My weekend project...

[mylittlecj5]

anyone care to guess what its supposed to be?

 

[CJ]

Sammies Playhouse?

It looks great but I cheated... I just read the URL! :laugh:

I know I loved my tree fort / play house, that thing is going to be cherished by Sammy forever!

 

[mylittlecj5]

I woke up this morning and said "I think I'll build a playhouse for Sam". Then it turned into this monstrosity.
12 foot high, main area is 2 levels 6x6 ft. the balcony (the legs sticking up in the pic) add another 4 foot. There will be a tire swing off the opposite side of the balcony, a 'restaurant' in the lower level (complete with picnic table), a slide, a wall climb area, and possibly a "garage" for her PW Jeep.

 

[CJ]

That's a great little condo you have going there. She is one lucky girl!

 

[coldwater]

oops, I was gonna guess a trebuchet for chunkin junk jeep parts into the neighbours yard when their not looking

 

[projectcrawler]

Don't forget the wireless router or maybe some fiber optic lines.
What about a car radio with some in wall speakers running off a car battery!

 

[peart2112]

If you need a sattelite dish and a TiVo box to finish of this project, I have one of each in my garage right now!

 

[mylittlecj5]

car radio? good idea, but not yet. she's only 3! now the satellite dish... Hmm I can see possibilities with that... mount it on the roof with a rotator motor...radar antenna, spy apparatus, lazer/destructo beam....

Gunna mount an old steering wheel upstairs somewhere, also.

 

[mylittlecj5]

Well I got it standing up on its own tonight just as it got dark, so no pics. Thats about all I can afford to do right now, so it will sit in the yard waiting on funds now.

I'm re-thinking the swing, I want the whole thing to be free-standing, and my Limited carpentry skills can't seem to get it steady enough for the swing's stress. Maybe I will have to put legs on the swing arm after all. We will see.

 

[projectcrawler]

Triangulation, triangulation, triangulation. Strength comes from design, not bulk. If you brace things across like x's, they are alot stronger. My kids wooden swingset always sways a little. I minimised it by bracing a few key points at angles.

 

[mylittlecj5]

yea, I have 2 angles set in right now (you can see one in the pic). I will triangulate under the floor now that it is standing upright.
The problem is, I'm used to working with metal, and welding braces in and they WILL NOT move. Seems like no matter how I brace a wooden project, it wiggles some. I just don't like that.
Just like cutting lumber. I can cut a piece of steel nice and straight, but no matter the tool, my wood cutting leaves a lot to be desired. I gave up trying to be a carpenter quite a while ago, but I still like to do these simple projects.

 

[BrockGrimes]

Take a computer powersupply, use it for your 12v source to run the car radio.
Buy a cheapie sail winch used on RC boats to turn your radar/spy dish, or an old pwr window motor if you need more power. Install a solar powered light in the ceiling, the light inside, the solar panel outside with battery backup, I'm using some modified yard lights. I'm using some old bubble type windows from a van, I picked them up from the junk yard for sky lights and windows. I'm using telephone type poles cut in half for the main supports, buried and quickcreted in the ground a few feet. Pickup "The Knot Handbook" if you want to do some fancy rope work, for you non-sailor types, LOL. When the boy was born I had already begun makign a list of stuff to build.
BTW I dropped you a PM for a backhoe for the kiddie.

For those who are interested:
http://www.machinebuilders.net/plans/gallery.asp?categoryid=1

 

[mylittlecj5]

Thanks for the link to the backhoe. I have run across that one before. I guess great minds think alike! I have a few ideas for the next project running thru the ol' nogin myself. Here is a couple...

 

[mylittlecj5]

a couple progress shots of the weekends work. Ran out of funds for now, but it is starting to take shape!






As you can see, its already being used by the little one.

 

[CJ]

That is looking great! What a view she'll have!

One question though, are the 4x4's anchored?

 

[mylittlecj5]

Nope, I had to design it to be portable. Thats why I have been sweating the build and triangulating it as much as I can. It just doesn't show it yet, but more bracing is planned. If deemed to be necessary, I can tie it to the ground with ground stakes.

As of right now I (@180 lbs) can jump on the upper balcony and it won't even wiggle except a little on the off side. Thats where the new bracing will be. I can see 10 pre-teens on this thing with no problems. At least thats what I plan for.