So, without jobs, we downgraded our expectations as to how much we could spend on construction of woodsheds, a greenhouse and a sauna this summer.
What we had was a free supply of pallets, many made of oak, from the local hardware store, a free supply of used metal roofing, lots of rocks, a bunch of leftover nails and screws, a scrap piece of corrugated pipe and some free steel barrels.
Our first project was to build a small, open woodshed/roofed storage structure. We laid a pallet floor, raised up off of the ground and leveled with rocks, then proceeded to attach walls, then roof supports, roof and roofing, and eventually a gutter and rainbarrel. The total cost was under $25 (assuming we'd had to buy the nails and screws, which we hadn't) which included three store bought lengths of strapping which we ripped in half and used for diagonal bracing. It's amazingly sturdy, and Linc is confident that once he loads it down with some firewood, it won't get blown into the yurt by the first winter storm. The entire building took two days, but might have been quicker if Linc hadn't stopped to threaten to eat an enormous long-horned beetle that flew onto the axe handle for a visit.
The structure has an 8' x 4' x 7' high front area for firewood storage, and about the same area roofed over in back. We eventually put our bulk foods storage box (shown at left in the last picture) under that back roof to get it out of the weather. Some of our friends might remember that box from our journal of a 1995 trip around North America. It spent that summer riding on a little $300 4'x8' Agway trailer up to Alaska, and back down the next summer. It still lives (as will the trailer, once I finish welding the frame again).
Encouraged by our progress on the pallet woodshed, we next intend to build a pallet greenhouse - stay tuned!
What we had was a free supply of pallets, many made of oak, from the local hardware store, a free supply of used metal roofing, lots of rocks, a bunch of leftover nails and screws, a scrap piece of corrugated pipe and some free steel barrels.
Our first project was to build a small, open woodshed/roofed storage structure. We laid a pallet floor, raised up off of the ground and leveled with rocks, then proceeded to attach walls, then roof supports, roof and roofing, and eventually a gutter and rainbarrel. The total cost was under $25 (assuming we'd had to buy the nails and screws, which we hadn't) which included three store bought lengths of strapping which we ripped in half and used for diagonal bracing. It's amazingly sturdy, and Linc is confident that once he loads it down with some firewood, it won't get blown into the yurt by the first winter storm. The entire building took two days, but might have been quicker if Linc hadn't stopped to threaten to eat an enormous long-horned beetle that flew onto the axe handle for a visit.
The structure has an 8' x 4' x 7' high front area for firewood storage, and about the same area roofed over in back. We eventually put our bulk foods storage box (shown at left in the last picture) under that back roof to get it out of the weather. Some of our friends might remember that box from our journal of a 1995 trip around North America. It spent that summer riding on a little $300 4'x8' Agway trailer up to Alaska, and back down the next summer. It still lives (as will the trailer, once I finish welding the frame again).
Encouraged by our progress on the pallet woodshed, we next intend to build a pallet greenhouse - stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment