Community Brag Posts

Potting table, was easy to build, very strong and stable because of the size of the wood used. It's a big table -- an entire dog fits inside :)

This was my first Ana White project, and I learned a lot from making it since I was also a novice woodworker. I am very happy with the end result, but it was probably a good thing that this went on the inside of a closet :) It gave me the confidence to go on and build something more difficult with the skills I built along with the storage.

The $30 estimate is only for the wood. Wood putty, sandpaper, screws, paint, etc. will make this more expensive, but you will use all of the extras on other projects since this one won't use those up.

The time involved is a guess--it has been a few months since I completed this. Someone with experience could probably do it faster and someone brand new to building might go slower. So I chose 3-6 hours, a nice in-between number.

Watch your caster size with carpet. That was my only snag with the instructions. Ana has hardwood floors that the casters roll on. I have carpet so I wanted larger wheels in order for smoother rolling. That added height to the caster also, so you want to modify the length of the sides of the storage unit to reflect the larger casters on carpet.

All in all a great plan and useful end result!

**UPDATE--January 30, 2012** We removed the casters from the bottom of this just yesterday and the door opens SO much easier. I would invest in some high quality casters and not the cheap ones I bought if you are going to use these. Without the casters I am only putting light things (stuffed animals) in this. If you are using it for heavier items, I would use the casters but make sure they readily turn. The casters I had did not want to turn as the door moved and they dragged on the carpet instead. Also, the overall height of your unit will depend on the height of your casters, so buy them first if you are going to use them. I still love this though!

Love to cook, didn't have enough space in the pantry for all my spices. Used the spice cabinet plan and it was perfect.

This project held two purposes: Father’s Day and my husband’s shoes/backpack. This was the perfect way to get them off of the floor and into something beautiful!
Both of my teenage kids help with different aspects of the build.
I will list what hinges and handles I used after reading all the other posts on this Becca Trunk.

I did make my carcass taller and longer than the plans to hold my husband’s items plus some couch blankets. I have 4 supports on the bottom instead of three. I only used 3/4” hard plywood. I added an inch to each side of the lid, so it was easier to open. There are 2 coats of stain and 2 coats of 3x interior gloss poly made by Varthane on this trunk. I sanded with 320 sandpaper in between each coat of poly.
After reading all the posts about hinges, soft closing and looking at each picture, I came up with Torsion Hinges by Rockler. These hold up the lid at all different angles and give a soft close once lowered to a certain point.
I installed 2 sixty pound bronze torsion hinges with the assistance of their Hinge Jig. That helped me to make my lines and pre drill marks without guessing. Rockler has several videos on them and how to install, plus several on YouTube. I bought them on Amazon for less than the site and sold by Rockler. I did chisel out a small rectangle of the molding and it was easier than I thought. I was so nervous after building it all and now cutting some out of it, but it worked! I did one and my son the other one. The Rockler Jig was very helpful lining all this up. My hinges are 6” in from each side of the trunk. I set the lid in the right spot and drew lines where the hinge jig rest in my chiseled spots. Then flipped it over and lined up the jig again on the lid and knew where my holes were going.

I have just received my 3 set of handles. The others were not chunky enough for the size and the proper look.
Adonai Hardware "Phebe" Antique Iron Drop Pull (Supplied as 2 Pieces per Pack) - Black Powder Coated. I also got these on Amazon.

This trunk took time, but it was well worth it. So beautiful and worth it. My husband was so surprised and also knew it was for his shoes/backpack. He appreciated all the detail that went into it and lived that the three of us built it together for him.
Thank you Ana and Shanty 2 Chic for the plans and pictures. They are always so helpful. I have made many of your builds and I am learning from each one. Thank you again.
Blessings,
Jennifer