V Fiend's Shed Build Thread - Man Cave / Workshop / Fortress

[vfiend]

Rightooo then,

I've been spamming the fuck out of the shed thread for long enough,

So, it's about time I started a thread on it!

Here's the progress so far (quoted from shed threaddage):

I've just bought a house with no garage, not even a shed http://pbmagforum.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.png

I'm steadily downgrading, I started with a 3*7m brick palace,

then in a 2.4*5m integral (small but so warm!),

But they were renting, money down the drain.

Now there is only an overgrown (4ft!) garden with a big tree stump in it.

Soon will be a 4.5*2.2m (internal space) shed. Big enough for 4 bikes with workspace (or so I convince myself).

I don't mind though, because it will be mine!

All mine! (and the missus and mortgage...)

.

[vfiend]

Unfortunately this is just storage while I move, poor bikes, sat neglected in a unit, the others will be joining them soon http://pbmagforum.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/sad.png

[vfiend]

Currently my garden looks something like this:

Will eventually look something like this:

Unfortunately everything is currently out of the way here:

(there's another bike behind that bench of crap)

Slab being layed on the 27th,

Brick, block and timber as primary construction by my own fair hands.

Pictures as it happens.

[vfiend]

Lifts are awesome. I've got an old hospital bed with a layer of ply bolted to the top. Not only does it do a great job of saving my back, but if I injure myself I can whip the wood off the top and lay there crying "Nurse! Nurse!"

I am also of the old hospital bed club, awesome things.

[vfiend]

From this:

To this:

To this:

To this:

Not bad for a mornings work and 220 quids.

(The slab, not everything else.)

If anyone is planning similar, this was 2.5m x 4.8m with a 3-4" base.

This required 2 3/4 tons of ballast and 16 bags of cement to do.

It took about 5 hours to lay with two men and a petrol mixer.

Considerably shorter than digging out all the old bricks, washing line post, random previously laid slabs, dead prostitutes, etc.

Next, to actually build the fecking shed!

Brick dwarf wall with timber above is the current plan, although this changes daily.

Bet that stump was a fucker, good work.

[vfiend]

After digging out and hacking at the roots it still wouldn't move an inch when twatted with the sledge hammer.

I chainsawed straight down the middle of the trunk(s) and then split it with a massive pry bar, this let me get to the last few roots which were previously unaccessible.

So yes, it was a fucker.

(it was a big old tree that had been there 80 odd years, so was to be expected)

Now that's some badboy lighting!

My shed design has evolved yet again;

Can't be bothered with modelling and remodelling, I know what I want to fit in does, so sketching should do.

My van goes in for it's death sentance MOT Tuesday, so I've got to work out all the big and long bits of wood I need before then!

So lots of detailed sketching required.

[vfiend]

Started the the actual sheddy but of the shed this weekend.

Sealed the back wall as this will be exposed:

May leave the bare brick look, but we'll see what it's like for light, it may yet end up white.

Working out brick pattern and spacing:

Saves having to knock bricks back out and scrapping a mix of mortor because you've cocked up the spacing.

Got a bit of laying done, but ran out of light:

All of this arrived today too:

Big fat 100x100mm redwood timbers, should make it nice and solid and hopefully secure.

Naturally the design has evolved a little:

After hacking back the ivy the wall turned out to be a different shape, so the shed got shorter (again!) this maintained the head height throughout and the all important symmetry.

Although it means I'm definately limited to 3 bikes, I do have storage elsewhere though

The handy side effect of this is that there is now a place for a wood store, which I had been struggling for previously.

[vfiend]

I've got an issue with my design, with the reduction in width I've lost some of the central column between the doors (even after already taking 100mm off each side column):

Fortunately I haven't order the doors yet, so could get 2x sets of 686mm instead of 2x sets of 762mm,

thereby giving me the central column back,

but slightly tighter access for the parking and workshop areas

(the effect on the parking area isn't so bad, as I can only fit 3 bikes in there now anyway, which is 2 in the parking area so plenty of space).

What think ye al'mighty PBMagForumites?

Am I worrying about nothing and the second design doesn't look bad?

Will a 1300 instead of 1500 gap be too small to easily manoeuvre a pair of bikes in and out of?

Luckily the doors are amongst the last thing and the column is only really there for the doors and weight support when it snows, so I don't have to decide today(!)

[vfiend]

Today's efforts were fuelled by a very questionably named energy drink:

Drinking from the furry cup indeed...

Some walls,

Hurrah, surprisingly in tolerance, most of everything is within 5mm of where it should be, the worst of it is 10mm out.

Not bad considering it isn't my day job.

Better view of the position in the garden,

I'm quite glad as it doesn't seem it will dominate.

Here's all the wood I didn't get chance to put up yet,

Taking up the length of what will eventually be the dining room and study.

Coming soon, my magnificent erection(!)

[vfiend]

Sunday:

Did alot of cutting today,

Most of everything is to length, most halfjoints are cut,

Got a few more to do tomorrow after work and might get the side frames up.

Need to get the rest of the frame done and some rafters up so that I can sheet it dry before the summer's death throws are over.

Almost making up as I went along, at least I'd sketched it out.

Probably could have made some cleaner joins and hidden screws more, but the frame is being pained on the exterior so will hide a multitude of sins.

Here's how today finished:

Not much to see, except my commuter anyway http://pbmagforum.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/smile.png

Monday:

I cut the last few joints after work today, 4x4" beams in excess of 4m are rather heavy!

Starting to look more like a structure:

Almost, kind of.

I was a little worried it may still be a too flimsy without any bracing as it'll be a while before I fill the gaps with studwork,

don't fancy it dropping on the bike in the wind when it's sheeted up,

but after just that little bit assembled my fears are put to the side, it's rock solid!

I know it's not much really, but it feels good to start getting it screwed together!

Tuesday:

Slowly, slowly, catchy, monkey:

Hopefully get the side frames bolted in tomorrow and some cross members in.

(unless I'm dragged out food shopping)

[vfiend]

Today's progress:

Onto the roof tomorrow.

How did you get on with the roof?

He's felted himself into a corner

[vfiend]

I stayed up till 2am watching the entire first series of Luther,

So I had a lie-in and then did this in the afternoon sun:

Hopefully I'll get the other side done over the next couple of evenings.

Also realised that instead of making a separate structure for a woodstore on the left side I can simply keep the overhang long,

the handy side of always buying too long, offcuts for noggins or firewood and you can change your mind(!)

Looks good, quick question though, is it a really shallow pitch on the roof? can't you make it higher to give more room inside?

It is indeed a very shallow pitch.

I wanted to block as little light to the garden as possible - below the level of back wall is essentially a nil effect.

I didn't want to shed to poke up over the house at the back's privacy wall which I'm using as the back wall of the shed, both for them not having to look at it and for the added headache of getting round the capping blues,

Mostly I didn't want it to look a cunt, a big and tall shed (PD allows 2.5m - this is 2.1) would look really bad in a tiny garden - now that it's up I think the proportions suit the space really well.

That was the biggest thing I was worried about, so many bottom of garden workshops are about as appealing as syphilis.

There is 6'6" clearance in the middle, unfortunately no rafter storage but there should be some room for some racking for engines, parts and not often used tools - big stuff like spare bodywork can live in the house attic http://pbmagforum.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/biggrin.png

I was strolling around it in boots earlier which makes me 6'1" and it didn't feel too short, so I shouldn't develop a bad neck(!)

[vfiend]

And some mwoor:

Got quite efficient after yesterday so this side took little more than an hour,

just got to work out the front and back boards, got to make something like firrings to support the ends of the t&g roof and then I can sheet.

