On top of building rock-solid and stylish crates, we've got some exciting additions to the product line like our 8-beer caddy called, "The Roadie" and a 4-wine bottle caddy called, "The Traveller". I am hoping to have them up on the site soon.
In the interim, I have been doing some custom jobs and building a tree house for the kids. Thought I would have a running blog of the progress. Hope you like it!!!
QUALITY ALWAYS COMES FIRST
Like I always say, "If you are going to do anything... do it with purpose!" The tree house I am currently building is no exception.
Here's a view of the deck area on the tree house. It's approx. 9ft high so the railings are 45" in height for safety. The deck area is 8' wide by 6' in depth.
EVERY GREAT BUILD STARTS WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION
I've always started my designs with an eye on producing something that will last. The tree house is no exception. Emphasis was placed on constructing a sturdy foundation. Using the tree itself for support was challenging on its own, so two additional 6" x 6" posts were added.
I cut grooves in the top of the posts to act as brackets for the support joists.
From there, I laid my horizontal joists and constructed the supporting frame for the deck. I boxed in my posts for the railings to ensure they were rock-solid. This is particularly important as the deck is a full 9 feet above the ground.
Deck boards were cut to fit... snugging around the railing posts - also adding more support.
Instead of screwing the first part of my railing tops flush into the posts, I cut notches into the posts to create a stronger joint (and cleaner from a standpoint of no screws showing).
The second part of the railing tops were added. I used a lap joint on the corners with an inch top and 1/2 inch bottom. That enabled me to countersink my screws and glue in dowels to cover the holes.
I wanted a modern look to the tree house so I did a little DIY cable railing system using quarter inch 3 3/4" lag screw eyes, 7 1/4" turnbuckles and 1/8" marine grade stainless steel cabling.
The ladder stringers was constructed with (2) 2" x 10" pressure treated boards. I created handles within the stringers and inset the steps for strength of joints. The steps will be cut, glued and screwed using 4" 1/4" lag screws for greater strength.
It's been a while since I posted a blog but rest assured, I've been plugging away at the treehouse. Work has begun on building the house portion of the design. It is a modern-styled house with ample windows to allow for lots of light.
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