Comments for Wilker Do's

Comment on Compact Chicken Coop Plans by Karri Cowan

Karri Cowan — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 22:58:31 +0000

I bought and built this coop along with the run. (And maybe a few other projects) I LOVE it. Thanks for easy to understand plans. I painted it blue instead of red and it’s beautiful!

Comment on DIY Fire Table Plans by Chad Siegert

Chad Siegert — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 16:40:44 +0000

I altered the plans to meet the size needed (50x31x25) and reused a burner of different size, but these were great to leverage for the build.

Comment on Compact Chicken Coop Plans by James Feazell

James Feazell — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 14:41:53 +0000

I bought these plans back in 2020, and I built the coop and all-in-all it was a quite satisfying experience. (I did make some modifications to the attached run, because I wanted it to be longer and higher. No offense April, but I’m a little taller than you are. 🙂 ). So, after three years, there are good and bad…

The good – As I recall, this whole thing was pretty easy to put together, although as some others have noted, there are some crucial details that you will better understand if you watch the videos first, so I recommend doing that. (They’re here and on YouTube.)

The bad – I’m three years into this thing now and the bugs have eaten the heck out of some of the T1-11 and the 2×4’s. Part of that is on me, because I didn’t use pressure-treated lumber for anything above ground level, but I had concerns about the treated lumber and how that might impact the birds. Also, as others have already pointed out, there is no correlation on the cut sheet between the letters identifying the pieces, and the drawings. Looking back, I’m not quite sure how I got this together so easily, although I think most of it just made sense as I went along. Now, I’m in the process of having to re-cut some individual pieces to repair what is rotted, and it’s really problematic to go through the drawings and find exactly which parts relate to what. I’ll figure it out, but it is something that I would recommend you update in the annotations of the drawing.

Notwithstanding the above critiques (which for all I know, you have corrected perhaps in an updated set of plans since 2000?) This really is a nice design and I disagree with the statement that this is hard to clean– With that big removable side panel, even a tall, fat, old guy like me can reach everywhere inside. 🙂

Comment on Storage Bins by Raul Medina

Raul Medina — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 15:08:35 +0000

Great Ideas, I use the same ideas, I like to keep my tools and accessories in the area they are most related

Comment on Rocking Adirondack Chair Templates by Chad Siegert

Chad Siegert — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 01:37:32 +0000

I purchased the digital plans and made my own templates from scrap MDF. Learned some new skills and turned out great.

Comment on How to Build a Compost Bin in 9 Easy Steps! by Frederick

Frederick — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 23:34:04 +0000

Nicely done April!

Comment on Walk In Garden Plans by Ashley Whiteford

Ashley Whiteford — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 02:51:10 +0000

The plans are very detailed and easy enough to follow. However there are no final dimensions for any of the parts or for the three layouts that are provided which made it very hard to plan. I was also under the impression that a 4th layout that matched the one in her YouTube video and in the picture, would be included however it was not. I was still able to figure it out but it would have been nice to have some of these things included.

Comment on Compact Chicken Coop Plans by Jason Kirwan

Jason Kirwan — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 21:14:08 +0000

On the 2×4 cut list, letter G says 51⅛” but on the Figure above, letter G measures 56⅛…..which one is correct?

Comment on DIY Sliding Laundry Cabinet | How To Hide Your Dirty Laundry by Frederick

Frederick — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 15:23:23 +0000

Awesome job April, it turned out great! ...I love that the laundry is totally hidden.

Comment on How to Refinish a Deck | Sand It or Strip It? by Frederick

Frederick — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 01:08:12 +0000

The deck turned out great April! .... looking forward to seeing the new railings and whatever else you've got planned for the space.

Comment on Folding Workbench Plans by shbaker79

shbaker79 — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:48:04 +0000

I found dozens of fold-up bench designs on the internet. I selected this one. I finished the project in about 6 hours and I am very pleased with the results. As robmasongeneva above has commented, I suggest a higher bench height of 34-36″. this will alter some of the cuts recommended. I also plan to paint it to match the garage walls. A couple of possible corrections I am suggesting are as follows:
Page 4 Piano Hinge. April recommends using 1 1/4″ screws for installing the hinge. That size obviously should not be used when securing the upper hinge to the 3/4″ plywood top.
Page 5: At the top left corner a dimension of 1 1/4″ is given for the placement of the 1/2″ hole to be drilled. I think she means 1 1/2 as 1 1/2″ would put the hole in the center of the 2×4. If she actually wants 1 1/4″, there is no reason given nor any instructions as to how to orient the board for mounting after drilling. I used the 1 1/2″ dimension and it all worked fine.
The piano hinge I purchased from Home Depot hung over the 2×4 wall brace a bit but the screws still seemed to take hold. Perhaps a specification on the hinge width would be helpful as my plywood was a full 3/4 thick.
Again, I loved the design, flexibility and simplicity of this design and would recommend to it to all!