On reflection I could have moved the back crossbeam further forward and made.life a little easier but it just means some more cutting this way.

[vfiend]

I'm still beavering away at this with hope to get it mostly dry before winter.

Managed the last of the rafter work at the weekend:

Got the tops of timber covered up with some bitumen paint on Monday,

Did half the plastic sheeting tonight, should manage the other half tomorrow:

I'll get some ply on it at the weekend and some more bitumen paint,

the gutters wil go on too (to stop it all running into the neighbours gardens),

Although I have nowhere to drain them into other than a random point in the garden...

maybe have a drainage channel down the left side to the house if you have a downpipe there?

[vfiend]

Got the felt underlay on today after boarding last week:

This is the worlds longest shed build..

Got this week off work, priority is shed, then getting her kitchen built http://pbmagforum.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/tongue.png

The felt underlay is interesting stuff, it's polyester easy seal.

Essentially you paint on a sealer onto the board and layout the underlay which is.pretty much like self adhesive bitumous lino type stuff.

Went on within a couple of hours, not cheap though. At least the roof is waterproof now, just got to wait for some more half decent weather and I can lay the capsheet, then that's the roof sorted hopefully for the next 20 years http://pbmagforum.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/biggrin.png

[vfiend]

Looking good chap

Right, we've waited long enough and theres been at least 2 sunny days in nearly a month....more pics V lol

[vfiend]

Progress has been non-existent, weather has been crap and I needed to figure out how to get more light in, until I knew how I was going to insert a window I couldn't make the side walls.

Well, I finally figured it out and built the first side wall:

Window plan is glass blocks! Thick, solid, insulating and cheap!

(I appreciate they're an 80's fashion faux-pas, but I think they'll look quite good.)

The alternatives were plexi glass or double glazing but they were all over priced and offered further security (too easy to put through) and thermal (too thin for plexi) concerns.

Next step will be glass blocks and getting round to the front supports and door frames.

Still got to decide on and buy doors, crikey they're expensive!

[vfiend]

Build the bloody doors, you've gone this far!

I would if I didn't want glazed doors.

It'll take me a good 2 days to build 4 doors, they'll look crap and still cost a fair whack because of having to buy the glazing separate, I'd also have to make them probably 50mm thick.too to get round my lack of carpentary finess, so they'd weigh a ton.

I'll shop around for the best set of 4 I can get for < £250

I need to draw a line on price somewhere, I could easily spend 4-800 on 'nice' doors.

Could you use seconds? By that I mean doors that have been miss measured or over ordered, makes them a lot cheaper.

Nah I need 4x of the same door as I'm going for 2 doubles to access the workshop and parking area separately,

After some further digging I've found some pine 2-lite doors for £45 a piece, just needs a short drive to brum - win.

I'll still have to take off an inch all round standard 762x1981 doors to balance out the front and fit the openings and accomodate frames, hence the need for them to be timber.

If I had more space and height I'd use standard 838's unmodified, but the shed has had to be scaled down to fit the space available.

Right well less excuse more shed, chop chop!

[vfiend]

Ahem.........lol

.

I'm sick of trying to find bastard doors, I'd be spending around £300 on a set of thin internal doors,

that I'd still need to give a good paint and cutting down to fit, so;

Designed as quickest and cheapest way to make, so its all studding timber screwed together via frame on the back,

It's a bit quick and nasty, but I don't have the time to fuck around with tenon cutting and chisels.

Maybe I'll make some nicer ones in a few years, although I think the current look has a certain medieval charm:

Ta-door!

Three more to go.

Top 4 gaps will host 10mm clear acrylic,

Bottom long gaps will be tongue and groove cladding, reinforced with some steel tie-straps,

as otherwise; they're a little too appealing to kick and crawl through,

I want them to make some noise, and I keep a chainsaw in the house for just such an occassion*.

This door is 76mm thick and heavy!

(3 inch in old money)

*no really, I do.

