Twin Plank Headboard

My most recent project was a headboard for my teenage son's bedroom. The headboard is based on plans from knockoffwood.com - an amazing site with keep-it-simple woodworking plans for amazing furniture. Here is the link to the plans:

http://www.knock-offwood.com/2010/03/plans-reclaimed-wood-headboard-full-and.html

These plans are based on very expensive ($699-$799) Mason headboard at Pottery Barn:

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/mason-headboard/?pkey=x%7C4%7C1%7C%7C10%7Crustic%20headboard%7C%7C0&cm_src=SCH

The project was fairly easy following the plans and probably cost about $75 - one-tenth of the Pottery Barn headboard.
The wood was very basic dimensional lumber from Home Depot. It was put together using wood glue and a nail gun. Most of my projects have been smaller and I was surprised at how many nails I had to use - I think I reloaded the nail gun twice during this project. When I bought a large box of the nails, I thought it was a lifetime supply, but if I keep building projects on this scale, it might only last a month or so!

The finish we used was oil-based dark walnut - two coats, one coat of Poly-shades dark walnut and one coat of polyacrylic in a satin finish. I am using "we" on this build because my wife is the creative/design consultant and has a lot of input, particularly on the stain and finish.

I did some distressing of the wood before we applied the finish - I banged on the wood with a hammer, chisel, file, awl, pretty much everything in the toolbox. At first it was difficult to start beating up a beautiful wood headboard that I had so carefully and lovingly put together, but then I realized the distressing is just part of the creative process and after I saw how the stain accentuated the distressing marks, I wish I had done some more!

Now I need to make another one to match for the other bed in the room.

Here is a closer view of the headboard:


Here is a link to my Flickr images that show some of my other projects:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48543689@N07/