Comment on DIY Fire Pit Table | A Gas Burner Kit Makes it Easy by Frederick

Frederick — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 22:46:16 +0000

Awesome fire pit April!

Comment on Easy DIY Laundry Room Cabinets Upgrade by Frederick

Frederick — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:11:55 +0000

The cabinets look great April, the laundry room is so much more functional!

Comment on Dog Food Dispenser by mnneely

mnneely — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 13:27:46 +0000

This was my first project from your site, but I enjoy your videos. Your instructions are clear, designs useful and functional, and your enthusiasm is catching. I modified this to feed our cat by simply shortening the tubes to dispense his daily amount of only a ⅓ cup, although I realized after that I no longer had enough room between the plates to have separate bolts on the top and bottom, which meant I needed a through bolt and couldn’t attach the stirring stick on top and have it turn. However, it works just fine without it. It’s a clever design and makes the morning a little more efficient. Thanks a lot, and I look forward to trying out some of your other plans.

Comment on Shaded Dog Pool Plans by mary333

mary333 — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:40:36 +0000

Bummed that these plans don’t include all of the information from the video. I was hoping for more info on setting up the drain and these plans only include info on the wooden deck. My misunderstanding that the written plans would be a complement to the video and that isn’t the case.

Comment on Golf Bag Holder Plans by Mitchell Hoogland

Mitchell Hoogland — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 23:18:16 +0000

Great plans, looks like the top right dimension on a shelf is incorrect though! It says it’s 1 3/8, which doesn’t make sense

Comment on Compact Chicken Coop Plans by ron.hayden

ron.hayden — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 21:16:58 +0000

Some of the cuts on the 2×4’s look to be cut in half. Or a dimension that is not indicated. Also, the exhibits don’t reference the letter of the Cut.
Cut U
Cut V
Cut S
Cut J
Cut M

Can anyone help me out?

Comment on Porch Swing Plans by Phil

Phil — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 13:52:01 +0000

This is a beautiful and relatively easy to build swing. However, I have a few issues specifically with the plans:

1) No templates that could be printed are included with the plans.

2) Some measurements are not given and must be deduced or guessed, i.e. the front stretcher height is not specified.

3) The cut list and materials list are inaccurate. The cutting diagram shows stretchers cut from what is labeled as 1×8 material, however based on the shown measured cuts the material appears to be 1×6. I could find nowhere else that the 1x8s noted in the material list are used, and if I had not run through the plans thoroughly before hand I’d have a lot of unnecessary waste material.

Comment on Swiveling Adirondack Barstool Templates by Kim Hollis

Kim Hollis — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 04:31:06 +0000

I made one out of blue pine and I love it. Very beachy and comfortable. April recommends if you plan on making several, make one first. Great advice! I plan on making several more. I also ordered the templates which were worth the money especially if you plan on making several. Thanks April!

Comment on Pot and Pan Drawer Organizer Template by elafleur

elafleur — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 16:40:36 +0000

It worked for me. Thank you April.

Comment on Garage Shelves Plans by elafleur

elafleur — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 16:39:43 +0000

It worked for me. Thank you April.

Comment on Bench Glider Plans by Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 03:04:41 +0000

Am honest review. I have 35 years experience in woodworking and normally design my own projects but a customer wanted this exact bench. In my opinion these plans are horrible at best. I’ve corrected the flaws and redesigned the bench properly. Multiple measurement errors and angle errors exist on these plans. If you are not an experienced woodworker these are not the plans for you. And if you are experienced you can design a better bench. I love Wilker’s YouTube channel but these plans are a big zero from me.

Comment on Bench Glider Plans by Eric Pratt

Eric Pratt — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 08:13:51 +0000

I’m quite pleased with how my bench turned out. I didn’t have the best quality of wood, but the thing is still very sturdy. I was doubtful how study it would be at the base, but was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t buy the templates which allowed me some creative liberties. This meant that I had to use my brain in some instances while following the plans and adjust measurements accordingly, like the cut angle on some pieces.

