I’ve been working on a few new pieces of wall art made from coffee importer bags.  These things are so cool!  I recently picked up a few bags, but wasn’t sure exactly what I would do with them.  The visuals on the bag caught my eye and they just have this cool coffee shop vibe that I wanted to come up with a way to experience.  Then I ran across another piece of decorative wall art printed on burlap, the two ideas collided and here are my first two pieces…

Cut the frame to size around the bag. This one is 32 1/2″ x 24 1/8″.

Glued the corners of the frame

Corners are all reinforced with “V” nails to prevent splitting over time.

Because it’s a larger frame, all corners are reinforced with additional bracing. This also helps prevent bowing and twisting.

Here’s the first finished piece, “Costa Rica” 32 1/2″ x 24 1/8″. Stretched and mounted on wooden frame.

Another picture of “Costa Rica” 32 1/2″ x 24 1/8″. Stretched and mounted on wooden frame.

Here’s the 2nd piece, “Guatemala.” This piece is 25″ W x 34″ H, stretched & mounted on wooden frame.

Another picture of “Guatemala”, 25″ W x 34″ H.

As I’ve been developing my drawing and painting skills, it doesn’t matter whether I’m taking a class or watching online tutorials, I’m constantly reminded of the importance of value.  If you’re reading this post, you’ve probably heard a hundred times that values are more important than shapes and proportions (even though they are important too!).  But values are the foundation of a drawing or painting.

But I’ve found that, especially with more complicated or busy scenes like urban streets or busy landscapes, it can be tough to really understand and see the values, especially on location.  I’m finding that it takes a lot of practice to train my eye to see the different values.  In complex compositions, there may be many values and many colors and learning to simplify them with the eye and then translate the scene or reference photo to a drawing or painting can be a real challenge.  While the squinting technique is helpful, for me it has it’s limitations.

I’ve found Photoshop to be a helpful tool to convert pictures to value studies, and this is my step by step method to help visualize the value range in a reference photo as I’m developing my eye to perceive it when I’m on location.

Step 1 – Open your photo in Photoshop

If you look in the layers panel on the right, you can see that I’ve duplicated the image.  That way as I’m applying adjustment layers and filters to the picture, I can refer to the original reference.

Step 2 – Apply a Black & White Adjustment Layer to the image copy.

As a black and white image, you can already start to see the value range of the picture.  This by itself is a helpful exercise (and one you can do on your phone without Photoshop).  In the adjustment panel, you can refine the black and white image to adjust the value ranges and it can be helpful to mess around with the sliders a little to see what’s going on.  In the picture above, you can already see a pretty clear distinct value contrast between the tree, shadow and pier being the darkest values and the grass, water and sky being the lightest values.  Notice that the sky and water as they approach the horizon are also approaching a very similar value with about one step difference.  At this point, you can also quint your eyes and see how this enables you to see the values better.  But we’re not done…

Step 3 – Apply Cutout Filter

The cutout filter rocks, but if you haven’t messed with filters in Photoshop, you may not have any idea it exists!

Group your 2 layers – the picture copy and the adjustment layer on top of it – together.  If you’re not that familiar with Photoshop, you highlight the 2 layers in the layer panel and select “Group Layers” from the Layer drop down menu.

Next, convert this group for Smart Filters:

This is where the magic happens.  Once the group is converted for a Smart Filter, go to the Filter Gallery and select the Cutout filter under the Artistic drop down.  This will simplify the value range and allow you to experiment with adding additional value steps or reducing value steps.

You can see here in the filter parameters that this image has been converted into 3 values.  The image is much more abstract, but is still clearly a beachside image with a tree.  Notice how the simplified rendering shows the shadows and highlights in and under the tree.

Changing the value levels to 2 simplifies the image further, but still maintains the essence of the original picture.  Here you can still clearly see the contrast between the dark and light values and how applying values before detail can serve as an underpainting.

You can go through this exercise without converting the photo to a black and white image, but initially when doing the value studies, I find it’s helpful to first look at the picture from a monochromatic perspective to really understand the values.  Once you feel like you really “get it” in terms of seeing the value range, then go through the same process, but leave the photo in color.

