DIY Mobile Lumber Cart | Plans from Woodworking for Mere Mortals

Hey everyone, today I’m sharing details about my latest woodworking build: a mobile lumber cart! I followed plans from Woodworking for Mere Mortals. Steve Ramsey has a great build video for the project. You can check out the video on his YouTube channel here. This lumber cart replaces a previous one that I built a few years ago. My old lumber rack could not store sheet goods and took up too much floor space in my garage.  I disassembled the 2x4s from it and hope to recycle them for a future shop project.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  That means if you purchase an item via one of these links, I’ll receive a small commission at no added cost to you.  This helps keep the content on the site free and I appreciate the support! :o)

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I used to build my new lumber cart. Visit Ramsey’s plans for the full list of supplies and tools.

Tools

• Track saw
• Miter saw
• Drill Driver

Supplies

• 3″ Heavy Duty Swivel Caster Wheels
• Wood Glue
• Spax 1 1/4″ Woodworking Screws

Building the Rolling Lumber Cart

I did not deviate (at least not intentionally) from the original build plans.  Here are a few work in progress photos:

Lumber storage cart dividers

Dividers installed via dadoes and secured with wood glue and SPAX wood screws

Mobile lumber cart almost complete! (Just missing two shelves in this photo)

DIY Mobile Lumber Cart

I am very happy with my new lumber cart. I love the reduce footprint compared to my old lumber rack and I love having a spot to store plywood.  If you build one, don’t skimp on the caster wheels. Fully loaded, my cart will not budge.

Now I have to work on getting the cart empty as it’s really way too full.

Old mobile lumber rack | Plans by the Rogue Engineer

New lumber rack | Love the reduced floor footprint

The post DIY Mobile Lumber Cart (Plans from Woodworking for Mere Mortals) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY TIE Fighter Shelf (The Force Awakens Edition)

Hi everyone, I’m really excited to share details on my latest creation: another TIE Fighter shelf.  My original TIE Fighter shelf tutorial is one of my most popular projects and it is also a personal favorite.  This updated version sports the paint job from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.  It’s slightly smaller than my first version and instead of storing books, this one will store acrylic craft paints.  Continue reading for project details!

TIE Fighter shelf storing acrylic craft paints

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the TIE Fighter shelf.

Tools

• Drill/Driver
• Kreg Jig
• Circular saw
• Jigsaw
• Xacto knife

Supplies

• 1×12 – 24″
• 1×6 – 48″
• 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws
• Wood glue
• Gray spray paint + primer
• Black spray paint + primer
• Gloss sealer
• Painters tape
• Contact paper or removable vinyl paper

How to build a TIE Fighter Shelf

Step 1: Cut the boards to length

• Cut the 1×6 board into two 20″ long pieces
• Cut the 1×12 into two 11 1/4″ pieces.

Step 2: Cut out a hexagon shape for the TIE Fighter wings

• Orient the 1×12 squares such that the grain is running up and down.
• Mark the midpoint on the left and right side.
• Mark 2″ from each corner.
• Draw a line connecting the midpoint to the 2″ marks.
• Cut along the lines with a jigsaw or circular saw.

You should have a hexagon shape.  Refer to the image below.

Step 3: Drill pocket holes

I like using pocket hole joints.  They are quick and easy to make.

• Drill 2 pocket  holes on the ends of each 1×6 board.
• Drill 3 pocket holes on the side of one 1×6 board.

Drilling pocket holes

Step 4: Sand

Prep the surface of the boards for painting.  Sand, sand and sand. I used paint with primer.  If you are not using a paint that contains primer take a moment and prime the surface.

Step 5: Apply the base coat of paint

• Paint one face of each 1×6 board with gray paint
• Paint 1×12 boards black on all sides

Allow the paint to dry completely before continuing on to the next step.

Applying a base coat of paint

Step 6: Paint the TIE Fighter wings

• With 1″ painter’s tape, tape off each side of the hexagon
• Tape off the diagonals
• Apply a piece of tape from the left side to the right side
• Paint the exposed area with gray paint

Repeat this 3 more times for each face on the hexagons.