Anyway. All in all the plans were easy to follow and organized very well. This is my first piece of furniture I ever built (aside from a coffee table and a crappy end table) and it turned out wonderfully!

Thank you!

Comment on DIY Wine Rack Plans by Tyler Haag

Tyler Haag — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 21:53:40 +0000

In reply to tracydawson0291. Hi Tracy! This has been fixed! Thank you for letting us know. Feel free to add them to cart, and checkout to get the free download(s).

Comment on DIY Spray Foam Insulation In My New Shop by Frederick

Frederick — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 18:53:20 +0000

Awesome stuff April!

Comment on DIY Wine Rack Plans by tracydawson0291

tracydawson0291 — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 12:16:25 +0000

There is no download button and a 404 error occurs with pumpkin and. veggie storage.

Comment on Walk In Garden Plans by cokerfamily99

cokerfamily99 — Sat, 07 May 2022 15:41:54 +0000

What’s the average cost per unit?

Comment on DIY Floating Wall Shelves | How To Build by HOWARD ROSENBLOOM

HOWARD ROSENBLOOM — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 23:20:54 +0000

Awesome job! Love the shelves. I don't have the space, the tools, or the patience to tackle something like this. But I really love these and the fact that instead of just short straight shelves you came up with this concept that would fit in well with abstract art, whether it be wall art or sculptures.

Comment on DIY Wine Rack Plans by Tyler Haag

Tyler Haag — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 23:08:10 +0000

In reply to jerseysmom. Thank you for bringing this to our attention! Should be fixed, now!

Comment on DIY Wine Rack Plans by jerseysmom

jerseysmom — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 03:15:23 +0000

There is no download button

Comment on Garage Shelves Plans by mike connor

mike connor — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 19:21:38 +0000

download not working

Comment on Garage Shelves Plans by Walt Manning

Walt Manning — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 22:48:18 +0000

Download not working. Tried two times

Comment on Garage Shelves Plans by james-6301

james-6301 — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 05:45:15 +0000

Download isn’t working for me either.

Comment on Queen Bed Frame With Storage Plans by Pete CT

Pete CT — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 17:34:36 +0000

I made this bed for our home and I love it! It turned out great!! The design and plans are well laid out and easy to follow.
Since I need more storage, I built 8 identical drawers on the opposite side and it all worked out perfectly!
I have just a couple of suggestions for future reference. that may be helpful for others.

1. On Pg 9 of Instructions – Re: Mounting Runners for Drawer Sliders. As a new woodworker, I struggled to understand the actual construction of the runners and figure out the necessary dimensions needed to allow for the sliders and the size of the drawer. If you could include a more specific diagram of the runners, how they’re supposed to fit together and then how to attach the drawer sliders that would have helped me a lot!

2. On pg 13 of Instructions – End Stiles – I didn’t see any cut plans for the end stiles. I had plenty of extra material to make mine, but I couldn’t find them listed in the cut sheets. I’ll add some pictures to the youtube channel from my build.

Overall, these plans were very helpful and I’ll be sure to purchase more directions for future projects!
Thanks again!!
Pete from CT.

Comment on DIY Cabinet Painting | Cheap & Easy Bathroom Update by Frederick

Frederick — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 00:07:55 +0000

Awesome work April, thanks for the info! ????????????????????

Comment on Rocking Chair Templates by Michael Szatkowski

Michael Szatkowski — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 11:55:27 +0000

I Should have read the review Dated June 26th 2020 ( The templates are 24 3\4″ and 27″ long, the boards left are 23 1\2″ 24″ 24 3\8″ and 24 1\4″. )I should waited for the templates instead of rough cutting the wood for 5 tall rocking chairs as the plans stated I wasting a lot of expensive wood. The plans are for a standard rocking chair not a tall but they were listed as the only download option after I ordered the templates This is Aprils Fault for not updating the plans to match the templates. Now I guess I could just build standard rocking chairs but thats not what I want. Just be careful when you order since April has gotten so busy with her amazing growing business she is allowing things to go unnoticed and unfixed. If you order the tall plans you need to cut 4 boards 27 3/4″ and that should work.

Comment on Garage Shelves Plans by Dennis Komeshak

Dennis Komeshak — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 21:12:51 +0000

The download isn’t working.

Comment on How To Add An Electrical Outlet | Easy DIY Trick by greggw95

greggw95 — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 23:57:56 +0000

Very timely for me, as my next project is to add a couple of additional outlets in my master bedroom. I like your idea of notching out the stud. I was going to drill holes thru each stud and fish the wire they them but expected that to be time consuming, as the holes would be on a bit of an angle. I think I will try your approach instead. Thanks!

