a circular saw to cut them to the appropriate length, added casters to the bottom pallets.
Secured the pallets together with brackets. Secured the back supports together with brackets.
Treated the wood, hated the stain we got at a special price from Menard's, so I decided to cover them with outdoor fabric.
Make the daybed skirts out of a flat sheet and outdoor fabric I got half off at Joanne Fabrics. Haven't sewn in 25 years!
Pretty happy with the first project. Still need to get cuter blankets, but I used what we had in the house.
Pricing:
Pallets free
Brackets and screws came to about $25
I didn't have the circular saw or sander so I had to purchase ($120 with some extra sanding pads)
Fabric $75
Air matresses $32
Sheet sets $20
Total: $275ish but I had sold some of my old patio furniture for $275, so it was a wash! And now, I have a circular saw and an orbital sander! Also, the fabric was optional. Had the pillows at home. Just recovered or took from the storage closet.
Now, onto other pallet projects! I have more pics if needed.

Using the counter height planter plans from Janettx. Thanks!

My daughter needed a loft bed to give her more floor and storage space in her bedroom. I modified the original plans to fit her twin XL bed, which is 5 inches longer than a regular bed. I also added an extra 2x6 across the back two posts for extra support.

Cutting and assembly was relatively easy; I glued every joint and used pocket holes per the instructions. I sanded using 80, 120 and 220 grit. The finish is a Minwax "parchment" water-based stain, with 3 coats of Polycrylic. All pocket holes were pre-drilled prior to finishing.

I assembled the platform and footboard in the garage and brought it into the house as a single unit; same with the headboard. I brought in the rails separately. To assemble, I marked 1 1/4 inches from the outside post edges, and used wood scraps/clamps to align and hold the rails while securing them with pocket hole screws.

My daughter's mattress is very high; it rises only about an inch below the top of the top rail. So I build a bed-length shelf which also had the added benefit of providing a little more height/protection against her rolling out of bed in the middle of the night (see pics).

In all, I was surprised at how long this took me. Probably because I'm a novice and this was only my 2nd project. The totals are:
- Cut and assembly: 14 hours
- Sanding: 25 hours
- Finishing: 2 days

After finishing, I left all pieces in the garage for 5 days to air-out before bringing into the house.

Total cost the lumber was $125, 1 qt stain @ $13, 1/2 gal Polycrylic @ $50 per gal, and $20 hardware for a total of just over $200.

Thanks for the plans Ana!

I stuck to the design but changed the dimensions to suit the space and the boxes we intend to store. This made the shelves 7.5 feet high by 8.5 feet wide. The timber was supplied in 17’ lengths so this also meant very little wastage. The frame is composed of 2x4’s, the shelves are 4.5 x 1.5’s  - as I wanted the shelves slightly shallower this meant I could get away with three boards for each shelf instead of 4 as on the plans. 

For the short cross pieces I used woodglue and screws – to attach the long shelf pieces I just used screws. I predrilled holes in the first piece for each of the screws, but I didn’t drill a pilot hole in the next piece, the screws were self-tapping and didn’t need one.

The back wall is concrete block and I screwed each upright to the wall using wall plugs and screws. I’ve 2 young children and as the shelves are quite high I was afraid they might climb on them and tip them over otherwise. The attachment to the wall definitely makes the whole thing feel much sturdier – the structure is completely rigid.

The only real issue I encountered was that some of the boards were slightly twisted or warped – and I had to apply some force to keep everything square when I was gluing up. Overall I’m very happy with the end product, and found it reasonably easy to put together. Now its time to put the shelves to good use and start tidying up the garage!

This rustic modern version of a pub table has multiple uses - it can rest along a wall to make a 16 foot long bar, or rolled together to form an 8 foot long pub table. It is standard counter height 36" and will accomodate seating for 8-10 counter stools. If you don't have live edge wood slabs, you can also use construction lumber (2x8s or 2x12s) to achieve similar dimensions and versatile use in a more cost effective way.