In this rendering, there are still 3 values levels but because of the different colors, the image has some additional nuance and at first glance may seem like it contains more values.  Don’t confuse hue or color with value.  They are different concepts!

While I’m sure there’s an app out there somewhere that can reproduce these value studies on your phone, Photoshop is a great way to start training your eye to see in terms of value.

I hope you found this review helpful and check out my YouTube video of this post to see a couple additional examples.

If you’re a repeat visitor, you may have noticed the My Store menu button up top.  Last week I set up a store on the site using WooCommerce and will be moving my downloadable woodworking plans over to it from FetchApp, my current store and fulfillment platform.  Turns out WooCommerce for WordPress does everything that FetchApp does, minus the hefty monthly fee!  As I migrate my downloads to the new store platform, if anyone has a problem accessing the download link, please shoot me an email and I’ll respond right away.  Also, the detailed plans will always be available as blog posts, and you can still link to them from the woodworking drop down menu.  Also, I’ve added some of my coffee bag wall art to the store as well and will gradually be putting some of my other artwork up as I have time.  Thanks!

I’ve had my eye on a platform bed project utilizing the Tatami style joinery for a couple years now, but another project always seemed to keep coming up. That all changed recently when my daughter decided to redesign her room with a minimalist modern look and decided to ditch the old spindle bed.  This was the perfect opportunity for that clean, elegant platform design I’ve been looking to do.

I’ve done a little research online and in some designer magazines, but wanted not only to build this bed, but also develop a design that would make for an accessible project for the weekend woodworker.  I wanted a design that didn’t require specialized tools or skills, one that could be completed in a weekend and be economically priced.  I think this one fits the bill!  While it’s very  easy to build, it still looks like a designer piece of furniture once it’s been finished.

The other thing I like about this design is that it doesn’t require any hardware to set up or take down since it utilizes interlocking Japanese joinery to hold the bed frame together.  This creates a lot of versatility to move it around or to convert it into a different size bed.

I’ll be updating this post as I progress through the project.  In the mean time, below are some pictures of my progress on Saturday.

Tools Recommended

• Chop or Miter Saw
• Table Saw
• Clamps (you’ll use a lot of clamps for this project!)
• Chisel (3/4″ blade)

Materials List

• 2×2 – 3 @ 8′
• 1×4 – 2 @ 8’
• 1×4 – 7 @ 6’
• 1×2 – 7 @ 8’
• 1×5 – 1 @ 6′

Cut List

• (1) 2×2 @ 80 1/2″
• (16) 2×2 @ 9 1/2″
• (8) 1×2 @ 6″
• (3) 1×2 @ 19 1/4″
• (4) 1×2 @ 77 1/2″
• (3) 1×2 @ 55 1/2″
• (2) 1×2 @ 1 1/2″
• (2) 1×2 @ 4″ trimmed to 1 1/4″ width.
• (2) 1×4 @ 85″
• (7) 1×4 @ 63″
• (2) 1×5 @ 6″
• (2) 1×5 @ 7 1/2″
• (2) 1×5 @ 6″ trimmed to 3 3/4″ width.
• (15) 1×3 @ 58 1/2″

Assembling the Bed Posts

I considered making the bed posts out of a solid block of 4×4 lumber, but that presented a couple problems.  The main issue was cutting the notches or dados into which the bedrails sit in an interlocking joint.  While I have a radial arm saw that would enable me to make the cuts necessary, I really wanted to create a plan that the average weekend woodworker could make without specialized tools.  Not everyone has access to a radial arm saw or a bend saw, which would also be a great tool for the job.

Also, depending on the size of the bedrail, even a radial arm saw might not be able to make a deep enough cut, which would limit the ability to easily modify the plan and make a higher bed post.  With the assembled method, anyone can pretty much make any height bed post they want.  So that’s what I decided to go with as I’m documenting my build.

The materials needed are 2×2 for the outer corners and 1×2 and 1×6 for the inside.  Because the 2x2s are actually 1 1/2 x 1 1/2, sandwiching a 1″ (actual size 3/4″) piece of wood between them makes the post 3 3/4″ instead of 3 1/2″ like a solid 4×4, so you can’t use a piece of 1×4 to go in the middle as this would leave a 1/4″ gap in the post.  Instead, use a table saw or a chop saw to cut the 1×6 to size.  Below is a picture of the materials cut and ready to assemble.

