We didn’t find any good tables but we did end up finding something even better!  My wife showed me the 3 drawer dresser below and although I wasnt fully convinced at first, I quickly warmed up to the idea of the challenge.

So we purchased the dresser and headed home. The first thing I did was to measure out how much of the dresser I wanted to keep. I knew that I was going to need to put a 1/2″ piece of MDF under the desk in order for the rail balusters to connect to so I measured a 1/2″ inch more than the trim piece below the top drawer.  I then put some paint tape over my lines to prevent chips when I cut it with my circular saw.

Here you can see the two pieces after I made the cut. I might end up using the bottom part for another project. Maybe a nightstand?

After the dresser was cut and the two pieces separated, I set out to paint.  I used a latex high gloss black paint that I applied using a foam roller. It took 3 coats before I finally achieved the look and cover I was going for.   The molding on the front of the drawer was plastic attached with screws so I quickly removed it and along with the rail balusters sprayed them both with a high gloss black spray paint.

Here is a picture of the 1/2″ MDF being painted to go below the desk. I drilled two 3/4″ holes in each corner to support the rail balusters. This board will be screwed into the bottom of the desk to help hide the drawer and to add some stability.

I attached the desk to the wall using 2.5″ screws making sure to drive them into the wall studs.  The rail balusters were cut to length to match the desk height and attached to the black MDF using the pre-drilled holes and then inserting the balusters into them and securing them with Gorilla glue and a wood screw.

Here are a few pictures of the finished product. I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out and the girls absolutely love it.

One place that I have always wanted to do something was at the end of our hallway. There is a little space there beyond the girl’s room that I always thought would make a great linen closet; something that this place doesn’t have.

Finally one weekend I set out to create one. Overall it was a pretty easy and straight forward build. The toughest part of the whole thing was trying to get the texture to match up.  I attempted to duplicate it using the spray can product from Lowes. It worked good but only after 3 cans. For that amount ($60) I could have purchased a hopper and sprayed it with my compressor. Oh well. Live and learn!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Finding an air grille that would fit our existing hole proved to be a challenge and I ended up ordering one online and had it shipped in. The first grille that arrived was damaged in transport. Lucky for me, the company in which I purchased the grille sent me a replacement free of charge. A few days later and I had my new grille.

Overall the project took about an hour to complete. I had to take off the old grille and then notch out the 2×4′s located behind it to accommodate the depth of the new grille.  Then it was just a matter of cleaning out the junk the builders left in the air box and wiping down the entire box with cleaner.  Not a bad project but not sure if it’s one I would want to tackle again.

Below are the pictures of the final project.  I don’t think it could have turned out any better. I am very proud of my lamp truck!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

It was made pretty easy with some pre-primed MDF that I got from Home Depot. Ashley made it pretty with letters that spelled out the girl’s name (not shown). In the end, I liked it much more than the one we saw online and the kids seem to really like it too.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

My oldest is now 7 and I figured it was about time she was able to climb a vertical ladder without problems. So I set out to make one…

During lunch one day I headed to my local Lowes and grabbed the following materials:

• 1″x3″x6′ Aspen (2)
• 1″x3″x4′ Aspen
• #6 1-1/2 inch screws (8)
• Total cost = $14.80

I started out by cutting the 6′ boards down to 5′. This gave me an extra foot of board to use for a ladder rung. It also reminded me of why I need to put a Miter Saw on my Amazon wish list this year. Using a heavy circular saw for everything is not ideal (see picture)

After cutting the 5′ pieces I decided that it would be safer and more secure if I was able to notch out where the rungs would be attached to the rails. I proceeded to lower the depth of my saw,clamp down the pieces of wood and draw out my rung lines. I then took a few swipes at the area with the saw, breaking out the remaining pieces and using my dremel to make it all smooth. By they way. Every man should have a dremel. Best tool ever. A tablesaw would have been a much better tool for this task. Amazon wish list. Check.

After getting my rung notches perfect, I cut out a few more 1′ pieces from the remaining 4′ board that I bought. I only needed 3 but I ended up with 5. I took the 3 that had the straightest line (see above picture of my great cutting) and proceeded to sand them down.

After all sanding was complete, I assembled the rungs to the rails using small pilot holes to prevent splitting. (a tip I learned from my Dad years ago at a 4-H meeting. See Dad. I do listen!) Once the holes where drilled, I grabbed a larger bit in order to be able to sink the screws below the surface without damage to the wood (another tip from Dad). I screwed the entire thing together, put on the bunk-bed clamps and brought it upstairs to try out.

The girls loved it and I am pretty proud of the end result myself. It took about 3 hours total, spread throughout the day.