Taping off the TIE Fighter wings

Spray painting the TIE Fighter wings gray

Step 7: Paint the TIE Fighter cockpit

Painting the TIE Fighter cockpit is the most difficult (and possibly most frustrating) step in the whole project.  I used a mixture of contact paper and tape to create a stencil for spray painting the cockpit. You may find it easier to hand paint the cockpit.

Here are the dimensions for the cockpit:

• The circle has a radius of 4 1/2″
• Each side of the octagon is 2″
• The line thickness is 1/2″

I cut out a semicircle and half an octagon from contact paper.  Once that was in place, I taped a line from each point on the octagon to the semicircle.  Refer to the picture below for details.

I did not have 1/2″ painters tape so I just cut my existing tape in half.

Taping off the cockpit

If you are painting the shelf before joining the boards, keep in mind the location of your pocket holes and remember one of the boards will be partially covered by the other.

Paint the entire board with black.

Everything is painted!

Step 8: Assemble the shelf

To assemble the shelf:

• Join the 2 – 1×6 boards together
• Join the shelf to one wing
• Join the shelf to the other wing

I used a scrap 1×4 board to help attach the shelf to the wings:

• Lay a TIE Fighter wing face down on a flat surface
• Align the 1×4 board to the bottom edge of the TIE Fighter wing
• Place the shelf on top of the wing.  The bottom corner should touch the 1×4 board.
• Select an angle you like for shelf and pick some visual reference. (I aligned the shelf edge with one of the corners on a gray triangle.)
• Attach the shelf to the wing with pocket hole screws
• Align the 1×4 board to the bottom edge of the other wing
• Place the shelf on top of that wing such that the bottom corner is touching the 1×4 board
• Align shelf with the matching visual reference you selected on the other wing
• Attach the shelf to final wing with pocket hole screws

Step 9: Seal the shelf

Seal the shelf with a few coats of your favorite sealer and you’re done.

DIY TIE Fighter Shelf

If you build the TIE Fighter shelf, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @handmadewithashley or Twitter @handmadewithash.   I’d love to see your pictures!

DIY TIE Fighter Shelf

DIY TIE Fighter Shelf

TIE Fighter Shelf with tiny human

TIE Fighter shelf storing acrylic craft paints

The post DIY TIE Fighter Shelf (The Force Awakens Edition) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Storage Bench with D. Lawless Hardware – August’s FFFC

I have a bad habit of starting new projects before completing old projects.  About a year ago, I started to build a storage bench following plans by Ana White.  I was about half way done with the building portion of it when I stopped working on it.  I don’t recall what distracted me from completion, but it sat in my garage for months!

(Instagram informs me that I took this photo 52 weeks ago from today.  Yikes!)

Today I’m working on an entry way storage bench. I can’t wait to get this one done! #woodworking #krejjig #garageshop #shanty2chic #anawhite #sawdustfriday #pockethole #letsdothis #diy

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Aug 28, 2015 at 11:06am PDT

When I joined August’s Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest, I looked around the house for a piece of old furniture that could use some TLC.  I then got the idea of revisiting the bench project. Today, I will share the steps I took to build and finish the bench.  However before I begin, I want to first give the Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest and this month’s sponsor the proper introduction!

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest

Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest is a monthly furniture decorating contest.  Each month there is a new theme and a new sponsor.  August’s theme is “class it up,” and August’s sponsor is D. Lawless Hardware!  D. Lawless Hardware has a huge selection of hardware for really good prices.

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Hosts

The Storage Bench

I am really happy with the final look of the storage bench.  I used 4 large 2″ ring pulls from D. Lawless Hardware in the Dark Antique Bronze (item number P3031-DAB).

DIY Storage Bench with pulls from D. Lawless Hardware

Here’s a close up on the pulls:

Large 2″ Ring Pulls (Dark Antique Bronze) from D. Lawless Hardware

DIY Storage Bench

Building the Bench

I closely followed Ana White’s plans for the Alexia Storage bench.

Bench sides assembled

Attaching the bench back

Attaching a decorative trim

Finishing the Bench

Once the surface of the bench was prepped, I stained the seat portion of the bench with Danish Oil (Dark Walnut) and I painted the bottom portion of the bench with an off-white color.

I forgot to precondition the wood before staining and I was a little worried about the appearance, but I have successfully convinced myself it gives the bench a lot of character.