Bed posts pieces cut and ready for assembly

Top view of bed post construction

Another view of bed post construction

Bed post assembly with wood glue

Bed posts assembled with wood glue and clamps

Making the Interlocking Bed Rails

Example of how the bed rails will fit into the interlocking bed posts

Using a Freud stacked dado blade setup on my radial arm saw to cut the bed rail slots.

I’ve clamped the bed rails together to make the dado cuts for joinery.

I made the clean dado cuts with multiple passes of the saw about 1/4″ each time.

Here’s a video describing several different ways to make these cuts.

Place video here.

Checking to make sure that the bed rails fit correctly!

One of two shots of the interlocking bed rail joints

Another picture of the interlocking bed rail joints

Adding the Trim and Mattress Supports

When adding the trim, there are a few different options.  By far the easiest is to simply glue the trim to the rails.  While this is easy to do and produces a very strong joint, I totally get it that you may want to anchor the trim using some additional kind of joinery.

The easiest option is to use wood screws to join the trim (in addition to wood glue!).  You can also use a Kreg Jig, which I know a lot of people like, to make pocket holes on the underside of the trim pieces.  This will make a very strong joint, but with 1×2 lumber, the pocket holes may be slightly viewable.

If you happen to have (or have access to) a biscuit joiner, that’s my preferred method and the one I’ll illustrate below.

The “trick,” if you can call it that, to this part of the build is to cut your trim so that it’s very close to the post, but not so tight that it makes getting the rail into the post difficult.  I would recommend cutting the rail trim and slat support pieces, holding them in place with the rails locked into the posts and then trimming again if necessary.  Ideally, you’d like about 1/32″ play between the trim and the post.  This will also accommodate any swelling if the humidity is high.

Make marks on each of the bed rails to indicate where the posts are located to position trim pieces

As illustrated in the image below, you’ll want to be careful to measure and cut the trim so that it doesn’t interfere with the post joint.  I left about 1/32″ between the trim and the post joint so that the bed rails could be assembled and disassembled easily.

I carefully marked the trim and rail pieces to cut biscuit slots

As mentioned above, I used a biscuit joiner when assembling the trim.  You could certainly use pocket holes to attach the trim as well.  It’s also feasible to screw the trim in place with wood screws from the inside of the bed rails, however you should take great care to pre-drill screw holes straight and make pilot holes.  It’s certainly also fine to simply use wood glue and clamps to get a solid joint.

Here I’ve cut the biscuit slots and the trim is ready to be glued to the rails

Whether using biscuits or screws, get in the habit of marking and indicating which faces join where.

The bedrails have been prepped for assembly, but I’m going to glue each one of them in place to make sure the trim is positioned correctly

The headboard and footboard trim glued and clamped

Queen & King Sized Center Support

One of the design elements that was important to me in this plan was to make the bed super easy to set up and take apart with no hardware or tools.  So knowing that the queen (and soon to be king) sizes will need some center support, I developed a shelf system using excess 1x lumber to support a 2×2 beam spanning the middle of the bed.  The 2×2 will rest on the shelves with a side brace and then have a footer that can be positioned in the middle.  You can, of course make a couple footers and this design is easily modifiable if you are making a king sized bed and feel more comfortable with more than one support.

The shelves are glued in place.  Of course you can reinforce them with wood screws if you like, but it’s not necessary.  If you do use wood screws, be sure to pre-drill your holes.  It’s good practice in general and with wood pieces this small, neglecting to pre-drill may result in the wood splitting.

Create a “no hardware” center support joint on the header and footer using cut pieces of the excess 1x lumber

Center Support Joint with Center Bar

For the center support I used excess 1×6 material from the post assembly and sandwiched 4 pieces together to create a footer that will cradle the center 2×2 beam.  This footer is, again, assembled with a generous amount of wood glue.

Use excess 1×6 lumber to create a center support footer for the bed

Center support footer

The beautiful thing about this footer is that it is very stable, fits the center 2×2 beam like a glove and is an elegant design for the bed (even though no one will see it!).

