The Crib

The title is what I'll call this storage shed to distinguish it from the other shed we use. It is something Pam has wanted for a long time, and in our planning we decided to make it look like an old rustic one. We began on the 17th of July with the 4 x 4's and it will be 10' x 14' with a small porch.

 I used the 3-4-5 string/washer combos together with the Pythagorean theorem to square it up.

7/31/15

Finished the decking this morning. 3/4" pressure treated plywood.

Trusses made.

First wall laid out, awaiting lifting into place.

8/9/15

8/13/15

Two walls up, third yet to be raised.

Three up and one to go.

8/16/15

All up. 

 

Have not been able to accomplish anything on the crib for the last several days, because of the rain. We did get a double rainbow yesterday, thought. 

Put the end trusses up today; rain finally holding off long enough.

8/20/15

 8/21/15

It's Friday and Pam took half a day off and helped me get the trusses up. 

8/22/15

 It's Saturday, so we went to Lowes and bought some more 2x4's  for the gable end overhangs and another box of 3" screws. We put the lathing on the the south half and covered it with the tarp since there was another threat of rain. All 255 pounds of me was squeezing between the 16" on-center trusses to screw the lathing on. Applying the tin roof should be fun.

8/27/15 

Went yesterday to check on metal roofing and this morning finished up adding the "ladders" on the gable ends. This will give it an 8" overhang all around.

8/29/15

Made a couple of gable vents the other day and I've been letting the glue cure. Yesterday, Pam and I managed to almost get one side sheathed and tar-papered before the rain set in. WE got soaking wet, but the inside stayed dry since it was just a light, steady rain. The tarp was money well-spent.

9/2/15

Today is cloudy but still hot and humid, so I'm taking a day of rest - too much ladder work lately. I did get a few more sheets of sheathing on and installed both gable vents. Added more blocking to tie into sheathing above the top plates. Pam placed her reflectors where she wanted the front porch to extend to. It will be roughly 6' deep and the full width of the crib. The porch roof will be a shallow slope of 5º.

8/7/15 

Pam and I worked over the Labor Day weekend to finish closing this project in. Rain is forecast for the next several days, so a lot of outside work won't get done. I've been working on the old window frame our sister-in-law gave Pam replacing a pane and caulking the remainder and may take this down-time to figure which direction to go on the doors. I took one of the old rough oak 2x4s we collected last year and have ripped it down for the two door openings thresholds. The yellow square spray painted  in the grass is one of three post locations for the porch.

 9/12/15

 Exchanged some 8' 4x4s for 10 footers this morning at Electrical Outlet for the porch posts. I already had the pea gravel and concrete mix and holes dug, so we leveled the posts up after adding the pea gravel about half full. We used Pam's dad's wheelbarrow to mix up an 80 lb. bag of concrete mix. She said her dad and granddad used this wheelbarrow to pour a patio. My dad had one like this and in my younger days, I helped mixed cement in it for him to lay brick, block and stone.

9/13/15

Started the frame-out for the porch.

9/14/15

Did more shop work today - finished up the other screen frame for the gable vents, cut the rafters and customized some clips for the posts rafter header

9/17/15

Finished decking the porch; still have to trim off the overhang on the front. Second photo is the screen covers made to cover the gable vents. 

 9/23/15

Deck trimmed and lathing added and about to start adding tin. 

 Almost had 3 sheets on yesterday. I'm waiting for the dew to dry this morning 'cause that metal is slippery enough when it's dry; don't want to tackle it wet. Imagine how much fun the steeper slopes will be!

 

10/21/15

FINALLY! Finished up the tin roof and added the two ridge caps with the help of family and friends. I've killed nearly a month in "dread time" over it. I'd like to thank again those who assisted, including Pam, Harry Z., Phillip B., and Pam's dad, Chuck. I never would have completed it without them. Hopefully, the rest will be icing on the cake. It will be including the siding, staining, doors and window, lattice trim and a ramp on the back door. Decorative accoutrements will be Pam's department!

 

10/29/15

It's been a long rainy spell, but it's finally cleared enough to get back on the work details. I started the lattice work on the front. Plans are to make a front step at the entry way. I figure I'll make a two-stepper with some old 2x12s Pam got from a guy at work. It's hard to see but that's one of them standing on it's side just inside the doorway.