That moment when you realize you forgot to precondition the wood before staining. I keep telling myself it gives it character. #almostdone #diy #woodworking #thatmomentwhen #diyfurniture #woodwork #woodworker #wood #kregjig #anawhite #shanty2chic #danishoil #watco #furniture #buildersgonnabuild #buildallthethings #storagebench #bench

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Aug 25, 2016 at 6:35pm PDT

Installing the Hardware

After the finish dried, I installed drawer slides for the drawers and installed the ring pulls.

Trying to decided on where to place the pulls

Drilled holes for installing the ring pulls

DIY Storage Bench with D. Lawless Hardware – August’s FFFC

DIY Storage Bench

DIY Storage Bench

DIY Storage Bench

DIY Storage Bench with pulls from D. Lawless Hardware

The post DIY Storage Bench with D. Lawless Hardware – August’s FFFC appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower

Last weekend, I built another stuffed animal zoo tower.  I followed Ana White’s plans for the zoo tower.  This is a pretty easy DIY that you can complete in one weekend. Follow along for details for project details!

The kid approves!

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the stuffed animal zoo tower.  For a complete listing of what’s required, check out Ana White’s plans.

• 2x2x8 (2)
• 1x2x8 (2) (I used this instead of the 1×3 listed in the plans.  I did not want to purchase new lumber for the project.)
• Brad nailer
• Japanese Handsaw (with saw guide)
• 50′ 3-ply jute twine
• #10 screw eyes (24)
• Super glue (for securing the rope knot)
• Watco’s Danish Oil (Medium Walnut) (This was my first time using Danish Oil.  I really enjoyed using the finish!)
• Cloth applicator

I did not own my brad nailer when I built the first stuffed animal zoo tower.  Oh wow, what a difference that made (compared to using a hammer)!

Building the Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower

Step 1: Cut the boards to the appropriate lengths

First up, I cut the 2×2 and 1×2 boards down the the correct sizes with my Japanese handsaw and guide.

Boards cut with a handsaw

Step 2: Assemble the zoo tower

Next, I assembled the zoo tower.  I used a brad nailer and wood glue to attach the boards.

Nailing the boards together

Zoo tower assembled

Step 3: Sand the tower and prep it for staining (or painting)

Sand the surface of the tower. (Sanding is always my least favorite part of a project!)

Step 4: Stain and seal the tower

I used Watco Danish Oil in Medium Walnut.  This was  my first time using Danish Oil and I really enjoyed applying the finish. It stains and seals in a single step.  The color is a bit too light for my preferences. I should have selected the dark walnut.

Watco Danish Oil (Medium Walnut)

One coat of Watco Danish Oil (Medium Walnut)

Step 5:  Screw in the screw eyes

Once the finished dried, I installed the screw eyes.  A pair of pliers was necessary to get the job done.

Screw eyes

Installing screw eyes

Step 6:  Add the rope

For the final step, I threaded the jute twine through the screw eyes.  I sealed the knot with super glue.

50′ 3-ply jute twine

DAP Rapid Fuse

DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower

There is finally order for my young one’s stuffed animal collection.  (Seriously though, I think half of the stuffed animals are my own.)

DIY Stuffed Animal Toy Storage

The little guy approves!

The post DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Rustic Console Tutorial

Hello, everyone! Today I want to share with you my latest creation: a rustic console!  This is a pretty easy build that you could knock out in couple weekends.  Follow along for steps on how to build one of your own!

Rustic Console model

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

DIY Rustic Console

Disclosure:  This post contains some affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the rustic console:

Tools

• Handsaw (or any saw of your choice)
• Jigsaw
• Kreg Jig
• Drill
• Driver
• Orbital sander
• Belt sander
• Various clamps

Supplies

• ECOS Paints Woodshield Stain (Pine Needles)
• ECOS Paints Woodshield Varnish (Satin)
• Various grits of sandpaper
• Foam brushes

Lumber

• 1x6x10 (3)
• 1x4x10 (3)
• 1x8x6 (1)
• 1x2x8 (1)

My current passenger. #diy #woodworking

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Mar 11, 2016 at 8:43am PST

The estimated price of all the supplies and lumber is roughly $150.