Assembly showing center support footer

Here’s the assembled frame with the center support beam in place.  The strips lying on the floor on the left and right are the bed slat supports which I added after I had attached the trim to the bed rails.  This was the only part of the construction where I used wood screws.

Bed Frame with Center Support Footer

Building the Headboard

Using a biscuit joiner for headboard assembly

View of headboard 1x4s with biscuit slots

Headboard glued and clamped

Headboard attached to the platform bed frame

Frame Assembly with Headboard and Bed Rail Supports

Final Assembly

The final assembly includes cutting 1×4 slats to support the mattress.  You can use the same lumber that you used to construct the bed frame, of course, but since the support slats won’t be visible underneath the mattress, I’d recommend using some less expensive common board or furring strip lumber for this.  When I was developing this plan for a queen sized bed, the 6′ select pine boards were about $5 each vs. 1×4 furring strip lumber which were about $1.50 each.  That was meaningful savings when buying 15 slats.  The cheaper lumber needs to be sanded a bit more, but it was worth the extra work for me!

I used furring strip lumber for the mattress support slats

Final assembly of the platform bed before sanding and staining

Project Cost

Project Cost (for the materials only) was approximately $250 at the time I built this platform bed.  Lumber costs fluctuate pretty widely with the construction economy.  I’ve found comparable beds online selling in the $800-$1,200 range depending on type of wood and finish for queen size beds.

I built these mid century modern nightstands to compliment my recent platform bed, but this stylish design is versatile enough to go with just about any contemporary decor.  This is also a really great project for a beginner to intermediate DIY woodworker and can easily be knocked out in one or two weekends.

I completed 2 of these nightstands which measure approximately 20″ tall, which turned out to be the perfect height to accompany the bed, but this project is super easy to modify if you want it taller or shorter.

Link to the 3D SketchUp Model

The hardest part of the project was finding the legs for it.  I wanted to design a mid century modern piece because the retro look is so popular right now, but since I wanted to make this an easy weekend project and I don’t have a lathe, I knew I’d need to source the legs from somewhere, but it turns out that the options available in the big box stores are pretty limited.

I finally ran across Waddell Manufacturing which makes a variety of lengths and ordered directly from them.  They also provide both straight and angle brackets to attach the legs, depending on the look that you want.  I designed both versions for the nightstand, but personally prefer the angled leg look.

The nightstand has a surface that measures 20″ wide and 16″ deep.  While you can customize the drawer height to your own specifications, this plan has a 9″ high drawer box and 11 1/2″ legs making the stand just over 20″ high when using the angled brackets.

Tools Recommended

• Table Saw
• 1/4″ dado blade (or a router with a 1/4″ bit)
• Clamps
• Biscuit Joiner
• Kreg Jig

Depending on the size of your table saw, it may also be helpful if you have a skil saw or, better yet, a sliding miter saw.  You’ll need something that can make a straight 16″ cut for the main box.  You’ll also use the table saw to cut dados into your drawer box sides in order to insert the drawer bottom.  I’ll provide some commentary on drawer construction

Materials & Hardware List

• Coming Soon!

Cut List

• Coming Soon!

Assembling the Nightstand

Coming Soon!

Legs and Brackets from Waddell Manufacturing

Angled bracket positioned on the nightstand base.

Nightstand Base

Why I’m Using Biscuits Instead of Pocket Holes

I love my Kreg Jig and use it all the time, but in some cases, like with this nightstand, biscuits are preferable to pocket holes. If you use pocket holes to join the top and bottom of the nightstand to the sides, you need to drill your pocket holes on the inside of the drawer box into the side panels.  This means that your pocket hole screws will be angled to the outside top and bottom corners of your stand, which is not a preferable angle for the joint and unless you’re extremely careful, you run the risk of either splitting the wood at screw hole or drilling with too much pressure so the tip of the screw damages the exposed corner of your stand top, especially if you’re using a soft wood like pine.

Using pocket holes to attach the top and bottom side joins can damage the visible surface

Using a biscuit joiner eliminates this problem altogether and since the biscuit is perpendicular to the edge (rather than angled), the joint will be stronger and you’ll eliminate the problem of the wood splitting at the pocket holes.