[vfiend]

Good effort on the doors, looks easy on the eye, told you it would be easier to build rather than buy! If it's any consolation my home built shed has been up about four years, I've just redone the roof and put a bit more slope on it so the rain doesn't sit still anymore, it's also given me about a foot more head room (not that I needed it being 5'7" it was perfect, anyone else was fucked though) and I'm still not happy with the walls so they are next on the list of things to be done!

Yeah it's 4 manhours to cut the wood and assemble versus 4 hours I've already spent looking for and not finding ready-made.

So although it doesn't appear easy from the offset, it is actually quicker and cheaper in the long run, bit only because I over-complicate things with very specific requirements.

Today's progress:

New central dwarf wall built (spot the 'deliberate' mistake, bah) and all the 4x4 uprights cut and in.

The first door fits so it's game on to.do the rest tomorrow, along with a tongue and groove covered frame for the side that's still open.

Hopefully I will also get time to mortor in the glass block rows and maybe hang a couple of doors if I can find some suitably robust hinges locally.

I've got to clear out most of my stuff from the warehouse this weekend, tick tick tick!

[vfiend]

More wall, building a frame, cladding and trimming is much easier, also means I can fit and remove as necessary for painting etc:

Finally mortored a row of glass blocks either side, nice secure and insulating windows:

Sloooowly getting there:

(organised chaos, honest)

I really should start my own thread, but I can't be arsed going back and collecting and editing posts into a thread...

.

[vfiend]

So that's the story so far!

From an overgrown garden to a nearly finished and secure structure.

Fuck me, I'm out of breath after all that hot & steamy quoting action.

More work to come tomorrow:

-Make the rest of the doors (my 10mm clear acrylic windows arrived today, looks like bulletproof glass!),

-Figure out how to cut angles for window beading as my head is spinning thinking about it,

-Clad the 3 gap sections (I've already cut 39 short lengths ready...),

-Fit in thresholds and smother it all with bitumen paint above and below,

-Make/Fit door framing,

-Hang doors (I've now got some heavy duty tee hinges and some coach bolts),

-Fit locks, I've got some heavy duty shrouded van hasps for the job which should arrive tomorrow.

The weather is likely to be the main restriction, if it's crap I'll take the opporunity to paint everything indoors rather than have to take everything down to do it.

.

[vfiend]

Big bastard locks turned up this morning, keyed alike to save faff

(not my shoes)

Got most of the cladding done to the infill panels, just need to do the short top pieces.

Thesholds are also in and bitumen painted to stop water tracking in.

(crap picture, but you get the idea)

Finally gave up with the rain, the current view from my kitchen:

My yard is a builders tip, meh.

.

[thefatman]

Nearly there!

How much were the locks, and where did you get them from? I could do with some for mine

[vfiend]

£40 inc postage for a keyed alike pair off ebay.

I just searched 'keyed alike heavy duty van hasp'.

(I've just PM'd you the ad link.)

I've seen them for a little as £30 a pair from a specialist lock supplier website, but I forgot where it was and postage was ontop, although it may well have been a better quality item.

You can get the singles from eblag for £13,

But I really wanted one key for both sets of doors and wanted them this week.

.

[thefatman]

Thanks i've got some on order

It has only just occurred to me that the reason you can get a pair which use the same keys is that a van has a back and side door, it all makes sense now.

[ianl1201]

Top top work vfiend...I have shed envy!

[vfiend]

Top top work vfiend...I have shed envy!

Cheers fella,

But don't get the horn just yet, it's still a loooooong way off being anywhere near finished.

At least it'll be usable as a secure shed by the end of this weekend,

Then I've got to move everything in, arghh!

[vfiend]

Glad I opted for door windows, needs the light:

Starting to.look the part now:

The hanging will be a bit of a dogs dinner, but it's something I can potentially re-do when they one off for paint.

[Adam]

Nice.