| Project by sjdickey | posted 265 days ago | 418 views | 0 times favorited | 13 comments |  |
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Here is my second project. A changing table for my soon to be first grandchild.
The plan came from a Lowe’s newlsetter this past summer and looked easy enough that a novice like myself could do it. The entire unit is made of Birch Ply and Poplar. Easy enough to get here where our selection of woods is somewhat restricted.
The large open end could have shelves but I left them out in favor of using the space for a mini Fridge. The other end will house a mini-microwave. When I told the woman who lets me live with her the plan she said they were not needed. I told her that the first time a crying baby does not have to come upstairs to be fed at 3:00am they wouldnt seem like such a bad idea anymore. Much to my amazement, I won that argument, frst one in 26 years.
This turned out to be a great learning experience. I learned…
Substituting one type of clamp for another is not neccessarily a good idea unless you make required adjustments.
You can sand plywood far too much relatively quickly.
No matter what stain the woman that lets me live with her chooses…I got the wrong one.
A “standard” changing table mat, in no way resembled the size of the table in the plan (How would I know, buying baby things was her job)
I still count it a success. The drawers work, the fridge and microwave fit, I trashed less than 1/4 sheet of ply and only one 1”x 4” x 8’ in the process. and Most improtantly, It is done and the baby hasnt arrived yet.!
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13 comments so far
GaryK
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8489 posts in 475 days
posted 265 days ago
Good job! I could have used one of these.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
cajunpen
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5348 posts in 553 days
posted 265 days ago
Beautiful piece – glad I don’t need one.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
mot
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4837 posts in 523 days
posted 265 days ago
That’s a beautiful piece of work!
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
rikkor
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7687 posts in 361 days
posted 264 days ago
Very nice.
-- Maplewood, MN
Jiri Parkman
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559 posts in 299 days
posted 264 days ago
Nice table.
-- Jiri
Robb
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324 posts in 421 days
posted 264 days ago
Very nice looking changing table, and those were definitely some practical adds you made (re: microwave and fridge). Keep up the good work!
-- Robb
MsDebbieP
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11931 posts in 647 days
posted 264 days ago
cool design – pretty thoughtful adaptations!!
(Cajumpen – that’s funny!!)
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
jockmike2
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4143 posts in 733 days
posted 264 days ago
Good work, even got side boards for safety, good thinking. Hey it’s been 28 years what do I know. mike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com
DaveLikeGolf
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25 posts in 307 days
posted 264 days ago
I totally understand what you mean about sanding plywood. How much is too much? You quickly find out when you sand right past the nice veneer layer and expose the dreaded interior. I’ve started pre-sanding all my ply before glue-ups incase I sand too far I can replace the piece relatively easily!
-- David, Lakeland, FL - GO BOLTS!!!
CharlieM1958
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4197 posts in 705 days
posted 264 days ago
Very cool!
Back in the days when I was still changing dirty diapers and still drinking, it would have been nice to have a cold brew ready at the changing table when I needed one. <g> Oh, but I guess you were planning on using it for the baby formula. :-)
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
sjdickey
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64 posts in 285 days
posted 264 days ago
After we no longer need the chnaging table I may convert it to a keg dispenser!
shaun
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362 posts in 392 days
posted 259 days ago
Nice work SJ. Like the fridge & microwave idea, now that’s planning! I feel your pain when it comes to sanding plywood. I was recently making drawer fronts for a router table I’m working on and thought I could sand out what looked like a relatively minor scratch. Turns out I would have been better off with filler. Live and lern.
-- I've cut that board three times and it's still too short!
Russel
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1230 posts in 426 days
posted 259 days ago
Yeah, the fridge and microwave are great alterations. Nice work. Don’t fret the size of the changing table mat, I found that they come in all different sizes. The fact that it’s done before that baby arrives is a big bonus.
-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.