This problem can be eliminated and you’ll have a stronger joint with biscuits

2 stands ready for assembly

Constructing the Drawers

Drawers always present a challenge to someone who hasn’t done them before.  For this project, I’m using a simple drawer box construction using 1/2″ plywood for the box and 1/4″ plywood for the bottom.

I am using my Kreg Jig on the drawers!

Drawer Partially Constructed

These pocket holes are going in at the “right” angle.

Both nightstands are being glued together with the drawer faces temporarily in place

Drawer boxes have been constructed, installed and waiting on the drawer faces to be attached.

Drawer face and knob attached

Finished nightstand next to the tatami inspired platform bed.

If you’re been looking for a king version of my Tatami Inspired Platform Bed, you’ve come to the right place!  I’ve re-sized the original queen plans and added additional supports to the base to accommodate the larger and heavier 76″ x 80″ standard king mattress.  You can access a SketchUp model of the king sized bed here.

Tools Recommended

• Chop or Miter Saw
• Table Saw
• Clamps (you’ll use a lot of clamps for this project!)
• Chisel (3/4″ blade)
• Biscuit Joiner & #10 Biscuits (optional)

Materials List for King Size

• 2×2 – 4 @ 8′
• 1×4 – 9 @ 8’
• 1×2 – 7 @ 8’
• 1×5 – 1 @ 8′
• 1×3 – 15 @ 8′

Cut List

• (1) 2×2 @ 80 1/2″
• (16) 2×2 @ 9 1/2″
• (8) 1×2 @ 6″
• (3) 1×2 @ 19 1/4″
• (4) 1×2 @ 77 1/2″
• (3) 1×2 @ 71 1/2″
• (4) 1×2 @ 1 1/2″
• (4) 1×2 @ 4″ ripped to 1 1/4″ width.
• (2) 1×4 @ 85″
• (7) 1×4 @ 79″
• (4) 1×5 @ 6″
• (4) 1×5 @ 7 1/2″
• (4) 1×5 @ 6″ trimmed to 3 3/4″ width.
• (15) 1×3 @ 74 1/2″

Bed Assembly

The bed assembly and construction is the same as the queen version with the differenced being the width of the bed (16 inches wider than the queen) as well as the addition of a 2nd support brace underneath the bed slats as seen in the picture below.

Downloadable PDF Plan

I’ve also created a $5 printable PDF version of this plan that also includes the accompanying bench, which you can purchase for $5 (it’s about 37 pages in all).  It’s all the info from the blog posts, but I’ve compiled it for easy printing in whatever section you want and included shopping list, cut diagram, assembly schematic and helpful project build pictures.  Basically, if you want a handy printable version so you don’t have to get sawdust all over your computer, you might consider purchasing this download.

The post Tatami Inspired Platform Bed King Version first appeared on A Lesson Learned.

Tapered legs for woodworking projects like these end tables add an elegant and refined look.  They’re super easy to make using a table saw and a basic, inexpensive jig that you can build in about 20 minutes. In this post I’ll show you how to make your own jig and tapered legs.

Leg Materials

2″ x 2″ wood make idea legs for a variety of projects like end tables, desks, dressers and nightstands and they are readily available in many home improvement stores.  Of course, you can use any kind and size of wood that you want for your project.  The basic method will be the same.

Video Lesson

Here’s a short video showing how to make the tapers using a jig for those of you who prefer to watch:

The tapered legs illustrated here are made by cutting the leg stock at an angle along 2 of the faces.  For these end tables, for example, the legs taper from the top, which is 1 1/2″ square to the bottom which is 3/4″ square

To get perfect angle cuts, make a simple jig out of some scrap lumber, like 2x4s.

Jig Materials Needed

• 2 2x4s at least 24″ long.
• small door hinge
• Knob
• Threaded Insert
• 1/4″ thick piece of scrap wood or a wooden paint stirrer
• Piece of scrap wood to serve as a cleat
• Wood screw

You can usually find knobs and threaded inserts in the specialty fastener section of home improvement stores.

