IG Builders Challenge

IG Builders Challenge

While on Instagram I came across an IG Builders Challenge hosted by the WoodGrainGirls. Everyone signed up beforehand without knowing what the build would be and plans were released soon after. We all had 2 weeks to build and I must say this may be one of my favorite builds to date….HANDS DOWN!! Here is the table they released!!!
Farmhouse Dining Table Plans
You can get the original plans on the SHANTY 2 CHIC website, and I will take you through what I did to give it some PAZAAAAZZ!! I had planned on taking a lot more photos to provide more detail on the build but with only 2 weeks and a full time job I just didn't have the time. I hope this still helps! :)
In the original plans, they ripped their boards, but I did not! So don’t FRET, there is a work around!! To start, I joined my 2x6 boards together with glue and screws. I opted to use regular 3” screws because I knew the moulding around the legs would cover it. So I used 4 screws per table leg. Then I let it dry overnight, as instructed in the Shanty 2 Chic plans. After the legs were dry I started on building up the legsFarmhouse Dining Table
Adding the trim to the legs is definitely a measure and cut as you go…I used 1x6x8 trim, 1x3x8 trim and 2 5/8 case moulding.
First I applied the 1x6 trim; Put the board up to the leg, measure, cut and attach the first layer of trim with wood glue and a brad nailer using 2” nails. Be mindful of where you are putting the nail holes. I put more nails where I knew the 1x3 trim would cover it. Make sure to add the trim to both smaller sides first then the longer sides second. Add the remaining pieces of the 1x6 trim and flip it upside down and do the same with the top.
 
Once I did this on all four legs, I started adding the 1x3 trim. I only put 1x3 trim on the bottom legs.
 
NOTE: Only put 1x3 trim on 3 sides…the side that will connect to the 4x4 should be left with just the 1x6 moulding. After the 1x3 trim was complete I connected the legs to the 4x4s and then added the 2x4s to the top of the base. Once the base was assembled I added the 2x6 runners and started working away on the legs again!
Round Pedestal Dining Table
Now here is where it gets a little tricky! On the leg side that has the 4x4 attached, I put 1x3 trim on both sides and then added a little tiny piece under the 4x4…I soon learned that it was better to just jigsaw out the square from a 1x3, to make for a cleaner look. After the 1x3 trim is complete, I started adding the case moulding.
Farmhouse Dining Table
I started by making the first cut on the case moulding by swinging the bottom arm of my Miter saw to the left 45 degrees, made my cut and then placed it against the legs above the 1x3 trim and measured my next cut. I then swung the bottom arm of my miter saw to the right at 45 degrees and made my second cut. I did this for each leg until the trim was wrapped all the way around.
  
After the case moulding was finished I started attaching the ½” moulding on top of the 1x6 moulding.
Farmhouse Dining Table
Because I didn’t rip the boards, I only needed 7 boards for the table top middle. So I only needed 9 total 2x6x8 instead of 10.
I also wanted to give my tabletop a more classy look, so I added 2-5/8 case moulding on the longer sides and 1x3 moulding on the ends. I applied these using glue and my RYOBI brad nailer.
Farmhouse Dining Table
For the finish, I first applied wood conditioner to the table top after sanding it down really well.
Farmhouse Dining Table
Part of me just wanted to go with the wood conditioner look haha but I was committed at this point to my original idea! Next Time!
  
For the stain I mixed up three Minwax stains, I don’t have the exact amounts because I was just playing around with it but the three stains I used were Classic Gray, Provincial, and Dark Walnut. This was my 1st time mixing stain and it was pretty fun!!!! Happy Mixing! After the stain dried I used 3 coats of Polycrylic! This stuff is good!!! A little more expensive, but good stuff!
Now let’s take a look at the finished product!!
Farmhouse Dining Table
Farmhouse Dining Table
Farmhouse Dining Table
Farmhouse Dining Table

I think I just might be building one for myself!!! Thanks for reading!!!!

Round Pedestal Dining Table

Round Pedestal Dining Table

Don’t you just LOVE a trendy dining table!? I saw this table online on the Shanty-2-Chic website and immediately knew I wanted to build this next!! Here is the pic that caught my eye!

Round Pedestal Table

So BEAUTIFUL!!I followed the plans on their site… And didn’t have many problems!

Lets take a look at my journey of building this table!

There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure)

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Tip: Make sure all of your legs are nailed in evenly so your bottom is nice and solid!

Round Pedestal Table

Tip: If your staining your project, be mindful of where you place your nail holes!

