A temporary roof

Rather optimistically I was hoping to start cutting the frame for the roof this week. Rain on most days has prevented this - however I have changed the orientation of the scaffolding to make it easier to lift the roof timbers.

Yesterday I decide to put a temporary "roof" on the structure hoping that it will mean I can continue to work even if the showers persist into August. 

Scaffolding now running parallel to front
and rear frames

Temporary "roof"

More Tie Beams

A week of fine weather has meant that some progress has been made at last.
The tie beams were cut to shape and fitted and the last end frame assembled. The next job will be to begin work on the roof.

One of two middle tie beams cut ready for fitting

Wall plate rebated to accept tie beam

The middle two tie beams are cut at an angle to help tie the wall plates together. They fit into a corresponding shape on the wall plates as well locating over a tenon on each end.

Fitting  an end tie beam

Sash clamps were useful to pull the frame into position

The wall frames complete with tie beams in position

Lifting the Tie Beams

Lifting the tie beams

This June has been one of the wettest for many years which has meant that work has alternated between the garage and the shed site often two or three times in the same day. 

The four tie beams were cut to length fairly early on in June and I hoisted these into position ready to mark the mortices and rebates that need to be cut - one of these is now completed. 

End wall posts in place

Because of the uncertainty of the weather, rather than continue working on the tie beams, I started cutting the wall posts and transoms for one of the end frames. These are now finally in position. The next job (weather permitting) will be to mark and cut to shape the three remaining tie bars and begin work on the other end frame.

Finishing the front frame

Front and rear frames in position

The front frame is now finished. After cutting the final brace to shape and fitting the two corner braces the next job will be to start on the end/roof frames. In preparation for this I moved the timber for the four wall posts and four tie beams from the pile in the garden to the site of the shed. Hard work, but seeing the pile of wood diminish was very encouraging.

Wall posts and tie beams ready to begin cutting

Sunshine and Braces

A week of glorious weather and - although I was not able to spend as much time as I would have liked working on the shed I do feel progress has been made. Both wall braces are now fitted to one corner of the front frame leaving me having to cut one more brace to shape and then the joints for the final two braces.

The Front Frame

It has rained most days this week and so I was only able to work on  Friday and Saturday when I managed to cut the mortices in both the wall and sole plates. The joints have been cleaned up and  all of the wall posts fit. The next job will be to make four "tie beam supports" that will enable the principle rafters to be fitted to the wall plates. See diagram. The design was simplified to have just one long, rather than two short, tenons as this makes it easier to get a good fit with the mortice.

Tie beam support

Sole plate corner square and pegged

Fortunately it was possible to make these in the garage as the weather continued to be wet, cold and miserable through a second week. However, by 21.05.12 I was ready to temporarily assemble the front frame. 


The first job was to square the base and peg all four corners, as once the front braces are fitted it will be very difficult to alter the position of the sole plates. 




All the wall posts were located in the sole plate and and the wall plate hoisted on to the tenons on  top of the wall posts.

Locating a wall post in the sole plate

Hoisting the wall plate

Using pulleys to lift the wall plate into position

Front frame in position

Slow progress

Progress has been frustratingly slow this week. Really bad weather at the weekend with heavy rain and very strong winds left the "site" looking very sorry for itself - the tarpaulin waving like a flag and everything wet. Still I got that sorted and moved the timber around to make it easier to work on the front frame.  

By Friday I had only managed to cut the tenons on the four wall posts for the front frame - this was mostly due to the weather and time spent making a solar wax extractor for Barbara. (This is a large box with a perspex sloping roof with two tin trays inside. The extractor uses heat from the sun to melt the wax from used hive frames so the frames can be re-used with new foundation).

Solar wax extractor

The extractor is painted black to absorb the heat and the interior is covered in tin foil to reflect the heat. The top tray slopes to allow the melted wax drip through on to the lower tray which is removed through the door at the front.