I have mentioned this before, and I cut my thumb on my table saw working on it about 2 months ago. You could say I have blood sweat and tears invested so far. I still have a lot of details to work out, but this is about the size and shape of the finished project. I think it will work. I want to install a patterned slate roof, and a lot of brackets and details on the outside, plus furniture and lighting inside. I really don't think it will be done in time for this years contest, but my grand-daughter(s) will /do love it. I have a 6 year old, a 3 week old and another coming in July. Kind of important to have a place for the m to play eh?
I made the jig for cutting the slate the other day and started cutting and installing the slate on the cone tonight. It is slick! If you go to one of the links I have posted on this page, it is constantly updated every time I put more pictures on. I believe it shows the jig and cutting some slates so far. More as the days progress.
You know them damn KIWI'S Mike. No ambition! I guarantee you that they would get a heck of a lot more for it if they built something like this, but it is 20 times as much work. I know I would be able to do it a lot faster the second time around as I have to figure everything out in my head and then draw it out to check my thought process. One thing I would certainly do is to have the company that makes the structural panels cut everything out with their computer mill.
The panels are heavy as hell and very hard to maneuver, and it would have been so much easier to have them cut everything down to the right size both from having to lift it and move it, but also to have them rout out the foam so I could spline them. I didn't think they could do it because of the compound angle mitre cuts, but they assured me they could. On the other hand, I know every little piece of that thing inside and out now. I also know how not to build one. That is important.
I am putting the roof of the cone together now and then I get to cut all of the slate and install it. That will be a lot of work...fun I mean. If you can build a cone, you can roof one. We are going to stucco the outside and plaster the inside, and I will make some tiny kitchen cabinets for it too. I wonder how much time I am going to have. It has to be done by September 15 and that is only about 15 weeks away. It is like building a house, because that is EXACTLY what I am doing.
Woody, I am hoping that some well heeled grand parents do the same thing. This will be beg enough and nice enough that someone could live in it for sure. It will never be "outmoded"
I have a rich-guy customer that bought each of his 4 kids charity-auction playhouses. Littered around his property are a log cabin model, a Victorian, a cape-cod and Hobbit style playhouses. The kids have outgrown them, I was back there a couple of weeks ago and one of the kids was practicing parallel parking between two of them.
Building the scale model first is the way to go for something as complicated as your project, OS. The guy that does my sheet metal has built a real nice aluminum boat and has almost finished a thirties style hot rod pickup that he hand built all the body parts. He says both would have been much more difficult if he hadn't built 1/4 scale models of them first. Both models are real cute displayed in his shop.
What do I have to do to this damn thing to make them post? https://picasaweb.google.com/crookston.john4/PlayHouse?authkey=Gv1sRgCPrhs86wh5WFZQ#6291722758603160674
We put it together outside yesterday. Now I have to build the cone roof. [url] https://picasaweb.google.com/crookston.john4/PlayHouse?authkey=Gv1sRgCPrhs86wh5WFZQ#6291722758603160674[/url]
Four weeks into the assembly now. It is coming! About 25 hours a week working on it and a lot of time thinking about the details besides that. I will have well over 1,000 hours into this by the time it is finished. [url] https://picasaweb.google.com/crookston.john4/PlayHouse?authkey=Gv1sRgCPrhs86wh5WFZQ#6284942171935057490[/url]
Cutting the radius on the floor tonight. It is tough to cut a circle in 2 3/4" thick panels.
Awesome looking project! Love it and bet they will too. :)
Maisy is 6 and she is excited. Ellie is 2 moths old so she hasn't said a word, but I know she will love it. We have another girl that is coming in July. They will have a ball. I went and cut up panels today and now I have to start to assemble. it should be fun. I will take pictures and show you guys progress. there are a lot of people looking at this one. I hope to make it a "can't miss" or a "must see" Heck, I am looking forward to it myself.
SON OF A BEAN..... Dang John, I'm highly impressed. Can't wait to see the real thing.
If you're adopting grandchildren, I'm available.
I hope I have enough time to get it done by the 21st of September.
Real nice. Many years ago my late Dad built one for my Niece. I don't have the talent, hats off to you
I went and picked up all of the pieces today, and I just got in from the barn unloading everything. Now the building starts. It was about 3,000 pounds of panels, so that sucker is going to weigh about 6,000 pound when I am finished.
Looks like you did a really nice job!