BackYard DIY Builder

Building for the love of it

New Year and New Builds

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HI everyone I know I’ve made a new years resolution to make more posts, but as with life things come up.

But i haven’t been resting, oh no. I’ve been busy busy. I’ve been thinking of new products to make since spring is coming !!

How about some Milking style stools 🙂  Slightly lower to the ground to make it easy to do your gardening. They also have a built in handle.

available in many finishes.

 

Another project came from the wife who wanted a small trunk for the end of our bed. SO it had to be a certain height and width.

And it had to also act as a small puppy step.

Me being the guy that want to use reclaimed wood first, i decided on pallet wood of course.  I used the required size and made the trunk accordingly.

I used the same method that I’ve been using for most of my builds, and that is to build the sides first. This way you get the height and depth already made

then its just a matter of creating the length.

Adding trim around your build

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Today i want to share how i do trim for my builds. Everyone has their own technique that works.

You have to find what works best for you. I’m just going to share my technique its simple and it works for me.

When I first started to do trim it was alot of trial and error.

TIP 1.  INCLUDE YOUR TRIM IN YOUR MEASUREMENTS !!!

I cant stress this one enough, it will save you lots of stress and bad cuts.

Here i using some scrap 1×2’s taped on either side of the table i want to add trim to.  This simple step will save your headaches later.

Simple tape your scrap wood to the sides of you project that you want to add trim to, and take your measurement. And do that for at least two sides.

the length and width of your project.

Now that you have your correct measurement you can now cut your trim and even take off the end that will make your 45 degree cut on each side of your project.

More pictures to come and even a small jig to correctly align your trim around your project.

2019 X Style Coffee Table

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Hello and Happy New year everyone, I’m happy to bring you my first build of 2019

A X style coffee table. This client previously ordered a coffee table for a Christmas gift and was so happy with it they decided to order one for them selves 🙂

I’m using the plans from Ana White with a slight modification.

http://www.ana-white.com/2012/07/plans/rustic-x-coffee-table

With all builds the measurements are the most important information you need especially when its a custom build.  The height, length, and width.  We also have to account for the actual lumber sizes.

a 2×4 isn’t a true 2 inch by 4 inch, its more like 1.75 x 3.75

I found it easier to make the ends first then attach the stringers between them next. This is all the builders choice. Some people like to follow the instructions exactly but each has to find their own way.

This particular build I decided to make the top first, because the client wants specific dimensions.  I’m using 5 spruce 2×6 lumber for the top and the bottom shelf.

 

I cut each piece of lumber the desired length and kregJig each together to create the top. Then lots of sanding.

Next, I made the sides and remember to always  take into account the size of the lumber into your measurements.

I choose to use 2×4’s for the sides and the stringers for the table length instead of the 2×2’s that the plans used. I’ve found that 2×2″s don’t offer the same strength as 2×4’s.

Hear you can see the ends of the table are 2×4’s, and the top two stringers are also 2×4’s  As I do with most of my builds i assemble them upside down of a flush surface, that keeps everything straight and flush.  The one 2×4 you see at the bottom is just to hold the lower part straight and flush.

 

In the instructions 2×2’s were used on top and bottom. The problem i found was to fit the lower shelf in between the two 2×2’s.

I decided to build the bottom shelf the same way i did the top, Kreg jig 2×6’s together and cut to the proper length.  It was also here that the challenge was to have the sides cut flush so there wouldn’t be any over hang in front or back.

This is the assembly of the bottom shelf that i Kreg Jig together.  I used 1×2’s to create a assemble frame, and keeps everything square and flush.

When the assembly was finished, there was a slight overhang so i had to trim off a slight amount on both sides.

The line you see is what i calculated to remove for the front and back of the lower shelf.

then i had to measure how far back from the line had to be for the saw to cut a straight line. In this case its 1.5 inches from the blade to the side where the saw is sitting up against.

I did this to get the same effect as a track saw. I used a piece of mdf shelf board for my straight edge.

As a tip i am working on the underside of the shelf where all the pocket holes are. To secure the board to the shelf i used my nail gun to tack the board on. It worked like a charm 🙂

 

Now that the bottom shelf is cut, i used a couple pieces  of scrap wood so i could put the shelf on it and align it to the table sides.

 

The lower shelf is in place ready to be kreg jig into place.

 

 

I used a pipe clamp to tighten the sides into the bottom shelf. That way everything is aligned and tight.

I put in two screws on each board end for extra holding strength, and some wood glue.

 

After some drying time i removed the camps and turned the table around. The shelf looks just like I hopped it would. Flush and straight on all sides.

Yea this was a little more work that just putting in some plywood between the stringers shown on the plans but I like it just as much. 🙂

 

 First coat of paint is on the base. Next step is to fill the holes and sand again, then install the X on the sides.

