Playhouse build

aerosol · 16-04-2009 11:01pm #1

I asked months ago about breaking up pallets,the fruits of my hard labour are slowly(weather dependent) coming together......

Started with 24 pallets

Many hours,cursing,sweating and vowing never to break up pallets again later.........

Some much needed sunshine,health n safety in order and start to make the base frame

A quick check for position,run round with the lawn mower and leveling

The base is made of pressure treated decking joists that I recycled from a job.

Managed to get a couple of sheets of osb down for the floor before the floods came.........

Set up my dado to cut rebates out planks

I use a piece of varnished ply as a sacrificial fence.The dado cutter is a great bit of kit(Not sure of peoples views here but I know in the Uk lots of bods are dead against them,the americans don't have a problem mostly).

I didn't do too bad with the wood I got from the pallets,I'd say I rejected about 15-20%. I spent a good while sorting through them and grouping all same thicknesses and widths together.Rain and work has halted the job once again.

SpitfireIV · 17-04-2009 12:59am

Looking good thus far! You're starting the daughter off early, glad to see she has priorities in order, the goggles and the muffs!

. That saw you have, its a Makita MLS100 right?! I was looking at them a couple of weeks back and was nearly going to buy one, but heard mixed reviews, I'm still interested in it though, what do you think of it?

I've never used a rebate blade......yet

, but yeah, I've seen the issues in the UK with them, the Americans seem to love them, wobble blades too!! Crazy stuff.

aerosol · 17-04-2009 7:21am

thanks Croppy,you've got the saw right(I meant to comment on the thread running on the Uk site but it slipped my wandering mind;)) I've only had it a couple of weeks,is was an emergency buy as my old saw is sadly no longer with us,it was very sudden.

My budget wouldn't allow me to get an expensive saw(which I had hoped for......),despite all the made in China stuff, so far I've found it good.It was pretty much ready to go straight out the box,just a liitle tweak needed.It tends to try and "wander" slightly when you tighten it up after locating a mitre but a firm grip sorts that out.

Give me a couple more weeks and some different wood going through it and I'll have a better idea but so far I'm pleased

ennisa · 17-04-2009 2:25pm

aerosol, looks good so far, are you working from plans in your head or do you have anything down on paper?

Where did you get the dado set and what kind of price was it? I saw one set in MQuillans but it was not the right size for the bore of my saw and as it was an open box i was not sure it all the chippers etc.. were in there, it was about €90. Every site/video/web page/tutorial from the states that I have seen where a dado/rebate/groove/fillister was required has used a dado blade/stack hardly any of them use a router for that. What exactly is the problem that the UK (and I presume Europeans in general) have with them? I could see that if you did not have the throat plate (zero clearence insert) in the saw or you did not have a sacrificial fence set up why it might be a problem but they are operator errors and does not mean that a dado stack is unsafe. If that was the case then I wouldn't even be allowed to play with crayons! The amount of times I've stuck those things in my eye!!

I hope the weather clears up for you, it is supposed to be dry enough this weekend, allegedly!

SpitfireIV · 17-04-2009 3:15pm

I think the problem is simply down to the fact that you cant use a blade guard ennisa. We all use our blade guards anyway..........right?? :P. Ok, I have to admit, I dont use the guard as much as I should. But I feel better being able to see the blade and see the cut than 'cutting blind' (even though I know the cut will be fine once the fence is set to the correct width etc).

Aerosol, I'm in two mind about the saw, and not because of the Chinese connection, but because of the size of the thing! I've been using an Aldi mitresaw for the past 5 or 6 years that has served me well, I got a new freud blade for it recently and it gives an amazing cut. I made up a mitre saw station (long bench with the saw recessed into it) to fit the Aldi saw into, works a treat! Only thing is the aldi saw is an 8" blade, the Makita is a 10", I'd need something small and neat, ideally an 8" again (so that I could use the good blade too! :P), so thats why I'm in two mind currently. I might get some measurements of the saw off you at some stage if thats alright.

aerosol · 17-04-2009 8:45pm

I have a rough plan on paper for over all dimensions but I've adjusted a couple of things as I've gone along position and size of doors n windows I'm making up as I go:)

Ennisa, I think the Dado was bout £100,from http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/
they are the only supplier of shopsmith stuff this side of the atlantic.

I watched alot of tutorials ,read a few debates on the dangers etc of using one. I've no problems using it ,I'm very safety conscious no matter what tool I'm using.As with any cut without the guard being there you put yourself at more risk of injury,I always use my guards unless the cut I want dictates I can't. I take the extra risk knowing I've confidence in what I'm doing and very comfortable using my machines.

Croppy,I also wanted to get a small as poss saw,I've been using a long sliding saw for a few years and had a pain siting it well,this one will be alot handier.Just shout if you want any measurements.

That bench looks great Croppy,always wanted to do something similar after seeing Norm make one years ago

aerosol · 19-04-2009 1:02am

I forgot to take pics of the stud walls as I made them,you can see the contruction in the pics .I'd planned to get the 4 walls onto the base, then nail the cladding but forgot the fact that I couldn't acess the side because of the wall

So had to lay the wall frame flat and nail onto it ,it was so easy I did the other side wall and back the same.Alot handier with the belt sander too.