Cut List

• A) 1×2 – 14 1/2″ (4)
• B) 1×4 – 43 1/4″ (2)
• C) 1×4 – 43″ (2)
• D) 1×4 – 28 3/4″ (4)
• E) 1×4 – 14 1/4″ (2)
• F) 1×6 – 48″ (2)
• G) 1×6 – 43 1/4″ (4)
• H) 1×8 – 48″ (1)

Lumber cut into the appropriate sizes

How to build a Rustic Console

For this project, I finally sat down and learned how to create models in SketchUp!  You can download the PDF woodworking plans for the console here.

If you’re interested in learning SketchUp, I highly recommend the video tutorials by Matthias at Woodworking for Engineers.

Step 1:  Taper the table legs (optional)

If you would like to add a little flair to your console, taper the ends of each table leg (board D) with a jigsaw.

Tapering the table legs with a jigsaw

Step 2:  Create pocket holes

I used a Kreg Jig pocket hole system for a majority of the joints in this project.  Drill pocket holes in the locations indicated on the diagrams.

Drilling pocket holes

Step 3:  Assemble the console legs.

Assemble the table legs

To form a pair of table legs, sandwich board E between boards D.  Offset board E 1″ from the edge of board D.  Repeat.

Assembling the table legs

Step 4: Connect the pair of legs with an apron

Attach the aprons

Connect the pair of legs together with boards C.  This will form the frame of the console.

Rustic console frame

Step 5: Attach shelf supports

Attach the shelf supports

Attach the shelf supports (boards A) to each pair of legs.  Attach the shelf supports adjacent to the inside edge of the table leg pairs.  The first set of shelf supports are placed 13 3/4″ from the top of the leg.  The second set of shelf supports are placed 25 1//2″ from the top of the leg.

Attaching the shelf supports

Step 6: Edge join the console shelves

Create the top shelf by edge joining boards F and H together.  Board H should be in the middle.

Create the two lower shelves by joining boards G and B together.  Board B should be in the middle.

Gluing up the shelves

If neccessary, use a belt sander to smooth down the  joints.

Step 7:  Attach the console frame to the top shelf

Attach the top shelf

Attach the top shelf to the console frame.

Attaching the top shelf

Step 8:  Attach the lower shelves to the console frame

Attach the lower shelves

Attaching the lower shelves

I made some great progress on the console. Up next: sanding! Has anyone used a scraper? I think I may try one in the future. #woodworking #diy #warpedwood #kregjig #buildallthethings #buildsomething #wood #furniture #diyblogger #diyfurniture

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Mar 15, 2016 at 9:42am PDT

Step 9: Sand, stain and seal!

Thoroughly sand the console.  Use your favorite stain and sealer to finish the console.

Staining the rustic console

I used ECOS Paints Woodshield stain (Pine Needles) and satin sealer.

DIY Rustic Console

If you build a rustic console, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @handmadewithashley or Twitter @handmadewithash.   I’d love to see your pictures!

DIY Rustic Console

DIY Rustic Console

DIY Rustic Console

DIY Rustic Console

The post DIY Rustic Console Tutorial (FREE Plans) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Stuffed Animal Storage

What’s a DIY blogger’s worst fear? Losing all her in progress photos! I recently wrapped up building a wooden stuffed animal zoo (and unfortunately, I suffered from a bit of memory loss).  I built the toy storage following free plans by Ana White!  I also followed Jamie at That’s My Letter’s blog post on her build of the toy storage.  This is a really easy project, and you should be able to knock it out in one weekend.

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

Stuffed Animals

Empty Stuffed Animal Zoo

How to Build A Wooden Stuffed Animal Zoo

As I mentioned earlier, I lost most of my in progress photos.  *insert sad face* Once you have the frame of the toy zoo built, sanded, stained (or painted) and sealed it’s time to add the hardware and rope!  This was actually the hardest part of the entire project for me.

For the finish, I used ECOS Paints Woodshield Stain (Special Walnut) and Varnish (Satin).

Install the Eye Screws

You will want to have a pair of pliers on hand for screwing in the eye screws.  By the time I reached the last eye screw, my hands were pretty sore.

Screw eyes for supporting the rope

Eye screws inserted from a far

String and secure the rope

I cut four pieces of rope (one for each side), looped it through the eyes of the screws, and secured each end with a rope clamp.  Closing the clamps was a bit of a tedious process.  In hindsight, I think I would have used one long piece of rope so I would only need to secure two ends.