 

11/21/15

Had some other setbacks, including the weather, so we have to work the mild days, when they come. We cleared the inside of clutter and Pam cut the floor in with the deck coating. I rolled the rest.  The next day the temps are barely in the 40s so I'll try to get the next coat on when I can. Still working on the doors; would like to get it all closed soon. Picked up some hinges for all the doors so maybe that will spur me on to finish them. 

 

11/29/15

I'm not finished with the front door yet, but Pam wanted me to take a couple of shots of it, anyway. It's going to be heavier than I thought, so we'll probably get an extra hinge soon.

12/7/15

Finished the outside of the front door. The next step is staining.

 12/13/15
Finished staining the door and Pam added the color to it. It's really windy with rain predicted late tonight, so we'll probably move it into the crib tonight.

 Pam has been looking for an old glass door knob for the front door, but hasn't been able to find one.  She remembered her aunt in Kansas had an antique store and contacted her about purchasing one, if she had any. Her aunt sent her one as a Christmas present.

 1/22/16
First (and hopefully, the last) snow of this year.

 5/8/16

This weekend we enclosed the eaves with some re-purposed oak slats from old pallets. Pam stained the rails prior to installing. Hopefully, this will keep a lot of unwanted critters out.

5/11/16

Today is Pam's birthday. She took the day off and to celebrate, she wanted us to work on the crib. We started sorting through the pile of old lumber  we've collected so far, then began cleaning, trimming and installing the boards on the longest side. It's gonna take a while!

 5/15/16
Too much hustle and bustle yesterday; Pam found a few more old barnwood boards on an online yardsale in Hatton, so we went to pick them up. Another board or two and we will have the first side completed. We're thinking maybe starting the front today.

 

5/21-22/16

We found some more oak lumber last week, so the weekend was spent hauling it all home and cutting and installing some of it. It is mostly 2x8s in really good shape.

 6/5/16

We managed to get the big 2 x 8 across the back side and lag-bolt it in. Rounded the corner and began adding siding and batter boards to the back. 

Pam "antiqued" the window frame, using soap.

                                      Slow progress on the crib. Stained the deck and posts. Pam plans to overlay the same weather-stressed look to the posts as she did to the window frame. I have another sandstone

rock the same size as the front one that I'll replace the cap blocks with.

 6/9/16

6/16/16

Kinda twisted my knee going up and down the step ladders a couple weeks ago, so this past weekend Pam climbed up on the front porch roof and added the board and batten to the right side. She had previously "antiqued" the front posts like the window frame. We transplanted the mailbox from the old garden spot. Crisco used it as a post for his garden years ago. It was in the old shed out back that the Langs had used many, many years ago. The mail just keeps on running.

Pam's aunt, with the antique store in Kansas, sent her the old door knob plate to add the finishing touch to the door. Pam found the old key in the garden we had several years ago. I drilled the hole out and glued it in place.

 As of the first day of summer 2016.

7/12/16

I found this old license plate that the previous owners had left in the basement. It's from 1951, the year I was born; the "42" designates the county - Lawrence - in Alabama. It is the first of, hopefully, many that I will tack to the side of the crib, along with old signs I may run across.

9/11/16

Rounding the last corner, we hope to get the outside of the crib finished up soon. The summer has been oppressive with long, hot, and dry days; too much to crank up a table saw and rip oak 2xs 10' long. It rained last night and the wind is out of the northeast and temps in the 80s today, so we were able to get a little more done. We are on our third table saw in less than a year, so are a little hesitate to burn through another one too quickly. This west side, the back gable and the double doors are all that's left on the outside to do.

9/26/16

Over the weekend Pam and I managed to get a little more done. We still lack some details on the back, but we at least closed in the west side with boards and even added some battens. Finished the frame around the side doors and only need to install the ramp lip underneath it. I think the next step is to form up the doors on this side and remove the tarp. 

FINALLY!! We wrapped up this project over the weekend and declared it finished. At least on the outside; barring a few little minor details and additions. It is now on to the inside with a counter and hangers and shelves. But that will be on a new post - this one has gotten heavy.

6/12/17

This is the latest outside shot we have.I think we had added the little picket fence and double bloom tiger lilies since the last shot.