Comment on DIY Bathroom Remodel | How To Demo & Install New by kzy

kzy — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 21:29:53 +0000

Haaa, water shoe…..

Comment on Compact Chicken Coop Plans by tim-5176

tim-5176 — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 19:50:21 +0000

I purchased this plan about a year ago and was disappointed that there was no cut angles given for the roof 2x4s. I found the overall plan very confusing to follow with a poorly laid out cut list and just confusing as a general rule. I know that this was an inexpensive plan and was maybe expecting too much but I would have rather spent more to get a better plan. I am a very experienced builder so I was able to figure it out.
A year later I would like comment on the functionality. The coop design is difficult to get access for cleaning and requires a Houdini act to access upper areas. There are many crevices for thing like mites to live and multiple so instead of taking a few hour to clean it too all day.
I would not recommend this design
Tim Penstone Alberta Canada

Comment on Ultimate DIY Workbench Plans by abdulelkhatib24

abdulelkhatib24 — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 18:09:42 +0000

Really nice and simple design but there is a few things I didn’t like about it. first of all at 32″ this is very short for me, how ever I am 6′ tall. Secondly the 3 1/4″ stretchers for the top and the shelf feel thin because I can make them flex very easy. Other than those 2 issues I love the design.

Comment on How To Build An Outdoor Shower | Part 1 | DIY Framing by kzy

kzy — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 04:51:26 +0000

Sweet design

Comment on How To Build An Outdoor Shower | Part 1 | DIY Framing by todrem

todrem — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 01:43:18 +0000

Love this, fantastic job.

Comment on Table Top Christmas Tree by Russell ROUSE

Russell ROUSE — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 23:48:31 +0000

Impressed with the clean precise edges on each part. I completed my order on a Monday and received it on Wednesday of that same week!! Can not wait to give them to my family this coming Christmas!

Comment on Building an Outdoor Kitchen! | From Start to Finish | Part 11 by Frederick

Frederick — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 21:06:26 +0000

Turned out great April! ????????????????????

Comment on Building an Outdoor Kitchen! | From Start to Finish | Part 11 by Carl

Carl — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:12:48 +0000

Great Job! It’s really a post and beam framing correct? What size are the post and beam. Thanks in advance. Great to see some enjoy their Trade!

Comment on Picnic Table with Detached Benches Plans by David Reed

David Reed — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 02:39:38 +0000

The overall picnic table plans were very helpful and worth the $4.99. I built 2 sets of picnic tables. I like the fact that the benches are separate, which adds versatility so they can be used around our fire pit…etc.. Good looking design too. The visual plans, lumber layout and bill of materials all helped a great deal. Criticism; Roman is right. Proper bench height should be 18” and table at 30”. The plans fail to account for the angle. If you do the math, with a on-line hypotenuse calculator, the table legs need to be cut to 30-1/2” not 27-3/4”. Otherwise the table is too low. Similarly the bench legs need to be cut to 16-5/8’, not 17-1/4”. Otherwise the benches are too high. The plans also fail to specify exactly where the table leg and bench leg (cross) supports should go, as this directly effects how wide the legs will be. I had to guesstimate and it worked out fine, but this should be called out on the plans. I made a few other alterations; I used only one center table cleat (2×4) on edge (not flat) that the two diagonal table braces butt against, so that they oppose each other (offset slightly so I could drive screws). I also put the table legs about 7” in, and the bench legs only 3” so that the benches could fit further under the table if needed. I used 3” carriage bolts all around, and drilled counter sink so that the bolt heads are recessed. Inspired by April’s build video, I used a $40 Kreg pocket drill jig along with 2-1/2” deck screws, so that all of my screws are driven from the underside, and no screw holes on the table or bench tops. First time using a pocket drill jig, and after testing on a couple 2×4 scraps, quickly gained confidence and loved it. This is all probably overkill, but it looks great. The table and benches are very very solid and robust. I’ll probably use a TWP Stain in 6 months or a year, once the pressure treated wood has dried and seasoned properly. I hope my comments are helpful to others who want to build this picnic table. Great plans – – Thanks April!

Comment on How To Light an Outdoor Space | Outdoor Kitchen Part 9 by kzy

kzy — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 04:02:46 +0000

Great series, very informative. Will miss it, what next….??