Attach the 2x4s with a hinge at one end.  On the other end of the 2×4 that will serve as the angle piece, attach a piece of scrap wood to serve as a cleat.  The point of the cleat is to push the stock through the cut so that you can keep your hands clear of the saw blade.

To make the sliding lock mechanism, route a channel through the middle of a strip of 1/4″ thick wood to create a slider.  If you don’t have a router, you can use a sharp utility knife and a paint stirrer to cut a channel wide enough for the knob’s screw to easily pass through.  Screw one end of the slider to the 2×4 that will run along the saw’s fence.

Using the slider as a guide, mark, then drill a pilot hole for the threaded insert in the middle of the 2×4 that will serve as the angle side.  Drill deep enough to allow the knob’s threaded bolt to go all the way in.  Install the threaded insert to complete the slide lock.

Measure, Setup and Cutting

To make your cuts, plan to measure, setup and make all cuts for your tapered legs at one time.  This will ensure that all of the legs are cut consistently.

In my end table example above, the taper will start 2 1/2″ from the top of the leg.  I’m doing that so the leg can be attached flush to the table’s support apron.

Make a mark on 2 adjoining faces where you will make the taper cuts to indicate where the cut will start.  With the saw unplugged (do I even need to say that?), set the fence so that the jig and stock to be cut is positioned where the saw blade just meets the mark for your first taper cut.  Refer to the video above for a visual.

Next, remove the stock to be cut and slide the taper jig forward to the point where the end of the jig reaches the saw blade.  In other words, where the end of the leg will be.  Adjust the angle of the jig to the width of the taper end (for example 3/4″).

Double check both measurements again and fine tune the fence and angle as needed.  This will take a little getting used to and probably a few adjustments.

Once your fence is set up and the jig is tightened in place, make your first cut.  Then turn the leg clockwise one side and make your second cut.  The will ensure that the flat side is on the saw deck.  Don’s inadvertently cut the 2nd taper with the first taper on the deck since that will mess the whole thing up.

Go ahead and cut all your legs at once so that the cuts are all consistent.

Check out my woodworking projects and plans from the menu above.

The post How to Make Tapered Legs on a Table Saw first appeared on A Lesson Learned.

I’ve been looking for a project to make use of some really cool ceramic tiles that I’ve collected and decided that they’d make really unique and stylish end tables.  First I needed a basic end table design that would be elegant enough for a nicer living room setting, but could also be dressed down for a more casual setting.  As with almost all of my plans, I’ve used materials that can be readily found at big box home improvement stores.

I’ve used 2×2 pine boards for the end table legs, but because I wanted a more refined look, I tapered the legs by cutting slight angles on 2 of the faces instead of leaving them with a straight look which would certainly fit a more rustic look. 

This project is good for teaching a couple new woodworking skills.  First is the aforementioned tapered legs which involve using a table saw and cutting angles.  The second skill is using pocket holes to make T joints, in this case, on the face of the legs.

This is a basic design that can easily be modified in any number of ways, height, table top size, tapered legs or straight legs, and so forth.

Materials List

• 2 – 8′ 2×2 pine boards
• 1 – 8′ 1×3 pine board
• 1/2 sheet of 3/4″ plywood (4′ x 4′)
• Your choice of 8″ x 8″ decorative ceramic tiles, 4 for each table
• 12′ of 1/2″ x 2″ project boards – These are available in a variety of wood species and can usually be found in 3′ lengths.  For 2 end tables, you’ll need 4 boards.  If you prefer slightly thicker trim, these boards can also be found in a 3/8″ thickness.

Cut List

• 8 – 2x2s @ 23 7/8″ (4 for each table)
• 8 – 1x3s @ 10″

Taper Jig

To make the tapered legs using a table saw, you’ll need to make a jig that will allow you to cut the legs consistently at the appropriate angle. Here’s a list of the materials and a video showing how to make the jig and to make the cuts.