I used my Ryobi Cordless BRAD NAILER to nail my pedestal and it is by far one of my favorite Ryobi tools. I use it on almost every project I do. I actually won this amongst other tools in a contest on Ryobi Nation!

Ryobi Brad NailerEvery month they have chances for 3 winners to win $500 in power tools. All you have to do is upload a project you've built/made. Its just that simple! Here are the tools I received from winning. Awesome Right?

Ryobi Nation Tool Winnings

Be sure to go check it out at Ryobi Nation!

Round Pedestal Table

I joined the tabletop together using a Kreg Jig K4 Pocket Hole System on a 3/4" setting, Gorilla Wood Glue, 18 oz. and 1 1/4" pocket screws and then cut it out with my Ryobi Jig Saw.

 

Round Pedestal Dining Table

This was my finished base for the round table, I was so proud of myself for this one. After completing my build I used Dap 21506 Plastic Wood Filler, 16-Ounce to fill the nail holes and any other openings I wanted to close up.

Round Pedestal table

For the finish I used:

Annie Sloans Chalk Paint in Old Ochre

Old Masters – Walnut

Old Masters Clear Finish

I painted the base first with the chalk paint and let it dry. I love chalk paint because it dries extremely fast.

 Then wiped the walnut gel stain over top of it like I normally apply stain.

and here she is!!

Round Pedestal Dining Table

Here is the same build using Minwax Jacobean!

Round Pedestal Dining Table

October 13, 2016 — Ashley Basnight
Trestle Dining Table

Trestle Dining Table

This build is the definition of what it means to go after your dreams…

I looked at the plans for this dining table for a full month. Nearly everyday saying to myself “There’s no way you can pull this off” (No Lie) After staring at it for weeks I finally just said “I’m going to try it!” and I’m SOOOOOO glad I did!!

I got the plans for this from ANA WHITE’s website! (DIY QUEEN)

and only for a whopping $65!!!!

Mine was actually about $40 because I had extra 2×4’s from my last build so DIY WIN!!

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These little suckers were tricky for me! It was my first build so I definitely learned a lot!!! But it was much easier for me to put the two middle straight vertical pieces together, assemble the long horizontal piece and then put in the diagonals using pocket holes ( just another excuse to use my Kreg Jig)

Different ways might work for different people but this worked best for me!

In the Ana White plans it says to countersink the screws…and I just read over that all willy nilly and didn’t even bother to countersink the screws. I learned quickly that without countersinking the screws it can cause your boards to split when drilling down! SO don’t be a cheater like me..

COUNTERSINK!!!!!:)

After finishing one leg, I repeated the same steps for the other one..and one became two!!

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The legs seemed short…but once the table was assembled the table seemed like the appropriate height!!

Next was the cross braces and anchor pieces! I joined these to the legs with my handy dandy KREG JIG (I’m telling you guys this thing is GREAT)  Im not sure how people build these things without one!

Here’s the one I use!!

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Once the bottom was finished I started chucking away on the top…

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Can you guess how I joined the boards together?? haha KREG JIG!!!! Once the boards were together I filled the holes with wood filler!!! Now the wood filler I used was Minwax’s stainable wood filler in a tube! I learned later that this is not at all stainable and NOTHING like the MinWax wood filler in the can! It didn’t matter for the bottom since I used paint….but for the tabletop I could definitely tell. Luckily the weathered oak kind of matched the grey color that this wood filler dried as. Image result for minwax stainable wood filler

So for any projects you are staining. Don’t use this product!!! lol

I applied two coats of the weathered oak and let it sit to dry.IMG_6620.JPG

While this was drying I started on painting the bottom!!

Once the wood filler was all dry…I sanded her down and used a damp clothe to wipe it down so I could start painting.

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I used Annie Sloans Chalk Paint (Old Ochre) that I had left over from a previous paint job to paint the base of the table and then went back over with Annie Sloan’s Clear and Dark Wax to give it the antique feel.  You MUST have the clear wax if you use the dark wax! This is kind of an eye thing. You rub the whole base down with clear wax and then just rub the dark wax sporadically to give it the textured look!

I used the same chalk paint for my dining chairs, man do I love a good before and after.

DIY Dining Chair Makeover with Chalk Paint

After this was all dry..which didn’t take long….It was time to put a clear coat on the table top!

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I used 3 coats of Minwax’s Water Based Polycrylic Protective Finish. I sanded the tabletop with 220-grit after the poly dried between coats!

After the table top was dry…I connected the table with pre-drilled pocket holes and a few screws and there you have it!!

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This table looks great in my dining space!!

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October 13, 2016 — Ashley Basnight