 

 

Putting the X into the X Style

 

There are many ways of putting the X into your build. Some people can get the angles cut bang on with no problems.

However with people like myself that have a hard time with the angle numbers I’ve come up with a way to cut these angles with minimum hair pulling 🙂 LOL

There is still some measuring and fine cuts to make.

 

STEP 1.  Cutting your wood stock for the X

Take your measurement from corner to corner, cut your wood stock slightly larger.

As shown the tape shows around 21 inches. So maybe cut 21 and a half.of your wood stock.

I’m using 2×2’s for my X

 

 

STEP 2 Cut your wood and place it on your project.

 

As you can see in this picture i have my piece of wood set on the side of the coffee table,

If you look carefully you can see i positioned the wood corner to corner on the table. This is critical to get your angle to cut right.

 

The trick is to mark your angles on the underside of your 2×2.

 

The two pictures above show the pencil marks with the cut angles.. Now it is very important to align the pencil marks with your chop saw and clamp it down.

 

STEP 3 Install the first piece of the X

 

 

The fit should be tight enough that you can easily tap the piece into position, and hold on its own.

I did NOT use glue on this because it would just make a mess and it more for decoration.

However i did use 2 inch finishing nails to secure it into place. Then some wood filler for the nail holes.

STEP 4  Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the next part 

 

 

At this point you will need to mark the underside just like you did with the first one, but this time you have to include the marks in the middle of the X where the pieces meet.

I don’t use glue here either, it just gets messy and the X is for decoration. I use my Ryobi nail gun to secure the wood into place and some wood filler to obviously fill the nail holes.

 

And that completes one side… Told you it wasn’t too tough but it does take time to make it right.

 

This completes the base of the coffee table

Now its time to sand and fill holes before painting.

 

Here is the base after alot of sanding, filling holes and i also added a couple coats of primer before the final spray.

With all the prep work the result is a professional finish. I also sprayed 2 light coats of white and finished it off with 2 light coats of Varathane.

 

The top was a little easier to finish. I stained and sanded then stained again.  I also finished it of with a couple coats of Varathane.

then finally the time for assembly and finished product.

 

2019 Resolutions

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Happy New Year everyone !!  I’ve neglected making regular posts here since November. Sometimes things happen that you don’t expect, which happened in my case.

Nothing BAD quite the opposite 🙂  I received build requests from several clients, so balancing builds with blog was a struggle. They were all tight dead lines which I’m happy to say i met.

If you follow me on Instagram you would see the projects that I’m talking about. There were coffee tables, a couple pallet trunks, and lots of triangle and honeycomb shelves.

 

So expect to see more posts from me here this year. 🙂

Christmas Time Projects

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Hello everyone its Christmas time again, this year i have caught the Christmas DIY creative bug 🙂

I’ve made a table top Christmas tree with lights. Its really easy. All you do is measure your 1×4’s  in 3 20 inch pieces.

Cut your 30 degree off each edge, and do your dry fit so you know you got your angles right.

Then glue and nail each corner in.

I made a footing for the tree with the same 1×4 piece of wood.

Find your center on the bottom of your triangle. Mine was 20 inches long in total, so the center is 10 inches.

The foot i made was 5 inches in length.

Before you attach the base to the triangle i stained it (KONA).  Staining project before final assemble make thing much easier.

I found some lights at the local dollar store, and just taped it on the inside.

First Craft Fair

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Hello everyone 🙂   Today was our first craft fair in Sechelt, BC

I have to say all the hard work of the past two weeks paid off. I got my new business cards just in time.

I had plenty of products made, from Christmas Trees , Triangle Shelves , honey comb shelves, pallet trays and other products i made.

I was able to show that i don’t just make small items but i’m able to make custom builds like chairs, coffee tabl es, trunks, and even harvest tables.

 

Each craft fair is a chance to update my work and fine tune my display.  I’m inspired by the bloggers I follow .

 

Pallet Hallway Table

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What happens when you have a large amount of pallet wood taking up your limited space??

 

Why you build a TABLE !!!

 

The pallet stringers are typically 2×4’s  They are great pieces of wood and since they are free its a great resource, but sometimes you tend to keep more than you expect.

So it was time to make use of all these stringers.

The process was easy enough. Get your stringers together and place the flattest part on your bench.  Then just start to use your supply of 2.5 inch screws and some glue, and start screwing them all together. 🙂

As you can see i used a set of 6 stringers and screwed them all together creating the shelves.

Next you would have to decide how tall you want your table. For this project i choose to set a height of 30 inches. The length was easy, I kept it 4 feet. Which is the standard length.

Next were the legs. These 2×4 s were cut at 30 inches which is the height i wanted for this table.