• 2 pieces scrap 2×4 lumber, 24″ long
• Hinge
• 1/4″ threaded screw inserts – This is a link to a 40 pack on Amazon, but you can also find these in the specialty fasteners area at most home improvement stores.
• Threaded Knob – This is a link to a 10-pack on Amazon, but you can also find these sold individually in the specialty fastener area.
• Paint stirrer (or strip of 1/4″ wood)
• 1 1/4″ Wood screws

Tapering the legs

The hardest part of this design is tapering the legs.  To do that you’ll need a jig to make the cuts and in the video below I’ll show you how to do it.

Cutting the Material

Making the Base

I’m constructing the table base with 1x3s and the 2×2 legs. In the photo below, I’m using a simple jig to make repeated cuts of the 1x3s at exactly the same length (10″).

Using my Kreg Jig, I’m drilling pocket holes in the 1x3s. I’ll also go ahead and drill pocket holes perpendicular to the top to attach the top.

Before attaching the table supports to the legs, I’ll mark the edge with a 1/4″ offset.

The, using a Kreg clamp, I’ll attach the 1×3 supports with wood glue and pocket hole screws.

Making the Tabletop

I’m using a simple jig to cut a sheet of 3/4″ plywood into squares for the tabletops.

For each of these tables, I’ll lay out the tiles and mark the length and width with a pencil. That way I’ll ensure an exact fit for the tiles.

Attaching the Tabletop

For these tables, I prefer to attach the plywood top before adhering the tiles and adding on the trim. I find it easier to apply the tile adhesive this way.

Now the table is prepped for tiling. I’ve found that it’s easier to tile the tabletop before adding the trim than the other way around.

Adhering the Tiles

Different people apply tile adhesive different ways. Here’s how I do it. For the adhesive, I’m using Mapei Type 1 tile adhesive for the tile adhesive and I start with a thin layer on the tabletop.

Next, using the flat edge of a notched trowel, apply a thin layer of mastic to the tile and then, with a notched side at a 45 degree angle, comb the adhesive to create channels. This allows to escape from under the tiles so that there aren’t any air pockets and the tiles adhere completely.

Lay the tile on the tabletop using hand pressure and a bit of a side to side motion so the back of the tile gets full coverage with the adhesive.

Once the tile is all laid, I’ve wiped down the edges and left the table to fully set, it’s time for the trim. You can use either 1/4″ or 3/8″ project boards depending on the look you want. The thickness of the table tops will usually be around 1 1/4″ if you’re using 3/4″ plywood base and standard 8×8 tiles.

You can save a few $s by getting a 3″ or 3 1/2″ project board and ripping it to size with your table saw. Then, using a miter saw to cut the 45° corners, measure and cut each piece of trim individually. Attach them to the tabletop using wood glue and brad nails. Clamp them in place until the glue dries in order to get tight corner joints.

Sanding & Finishing

I’ve found that it’s a lot easier to sand the leg and the supports before assembling the base of the table, and then sand the trim once you’ve completed the table.

Here are several different styles finished with a variety of stains and paint finishes. If you’re interested in purchasing any of these tables, visit my Etsy store.

I was recently asked by some friends to design a window bench for their kitchen. This particular bench is custom sized to 70″ wide, 18″ deep, and a standard 18″ height, however the plan can be easily modified to fit any size.

Since this project will be painted, I’ve designed both the main bench as well as the drawers mainly using of 3/4″ plywood. The bench has shaker style inset drawers, as opposed to overlay drawer faces with 1/4″ trim. I elected to keep the drawer construction simple by attaching the drawer base to the bottom of the drawer boxes with glue and nails, as opposed to an inset drawer bottom. You can, of course, route 1/4 dados for the drawer panels like this, but I’m trying to keep this plan version as simple as possible with basic tools.