I'd always planned to have a single pitch roof,constructed as a" long box "bout 6" deep to make a big herb garden.A sudden spate of parties by the local cats has changed my mind.Thinking it would become a cat jacks faster than I could I could lay upsidedown tacks all round ( Only kidding,I love cats)They don't bother my containers in the garden but the temptation of a 2.5m2 "litter tray" a few feet off the ground might be pushing my luck.

As my plan to have the roof as a garden up until just yesterday I'd already made the walls the way I had,using alot more material than needed now I'm going with a light roof.

I struggled trying to work out lengths and angles for the new roof.My memory of school trigonometry and maths deserted me!I ended up laying it out on the floor and doing several test cuts to finaly come to 30 deg

I don't think the dimensions look as good now without the single pitch roof,It seems to tall...

My nailer decided to fail on me half way through the fornt wall!The gun is well oiled,brads not jammed,compresser is working.I just gives a little "phh" but with no power to fire the nail??? Anyone give me a clue?

Cut 2 sheets of 18mm wbp ply at 30 deg for the roof.Not too impressed by the quality of it but the majority of ply I've used in the last few years has been p"ss poor,even some of the "cabinet grade" birch I've got.

Forgot which way my rip saw mitred for a second:o

Its by no means fine carpentry but I'm happy with it,the kids are too excited!

*

SpitfireIV · 19-04-2009 3:14am

Looking good! Starting to take shape! I hope you applied for planning permission for it?

What make is the compressor/nailgun?

aerosol · 19-04-2009 11:11am

Its a draper oilfree compressor and a v cheap rapesco gun.

jack of all · 19-04-2009 6:25pm

Well done Aerosol, looking good! I toyed with the idea of salvaging some pallet wood myself when I had access to a lot it. I started out well enough but found some of the damn pallets so securely nailed/ stapled that I gave up on the idea in the end. Great project, your kids must be thrilled!

Vain · 19-04-2009 11:47pm

Looks very good aerosol. I made a guinea pig hutch out of old pallets before, not as good as your play house tho:D

ennisa · 20-04-2009 1:50pm

A couple of years ago you probably could have got about €300,000 for that on the housing market

Looking good. You going to weatherproof the wood and felt the roof?

aerosol · 20-04-2009 7:25pm

Ta for the comments everyone. Not sure what finish I'm going to go with.I was thinking of a terrecota or a blueish stain,just for a bit of colour:p

I cut the roll of felt to look like shingles....

It was a mess on and used loads more felt than if I'd just laid it a sheet but I think it looks so much better.:)

jack of all · 20-04-2009 9:59pm

The three tab shingles and verandah are looking good!

aerosol · 03-05-2009 12:06pm

Managed to get a bit more done this week. I found a couple teak newel posts and runners I had forgotten about up in the tardis loft! My plan was to rip them down to make door/window frames(wish I had now....) Ended up just making one into ballistade(time to get my saw blade sharpened now:P)

Also found some TGV leftover from my side gate.I really need to sort my loft out! Came across some lovely hardwood that I'd bought 3/4 years ago and now don't have a clue what it is.

The TGV came in handy for the door.The 4x1 I used for the frames was badly warped,spent ages getting the door hung half well:mad:

I'm not looking forward to sanding:)

jack of all · 05-05-2009 2:31pm

Looks great Aerosol, I like the angled deck/ verandah!

aerosol · 09-05-2009 8:35pm

I'm almost there:) Just have to put the windows in.I'm using a sheet of liteglaze acrylic.A little flower box for under the side window,and a door handle.Hoping to find a nice piece of drift wood for this.

I cut a few flowers out with my scroll saw,this was a great hit with the 3 female supervisors:rolleyes:Was impressed with the blue n terrecota stains(Cuprinol garden shades) it covered really well first coat.I'd gone through a few sander belts first mind.

The inside is a project all of its own!My instrutions to date are a fully fitted scaled down kitchen with table and benches all painted in bright pink.We'll see;)

jack of all · 09-05-2009 10:35pm

Dude, this looks great! Fair play to you!!!

SpitfireIV · 09-05-2009 11:29pm

You may get one of those 14" flat screen tv's and fix it to the wall inside! It'll serve two purposes, keep the kids occupied and if it comes to it you could always sneak out to the house to watch the footy games!

Great work indeed, the paint and the flowers have really brought it to life!

ennisa · 11-05-2009 3:53pm

Aerosol, that looks bloody fantastic. The kids must be delighted with it

Good advice on the tv too!

aerosol · 11-05-2009 5:01pm

Many thanks guys.The kids are well chuffed,been so long promising it,the biggest one still doesn't really believe its for them!

Been one of the most satisfying projects I've made,just to see the joy on the faces....and the end of,"whens it finished,whens its finished?"Just now its"when u making the kitchen and painting the inside"!!!

joseph brand · 11-08-2009 12:02pm

aerosol wrote: »

Many thanks guys.The kids are well chuffed,been so long promising it,the biggest one still doesn't really believe its for them!

Been one of the most satisfying projects I've made,just to see the joy on the faces....and the end of,"whens it finished,whens its finished?"Just now its"when u making the kitchen and painting the inside"!!!

Very nice. Love the overhang roof and angled floor to meet decking.

Only complaint is its a little dark?? But still, doesn't take from overall job. Always nice to be able to re-use recycled wood, rather than putting in skip.

Thanks for sharing.

Playhouse build

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