Assemble is easy. You turn the flattest side down on your flat table. Take each leg and position it flush on the table as well as the sides of the shelf. This makes the alignment process so much easier.  Attach all four 2×4’s to each side of what will be your top shelf.

Your probably wondering how I attached the bottom shelf. I simply used a 2×4 as a spacer to get the height from the floor.  Once again you simply screw the legs into the side of the shelf.

To finish off the whole look i trimmed 4 2×4’s ends to fit into the space that’s created between the front and back legs.

Once i finished the build, i face the same problem over and over.  HOW DO I FINISH IT !!  🙂  There are so many choices 🙂

SO i kept it simple.  I stained the shelves a dark walnut, and chalk painted the legs white.

Simple but eye catching.

Now I have a very strong and heavy hallway table 🙂

 

Vellum Paper for Decoupage

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Hello this is my experience with using Vellum paper for decoupage.

I’m open to experimenting with using different techniques for decoupage. Some techniques trun out better than others.

 

When i posted some decoupage work i’ve done on Instagram a fellow diy blogger suggested that i should try Vellum paper.

 

I ordered a 50 sheet pack from Amazon.ca

Even though I use amazon frequently I don’t have a affiliate account with them at this time.

This paper is not cheap, so use it when you absolutely need to.  $24.22

As with any other image transfer in decoupage you need a laser printer. Inkjet printers do not work.

Its the toner in these printers that makes it possible to transfer images.  Its always important to make some test prints so you know how to print and apply your images to your project.

I did a couple tests with a couple of images.

My first test was a color graphic. The print turned out sharp as i hoped. You can clearly see how it looks on the left image.

The right hand image is after i cut around the graphic so i could apply it on my work piece. I didn’t want anything to over lap the board separation.

I applied mod-podge to each piece of the graphic individually. DO NOT apply too much the paper will buckle causing creases.

Apply it quickly and smooth it out as quickly as possible to your work piece because it seems to set faster than regular paper.  Don’t stress too much if you do see alot of creases, they will flatten out as the mod-podge dries.

The translucent paper will also become clear, becoming almost completely transparent.

 

This was my next test with another graphic. It turned out just like the first one except i left it as a full sheet.  As with my first test the paper became almost transparent and flattened out when the mod-podge dried completely.

 

There are some things you have to watch for.

The image may smug while printing. If it does you’ll have to print a couple of images to clear the toner on the drums.  Other than that, Ive been pleased with the results so far.

Here you can see the black graphic images printed sharp, while the color photos did smug. I’m going to try to print just a photo image next and not try to mix a graphic image with a photo image.

 

Pallet Spray Booth

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When you build you need new tools and equipment, one of which is a spray booth for professional finishes. There are many DIY variations for spray booths and how they are made.  I decided to make one from pallet wood.

 

I used one picture from Pinterest as inspiration for my spray booth.

 

 

These are pictures of my finished DIY Spray Booth with air filter.

I like the fact that this had a wood frame, and a spot at the back for a filter and fan to draw out the fumes and spray particles. This is covered in a light plastic drop sheets which i think wouldn’t last long. But the overall set up is good.

I’ll be updating this post soon with my booth build

UPDATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

School is back in session and now I have a little free time to update.

My idea was to use pallets to make the frame of my spray booth along with some 2x4s for the height.  I used one of the best tools I’ve ever purchased to make the frame.  The tool is the Kreg Jig.

I set my Kreg Jig to its maximum setting at an 1.5 inches. I’m not going to go through how to set up the Kreg Jig in this post. But if you are interested in the Kreg Jig there are several tutorials about the Kreg Jig.

I used the pallet wood as the top and bottom cross stringers for the frame. This sets your width easily, since each stringer is already set at 4 feet. All I had to do was come up with the height for my spray booth, which is 6ft high.

Now it was easy to make the sides and back frames.

I simply attached the pallet stringers to the 2×4’s that would create the height of the spray booth.

Here is one of the 3 frames i need for the spray booth. This way it will be easy to set up and take down.

Now that i had all three frames made I had to make one the back and measure where i will be setting up the air filter.

 

The frame is set up, with wood tabs to hold the sides and back together.

 

Now that the corners are all set up I just added the covering which is a simple tarp that you would use for camping, add the frame for the filter  and its ready to rock and roll.

 

 

A simple DIY spray booth increases your finish and bring it up to professional levels without spending tons of money on a spray booth.

 

Shadow Boxes

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Hello friends , sorry for the long delay in official posts. The summer has been HOT and very smoky with all the forest fires around. Its another bad and dry summer.

My decoupage projects have been very popular and have been creating more shadow boxes for clients.

I’ve been contacting former models that i have worked with in the past and combining my past photography with my current DIY business.

I’m going to be combining more of my work from the past with future projects and shadowboxes.