DIY MULTIPURPOSE WHITEBOARD
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The motivation for the project came from a previous video where l tested out some Magnetic Whiteboard Paint on a sheet of Tile Underlay. I loved the product and thought it would look great and serve me well as a Multi Purpose Whiteboard to hang on my garage wall.
Like pretty much all of my projects, this is a Recycled Timber Project and is pitched toward the Beginner to Novice DIY’er. On the Hammer Scale, l’d have to rate it Two Out of Five Hammers ???
DIY Whiteboard Project, How-To Video:
Recycled Timber Required for Whiteboard Frame:
Please be aware that timber sizes can vary quite a bit when using recycled products like pallet wood and old fencing materials. The sizes given are therefore only a guide…OK..Cool.
Old Hardwood Fence Rails: 70mm x 35mm (3inches x 1 ½ inch)
These will be used as the outside frame for Whiteboard.
1 @ 2.4 metres (8 feet)
1 @ 1.8 metres (6 feet)
Before we venture on, please read this regarding Pallet Wood Safety:
Pallets are used around the world to transport goods and as a result are treated to protect the wood from fungus and various pests. This is why you need to be careful in your pallet selection.
Please read the following the following article titled How to Tell if a Pallet is Safe for Reuse link before you tackle any pallet wood project. Many thanks to 1001 Pallets who authored the article.
Pallet Wood (Pine):
This will be used for the shelf and for the backing behind the shelf.
140mm (5 ½ inches) x 16mm (5/8th inch): 4 @ 900mm (3 foot)
100mm (4 inches) x 25mm (1 inch): 1 @ 600mm (2 foot)
One Sheet of Tile Underlay:
This is what l painted the Magnetic Whiteboard Paint onto.
1200mm (4 foot) x 900mm (3 foot) x 1
To fit my frame, l cut it down to 900mm x 825mm. This worked with my rebate which was 25mm (1 inch) wide all the way around the frame . The sheet was painted with Magnetic Whiteboard Paint.
- Two small screws to attach magnets.
If you’d like to know where you can locate Pallet Wood for FREE…
Check Out this Awesome Article from the guys over at 1001 Pallets
Tools Required:
- Hammer
- Mitre Saw.
- Nail Gun. If you don’t have a nail gun, don’t panic, an everyday hammer and nail will do the trick.
- Reciprocating saw. Not 100% necessary but incredibly handy and a massive time saver when dismantling a pallet.
- Circular Saw. If you don’t have a circular saw, a hand saw will suffice.
- Biscuit Joiner: If you don’t have a biscuit joiner, you can simply just glue and dowel the boards together.
- Electric Sander.
- Router. You can buy rebated timber from your local Hardware Store if you don’t have a router.
- Bar Clamps: These are large clamps with an opening of 48″.
- Builders square or combination square.
- Drill. Cordless or corded…doesn’t matter.
- Woodworkers glue.
- Nail Punch, also known as Nail Set.
Please note that all of these tools are available from my Recommended Tools and Resources Page.
Before digging into the Awesome Selection of Tools and Resources l know and trust, an important disclosure:
The majority of the links on my Tools and Resources Page are affiliate links which means that if you choose to make a purchase, l will earn a small…and l mean small, commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you but it certainly helps to keep the lights on here over at DIY For Knuckleheads so that we can afford to keep producing great, informational content for You.
Please understand that l have experience with all of these companies and products, and l recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions l make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
The old fence rails l found were unpainted and were’t really the look l was after…not in that state anyway. I wanted to distress them a little so l applied a coat of white paint which once dry, l sanded back to give it that lived in look.
PRO TIP:
When applying a paint to achieve that distressed look, l like to use an oil based enamel paint. Oil based paints mimic the old style paints and they sand back better than the acrylic enamels. It may take a little longer due to the drying process but the oil based paint produces a more authentic aged finish once sanded. Picture of oil based paint.
Cutting the Timber:
To cut the Timber to size l used my trusty old Mitre Saw…nothing fancy here folks…not a table saw to be seen.?
The sides of the frame were cut to a finished length of 1210mm (Just a smidge over 4 feet). The top and bottom rails, along with the two pallet wood backing boards were cut to a finished length of 860mm (Approx 2’ 7/8inch)
Assembling the Whiteboard Frame:
Assembly time involves using another tool that l tend to use a lot which is my Biscuit Joiner. To use, all you need to do is mark on your board where you want the biscuit…cut the slot with the biscuit joiner…fill the slot with glue…insert the biscuit…and clamp the two boards together. TO EASY!
If that still sounds daunting, just check out my video to see how it’s done.
PRO TIP:
Make sure the piece that you are cutting a slot into for the biscuit is clamped securely down to your workbench for safety reasons, and for accuracy.
Clamping the Whiteboard Frame Together:
`This is the exciting stage. It’s your first chance to see how it’s all going to look. Like a lot of people, my clamp selection is abysmal! I never seem to have long enough clamps so l often find myself joining two clamps together to achieve the extra width as you can see in the photo. At some point l need to get some longer clamps like these little beauties.
Building the Whiteboard Shelf:
Very simple process. The shelf is just one length of Pallet Wood cut to 816mm which fits snugly between the two side pieces that act as support for the shelf. As l mentioned earlier, sizes will vary when using recycled timber so my measurements should only be used as a guide.
I cut the side pieces to my own design. You can download the Template here if interested in using the same style.
The smaller shelf that sits on top of the larger shelf is 400mm (16 inches) long x 100mm (4 inches) wide. I used a separating block from a pallet and drilled holes into it which will be used as a holder for the Whiteboard Markers.
Whiteboard Key Holder.
Underneath the shelf I recessed in a couple of rare earth magnets to act as hidden Key Holders….Cool idea hey?
The Bulleyes which you can see above are a simple image transfer that anybody can do using their printer from home. Check out this video link from a previous video that l made where l show you how to do it! The demonstration starts around the 5 minute, 30 second mark.
Rare Earth Magnets are very powerful. Check out how they can easily hold a framing hammer in place!!
Painting the Whiteboard Shelving:
The newish looking pallet wood looked to new….if you know what l mean. Check out the video to see how l take newish looking pallet wood and transform it into a distressed treasure using both tools and paint to create the effect.
Attaching the Whiteboard to the Frame:
No real science here folks. The Whiteboard is placed in the recess that you cut with your router and screwed or nailed to the frame. Just be aware that if you use Tile Underlay or some other form of cement board sheeting, that you take care when screwing or nailing to the frame.
PRO TIP:
Tile Underlay, although very hard and durable, is brittle, especially when nailing or screwing close to the edge. It’s very important that you pre-drill your screw or nail holes prior to screwing or nailing.
Attaching the Noticeboard.
There’s a fair bit of weight in this unit. Make sure you find at least one wall stud to nail or screw into….two studs is even better!
PRO TIP:
Check out this Awesome Magnetic Stud Finder from Studpop.The simplest way l know to find a wall stud. Check out my video below where l show you how to find a stud using one. The demonstration starts around the 11 minute and 30 second mark. Make sure you check it out!
I also have a video where l demonstrate how to find a stud using a Rare Earth Magnet. Check that one out as well!
The Ultimate Stud Finder….Viewed Over 545,000 this Times!
So that’s it Folks! I hope you enjoyed and found this Blog Post useful. As per usual you can find me on all the Socials…just scroll to the bottom of the page for all those links.
Alrighty, be safe, and till next time, l’m outta here..Cheers! ??
