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Amature hour here!
My first real woodworking project was this vanity I crafted for my newly remodeled powder room. I probably could have saved a ton of money buying something from a big box store but I really wanted to create this on my own after re-doing the bathroom by myself. I have limited skills I'm truly a beginner, but YouTube, this site, and various other free resources were quite useful.

I had a few challenges because I learned the hard way about screws meant for hard wood versus soft wood, the difficulty of pocket screws in tight places, the amount of wood that is taken off by a saw blade (if that makes sense), and various other challenges. The final challenge turned out that the pipes for the sink were too low. I had to remove the vanity and saw off the legs which messed up the symmetrical top and bottom design from routing the edges of the legs.

In spite of some flaws, it is sturdy and square.
I used oak and the top and shelves are made from oak plywood with an oak veneer banding around the edges.

 

[sanchez]

That's a nice project. Building stuff into a house is always a challenge. Thanks for posting.

BTW, the amount of wood a saw blade takes is called a kerf.

 

[:-)]

That's a nice project. Building stuff into a house is always a challenge. Thanks for posting.

BTW, the amount of wood a saw blade takes is called a kerf.

There's a name for it? That's funny and useful no doubt.
I started to try and measure how much material was taken with the blade but now that you explained what this is called, it makes way more sense. It also makes more sense that my circular saw with a rough cut blade took off more than my miter saw did.

Thanks for the knowledge.

 

[cabinetman]

Very nice work. I don't like the idea of using wood or plywood around water. What finish did you use? I looked for a faucet of some sort. What did you use if any?

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[:-)]

Very nice work. I don't like the idea of using wood or plywood around water. What finish did you use? I looked for a faucet of some sort. What did you use if any?

.

Funny that you mention the plywood. When I went to Home Depot I was adamant in telling them that I needed material for a vanity that will hold a sink ... and water. The guy was pretty clear about plywood being okay. I too was reluctant but I went with it. We'll see if I regret that soon enough, I suppose.

I used Minwax stain (which I'm starting to think people aren't fans of Minwax at all) and Minxwax Helmsman spar urethane which states indoor/outdoor and provides protection from sun, rain, moisture, and temp changes. I only cared about water. I applied three coats coats and brushed it on. I don't know if brushing was best, it is just all that I know.

I half-heartedly intend on building vanities for the other two bathrooms in time. If you have suggestions on material and finishes, I'm not too stubborn and I'll take the advice.

 

[MissionIsMyMission]

If you're going to use plywood in a moisture rich environment it's best to seal it first with Epoxy resin thinned 30% with Acetone, especially the edges. This allows the epoxy to penetrate the wood better. Then apply the The Spar Varnish which is very good Stuff. I would recommend 2-3 more coats.
You can spray it on very economically using a PreVal Sprayer. It's only $5 bucks and works Great. Every woodworker should own one.
http://howto.homedepot.com/videos/watch/1834387632001/Preval-Versatile-Spray-Gun.html

 

[cabinetman]

Funny that you mention the plywood. When I went to Home Depot I was adamant in telling them that I needed material for a vanity that will hold a sink ... and water. The guy was pretty clear about plywood being okay. I too was reluctant but I went with it. We'll see if I regret that soon enough, I suppose.

I used Minwax stain (which I'm starting to think people aren't fans of Minwax at all) and Minxwax Helmsman spar urethane which states indoor/outdoor and provides protection from sun, rain, moisture, and temp changes. I only cared about water. I applied three coats coats and brushed it on. I don't know if brushing was best, it is just all that I know.

I half-heartedly intend on building vanities for the other two bathrooms in time. If you have suggestions on material and finishes, I'm not too stubborn and I'll take the advice.

I've found that HD associates may not have the expertise that we might like them to have. A caveat for spar varnishes. They can take weeks to cure, and never really get that hard. So, I would be careful in allowing coats to cure before recoating. For a while, I would keep things off the wood that could leave an impression in the finish until it cures out. Even then, that problem could persist.

Foir countertops around water...stainless steel, high pressure laminate (Formica), tile (ceramic, porcelain), stones (marble, granite, etc), solid surface (Corian, etc). cultured marble...resin/acrylic composites, cast acrylic (Plexiglas), glass, and believe it or not...concrete. I probably forgot some.

Still interested in what you used for a faucet.

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[:-)]

Still interested in what you used for a faucet.

The wood counter in the powder room will hopefully survive. HD assocaites have been helpful but to a true beginner eye, I do assume that I'm going to think more highly of them. As I've gotten to learn more and more, I try to ask better questions. In my quest to mount the top to the legs I found Woodcraft. A small store when I walk in but completely overwhelmingly intimadating. My first visit there I was met with men who seemed very eager to teach me something about what I wanted to do. The next visit wasn't as much but I do like the place better than HD for the most part.

Rambling aside, the faucet. Sorry for not responding first.

This is the faucet.

It worked best because the sink is 5 1/2" high and unless I built some sort of frame to allow the sink to mount slightly into the counter, I needed clearance. Of course, the sink wasn't designed to be mounted anywhere but on top of the counter.

The faucet isn't expensive, it was about $65 and I know I can upgrade it later but for my needs and use, it works. It functions beautifully and looks nice.

Here are a couple more pictures before I had the accessories on hand for the towel and such. My house is nearly 23 years old and it is just a simple tract home. The toilet broke and after replacing nearly every piece in the tank, it still didn't function properly. I needed a new toilet and thought I may as well address the shoddy tile job the prior owner did (grout width was 1/8" to 1/2" all over the place). Since I was going to fix the tile, thought I may as well do the walls, scrape the ceiling, vanity ... I mean, why not right?

Fingers crossed that the other toilets don't break or I'll be in debt up to my ears since a broken toilet clearly means I need to replace the entire bathroom. :blink:

I apologize if it's terrible that I am posting a ton of images. Let me know if it's a forum faux pas.

 

[Chaincarver Steve]

Amature hour here!

Let's see here: You started and actually completed the project. It looks nice. You learned several things in the process. You came upon problems and solved them successfully. From what I can tell you're off to a great start!

Well done. Congratulations on your first project :thumbsup:

 

[johnnie52]

Very nicely done. Especially for a first project. :thumbsup: I wonder what your reaction will be when you learn about thin kerf blades.... :laughing:

While I agree that wood isn't the best material to use around water, a plywood counter top should last several years before showing any signs of water damage provided you applied the spar varnish correctly and keep any spills wiped up. Your biggest concern is going to be water getting under that sink and/or faucet. I hope you sealed around them to keep water out and check for leaks often. I've never had that kind of tall faucet last more than 3 years before starting to leak and needing the inside gaskets replaced.

 

[:-)]

Very nicely done. Especially for a first project. :thumbsup: I wonder what your reaction will be when you learn about thin kerf blades.... :laughing:

now that I know the name, I've read more about it. I have to say with more knowledge, this would-be hobby of mine isn't cheap.

 

[BKBuilds]

Great job! I wish my first project had looked as nice.