Rope and rope clamps

My son thinks the toy zoo could double as a jungle gym

Rope installed and secured

DIY Wooden Stuffed Animal Zoo Storage

This wooden zoo is a really nice way to store your little one’s stuffed animals!

My stuffed Domo-kun collection

An empty zoo

DIY Stuffed Animal Storage

DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Toy Storage

The post DIY Stuffed Animal Storage (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Ashley Makes: DIY Mobile Lumber Rack

I finally have order in my garage! I built a mobile lumber rack using free plans from the Rogue Engineer.  My husband and I knocked out this project one Sunday afternoon.  We love this rack!  It can store a huge load of lumber and best of all, it’s portable.  In this post I’ll share details on how we built our mobile lumber rack.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies we gathered to build the lumber rack.  Check out the Rogue Engineer’s plan for a more detailed listing.

• 4 – 2×4 boards 96″ long
• Kreg Jig (for joining boards)
• Kreg Right Angle Clamps
• Japanese Hand saw and Guide
• Nobex Champion Miter Saw
• Rockwell JawHorse
• 2 – 4″ Swivel Caster Wheels with brakes
• 2 – 4″ Caster Wheels

Building the Lumber Rack

Step 1:  Cut the boards to the appropriate length.

Using our handsaws, we cut all the boards down to the correct lengths.  (I prefer my handsaws to my power saws because they’re quiet and produce less sawdust.)

Japanese handsaw and guide

Nobex Champion Miter Saw

Boards cut to the correct lengths

Step 2:   Drill pocket holes

Next up, we used our Kreg Jig and created a ton of pocket holes.

Pocket holes

Step 3:  Assemble the ladders

Once we had our pocket holes, we were ready to join the boards.  The first thing we assembled was the ladders.  Assembling the ladders was the most difficult step in the project.  If you are using pocket holes, I highly recommend using two Kreg right angle clamps.

Rack ladders assembled

Step 4:  Assemble the base

Next up, we joined the boards making up the base of the cart.

Ensuring the boards are joined square

Step 5:  Attach caster wheels to the rack base

Two swivel caster wheels with brakes and two plain wheels were attached to the base of the cart.

Hardware for installing caster wheels

Caster wheels

Caster wheels installed on the rack base

Step 6:  Assemble the top rack

We used our right angle clamps to assemble the top rack.   Joining the boards here was a very tight fit for our driver.

Assembling the top rack

Step 7:  Join the ladders to the base and to the top rack

Finally, we attached the ladders to the base and the top rack to the ladders.  We did make a small error in this step.  The bottom of the ladder should be touching the edges of the base.  Once we noticed our error, we decided it wasn’t worth the effort to correct.

Joining the ladders to the base and the top rack

The Finished Mobile Lumber Rack

We are very,  very pleased with the final project!  Storing all our lumber on the rack has freed up a great deal of space in our garage.

Mobile Lumber Rack

Mobile Lumber Rack

Mobile Lumber Rack

The post DIY Mobile Lumber Rack (Plans by Rogue Engineer) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Cheap & Easy Dwarven Forge Storage Solution

I was a Kickstarter Backer for two Dwarven Forge Kickstarter campaigns: the  Dungeon Game Tile Terrain and the Cavern Game Tile Terrain campaigns.   This left me with hundreds of terrain tile pieces.  Originally I stored everything in two large baskets, but the large pile made finding pieces difficult. 

Dwarven Forge terrain tiles stored in a basket

Not satisfied with my existing storage solution, I purchased two 6 Drawer Carts by Sterilite at Target for $19.99 each.

Sterilite 6 Drawer Cart sticker

Two carts provided the perfect amount of storage to house all of my terrain tiles.  To get an idea of how many pieces I needed to store, the first Kickstarter campaign I received 2 base sets and the second campaign I received 3 base sets, 3 water set add ons, 2 elevation set add ons and a cavern wicked addition add on.

Sterilite 6 Drawer Cart

Cavern terrain tiles inside drawer cart

Cavern terrain tiles inside drawer cart

For the final touch I used my Dymo to create labels for each drawer.

Dymo Label Maker

Searching for terrain pieces just got whole lot easier!

Dwarven Forge Storage

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