Lamp

For Christmas, Brent and I decided to build some lamps to give as gifts to family.  He felt he could do a good job making a wooden lamp, however, he needed some design inspiration.  Paraphrased his words were, "I'm practical and can make it functional but you can make it look good."  Okay, yes, I can make it look good.  Stroke my ego a little more, honey. :)  

Brent brought me a piece of paper with a preliminary idea sketched on it.  I took another piece of paper and drew out a similar (but different) design, planning for stain color and variations and type of shade.  Once I had a preliminary design, I set about searching through Brent's huge store of wood to find the perfect pieces for our lamps.  We both agreed that we wanted lots of coloration and knots on the wood so the lamp would have a lot of character and omph.  After finding a few pieces of wood that would work, I began measuring and tentatively determining the measurements of the pieces.  

After I had my tentative design completed, I called it a night.   The next day, Brent went to Lowe's to get all the equipment he would need to assemble a lamp.  After an hour, he had it dry fit to show me what his prototype looked like.  I whole-heartedly approved and go him the go ahead to assemble the others.  We discussed what stain pattern the lamps needed and came to an amiable agreement.  Since I don't know the first thing about electrical work, I gladly let Brent take full responsibility for the assembly and I headed to the store to shop for lamp shades.  I chose a tan linen shade for two of the lamps.  I felt the texture and coloration of the shade complimented the lamps.  For the third, an off-white silk shade was chosen to add a touch of sophistication to the rustic quality of the lamp.

An unlit lamp with the linen shade.

The lamp when lit.  The linen shade really compliments the colors of the wood.  

Brent did an excellent job assembling and staining these lamps.  My intentions of helping to build these lamps didn't happen due to a busy schedule and the fact that Brent obviously wanted to build these himself. I asked him if he wanted assistance several times.  After the third or fourth time of hearing, "No, I have it," I finally got the hint! :)  Even though he did most of the work, I am proud of these babies and am posting them because they are my design.  

Tryde Coffee Table

I decided to build a coffee table for my parents as a Christmas gift.  I fell in love with the Tryde table on www.ana-white.com and decided to build it.  The Tryde table is a knock off version of Pottery Barns Hyde table (seen here). 

View of the Tryde coffee table with a Golden Oak stain.

The table is constructed of 2x4s for the top with 2x6 end pieces.  The legs are supposed to be 4x4 posts, however, Brent and I could not locate any that are not treated for outdoor use.  We laminated two 2x4 boards with wood glue and then cut the posts down to 3" by 3" posts.  Close enough and you can't even tell that the legs are laminated!

Another view of the coffee table.

I chose to use 2x4 studs and whiteboard pine for this table because I wanted my wood to have imperfections, knots, and coloration.  After all, the theme of the table is: RUSTIC.  

We made a couple of small changes to the design during construction.  We added some extra support to the underside frame structure so that we could attach the table top boards from the underside.  We did  not want any screws showing from the top.  

Also, I cut the 2x4 top pieces 1" shorter than the plan called for.  Brent and I were concerned that the 1x6 edging extended a bit far and therefore could possibly be fractured if someone sat on the table.  By decreasing the center boards by an inch, we were able to position the 1x6 end pieces 1/2" further in, thereby allowing more connection of the board to the structure beneath.  A half inch on either side is not a lot of distance, but it does make a difference.  

I love this table so much, I am considering building myself one.  :) 

My First Project

My husband does a bit of woodworking and is getting rather good at it.  I love the idea of making something myself, so I began to research some plans by Ana White on ana-white.com.  I fell in love with her spa bench plans.  I love Ana's plans because she gives you a materials list as well as a cut list.  Her plans are perfect for a newbie like me.

With the help of Brent, I went to Lowe's and purchased the wood needed.  Brent introduced me to his power tools and helped me to set up some of the cuts.  He had some great hints and tips for making good cuts and ensuring that all the pieces fit well together.  His most important hint (besides don't lose a finger) is to only cut the pieces that you are currently working with.  If you cut all of your pieces ahead of time, you may find that your pieces don't line up properly due to variations in construction.  

Once the pieces were cut, I used Brent's Dewalt drill and some wood glue to assemble the spa bench.  Immediately following assembly, I needed to do a lot of sanding.  I used a palm sander to do the heavy sanding, but then followed it up with some hand sanding with medium fine paper.  I put a lot of love into the sanding of this bench.  

At this point, I will comment that it is July and about 100 degrees in our garage!  

 A picture of me in our messy garage/shop, hand sanding the bench.

After sanding, I cleaned off the sawdust from the bench and began to stain it with a Provincial stain.  I love the rich, dark color of this stain.  After a couple of coats of stain, I began to finish the bench with some satin Polyurethane.  I put three coats on the top and sides plus an additional two coats on the bench top.  After it dried, I gave it a light sanding with a fine grit sandpaper and wiped it clean.

The finished result!

I brought the bench into my house and it now resides proudly beside our garage door.  We use it as a storage bench and a place to put on or take off shoes.  Brent loves the bench.  I am very proud of my first woodworking venture and looking forward to many more.