Material List

• (2) 4′ x 8′ x 3/4″ Plywood Sheets
• (1) 4′ x 4′ x 1/4″ Plywood Sheet
• (3) 2″ x 4″ x 6′
• (5) 1/4″ x 2″ x 4′ Hobby or Project Boards

Cut List

• (2) 2″ x 4″ x 70″ – Base
• (4) 2″ x 4″ x 13″ – Base
• (2) 18″ x 70″ x 3/4″ Plywood – Bench top and base
• (4) 18″ x 13″ x 3/4″ Plywood – Bench supports
• (6) 22″ x 3″ x 3/4″ Plywood – Bracing
• (3) 23″ x 3″ x 3/4″ Plywood – Bracing (middle)
• (6) 14″ x 8″ x 3/4″ Plywood – Drawer Boxes
• (6) 19 1/2″ x 8″ x 3/4 Plywood – Drawer Boxes
• (3) 21 3/4″ x 12 3/4″ x 3/4 Plywood – Drawer Faces
• (3) 21″ x 14″ x 1/4″ Plywood – Drawer Bottoms
• (4) 21 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ x 1/4″ – Drawer Trim
• (2) 22 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ x 1/4″ – Drawer Trim
• (6) 12 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ x 1/4″ – Drawer Trim

Hardware

• 3 Sets 14″ Drawer Slides
• 3 Drawer Handles

Assembly

Start with the 2×4 stud base of the bench and build up.

Add the plywood base. This will have a 2″ overhang over the kick plate of the bench. Attach with wood screws to the 2×4 base.

Measure and mark the position of the 4 bench supports and attach them with three pocket holes each. Drill your pocket holes on the top and the bottom of the supports so that we can attach the bench top from underneath. Note that the spacing of the middle third is an inch wider to accommodate the 70″ width and to keep the math simple. Then, also using pocket holes, attach the lower and upper back braces to the supports.

At this point, we’ll hold off on attaching the top of the bench so we can add in the drawers with the easier access. The right and left side drawers will be the same size, but the middle drawer will be 1″ wider. If you’re modifying the plan to fit a different size space, keep the space between the supports less than 30″ wide to prevent any sagging. You can also use some additional top bracing.

Drawer Construction

Always look at your drawer slide hardware to indicate the necessary width of space between the supports and the drawer box. Most drawer slides require 1/2″ on each side to accommodate the hardware (which is how I’ve constructed this model), but be sure to check the specific hardware you are installing and adjust the width of the drawer boxes if necessary.

Attach the side drawer box walls using pocket holes. Drill the pocket holes on the exterior of the front and back boards so that there aren’t holes that need to be filled on the inside of the drawers. The pocket holes on the front will be hidden by the drawer face, which will be attached to the front of the drawer.

Attach the 1/4″ plywood drawer bottom using wood glue and finishing nails or staples.

At this point, go ahead and install the drawer slides while you have the top off of the bench and can access the drawer spaces easily. You can use either bottom mount or side mount drawer slides, whichever you prefer. In this model, I’m using side mounted slides and attaching them on a center line on the side of the drawer boxes and then measuring the corresponding line on the bench supports, since I know some folks like exact measurements. Also note that the drawer slides are inset 1″ from the face of the supports. That’s to accommodate the drawer face, so it’s flush with the front of the supports.

However, the placement of the slides isn’t critical. What it critical is getting the drawer boxes mounted on the slides before attaching the drawer face. By attaching the slides and boxes first, you can adjust the positioning of the face so that you have uniform spaces, ideally 1/8″, all around the inset drawer faces.

At this point, you can attach the bench top to the base. Doing that will help with the placement of the drawer face onto the drawer box.

More to come shortly!

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been able to produce some videos! And man, I’ve really missed it. I’m constantly battling the tension between being someone who loves to create, but having a job where I manage stuff. Over the course of my career, I’ve found that it’s close to impossible, at least for me, to be both creator and the manager at the same time!

I recently spent a couple weeks putting together a “corporate style” video for an event we were hosting that pretty much read like a brochure. I was getting frustrated with the direction it was going and how boring it was. I was also running out of time to launch it since the event was literally looming over me in a few days.

Then it struck me at the 11th hour that it would be a lot more interesting if I could figure out how to turn it into a story and make it relatable. In the middle of the night I had the idea of Alex, the prototypical financial advisor client that we’re looking to serve. So after scrapping most of what I’d done and spending a full weekend and some super late nights redoing the project, I finished this overview video the day before the event. It’s been a while since I’ve been in After Effects and I wish I could say it’s like riding a bike. But it’s really not!

In this second video, I’m envisioning the origin story of my character as he’s challenged to think differently about his calling as a financial advisor. I’m hopeful this is the launching point for an extended marketing campaign!