Look What I Can Do!!! *PIC Heavy*

[88heather]

As Nike says.. "just do it!" LOL. i knew NOTHING and of course it showed.. but I'm learning! My hubby has a jig saw around here some where.. and I'm about to drag out his table saw! (scared a bit).. Hubby not here right now and will be shocked by all the trouble i'm getting in! tee hee!

Love your list of what you learned!

I learned that I was using too long of screws to connect 2 2x4's.. go with 2.5" exterior screws.. not ones that are 3"!.. I stripped every single 3" screw I tried to get in.. broke so many drill bits.. LOL.. can't learn till you just dive in!

Unless you have a teacher with you.. or someone to teach you.. but even if you don't.. just go for it! Fun fun!

Go Didi!!!!!!!!!

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
Here is the link to Heather's thread! img/smilies/thumbsup.gif" alt="thumbsup" />

By">https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=397710&p=1



By the way all of that information is in the Coop book. They explain measuring, cutting, using different tools, leveling posts etc. You could do it with that book in hand!!!

 

[dsqard]

OK didn't get as far as I thought I would today. Got down to Home Depot (I keep getting funny looks since I keep going in there and buying a bunch of wood!

) I had left the chickens out when I went to the store and when I got back one of my dogs was running loose and I think he scared her into the back yard where the other two were waiting for her. Needless to say poor Ashly is gone.

Figures I have to lose my first one to one of my own dogs!

They never gotten out of the back yard before but I don't usually let the chickens free range when I am not home either. I guess I learned another lesson today, no free ranging when I am not home and the dogs are out back. Totally bummer way to start off working on the project today. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I only lost one instead of more. I was worried while I was cleaning up the remains in the back yard because I could only find three of the other ones. The rest of them showed up over the next hour. Thank goodness and it looks like they are not harmed.

Feel so bad because I don't usually let them out when I am not at home so it is all my fault.

So all I got done today was the nest box. My DH suggested building it first before the wall so that the hole for the box is the right size. I am so glad that he suggested that. After all of my careful planning and drawing, I found mistakes in my own plans so it was good to build the box first.

Here are all the pieces for the nest box all cut out

Amost finished just a few more things to put on.

All done looking from "inside"

What it looks like from the outside.

It wasn't reall hard to build just a lot of little cuts and details. The one detail I had overlooked was the back wall piece to close in the nests (would be the front piece if you were standing outside). I was assembling the pieces and realized I had forgotten to put it in the plan. I had to laugh at myself for that one!

 

[CindyG]

I'm so inspired by you all, I've just ordered the book!! I already have two coops, one is not even sided yet, and here I am, planning another.

 

[88heather]

OH NO on your chicken!! sooooooo sorry!!!!!!!!!

the dividers pieces you built with the angle cut on them.. did you use a table saw for those or something else? I ask b/c I'm pretty much building the same thing but with no plans and having troubles.. I love how the bottom of it is built to hold the divider! (a problem I'm having as I can only use screws and such).. So for my pieces like that.. I was cutting a 12x12 square on the plywood.. then needing to angle a piece off of it to make that slant like you have on your dividers.. Got out the table saw.. scared but I did it.. couldn't figure out how to cut the slant and the piece was too big for my miter saw.. so tried to free hand it with the table saw.. let's just say that was a MISTAKE!

(counts fingers and eyeballs)

.. I had a piece fly.. no good. OMG.. blech.. found an angular piece for guiding on the saw (i guess for cuts like that).. but that came apart and I had to sandwich baggy the pieces.. LOL>. i need to write this in my thread.. I'm bumbling through it.. oh how interesting it's going to be when I attach! Yikes!.. I NEED THAT BOOK!

FANTASTIC DiDi.. I am way impressed.. I'm sure I'd make a mess of it.. you are doing so well!!!!

 

[sreihart]

Quote:
Oh how I can identify with you! I haven't finished my first one and I'm already thinking ahead to "what I'll do different on the bigger one"!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Wow. That is super impressive. Maybe someday if we move to some place where I can have more than 4 chickens, I'll try that myself. Very inspiring! Also, I'm pretty impressed by how clean your garage is.

 

[BWKatz]

Really great job! Can't wait to see the next pics.

 

[dsqard]

Yay Chicks! :

Wow. That is super impressive. Maybe someday if we move to some place where I can have more than 4 chickens, I'll try that myself. Very inspiring! Also, I'm pretty impressed by how clean your garage is.

It's not always that clean

I am sweeping after every time I finish cutting so I don't wind up covered in saw dust. The floor is my work bench and last weekend I had saw dust all over my pants. I don't mind getting dirty but the saw dust just clung to my pants and I didn't want to track in a bunch of it this weekend.

 

[gryeyes]

DANG, woman! That is SO impressive!

I bought the Coop Dummies book a month ago, because... because... well, I had to buy it. Given the number of eggs I'm incubating I know I'll need more than the number of coops I have already as grow-out coops.

I built my A-Frame and one "Big Coop" - 4 x 8 feet - by myself, and the second coop looks so much more accomplished than the wonky A-Frame. But I am trying to talk a male co-worker into getting chickens and I think the Minimalist Coop will be good for him to throw together as his "first" coop. (Little does he know....) And I will give him some of my chickens I'm hatching....

BUT I have been LUSTING after that last coop in the Dummies book, the one you're building.

Things I have learned: DO wear eye protection, and regular glasses are not sufficient. They may be funky and get your forehead all sweaty (for more sawdust to cling to) but they will save your eyes.

A circular is fine for 2 x 4s, but the jigsaw is KING for everything else.

Measure lots more than just twice. HAVE A PENCIL HANDY to mark the wood.

Remember that the coop footing, such as concrete blocks, add height to the coop. A six foot space beneath tree branches is not enough for a six foot tall wall if the coop is set on concrete blocks. Have loppers handy.

ALWAYS pay attention to where the power cord is trailing! Not just to make sure you don't saw right through it - which would be VERY bad! - but so you don't trip over it carrying something with a cutting edge.

Invest in some saw-horses. Really. When you're not using them, the chickens will perch on them and watch your progress.

Do not be surprised if your chickens don't walk right up whilst you are noisily sawing and put their little feathered heads right down close to where you are sawing.

Pat yourself on the back as often as you remember, and not just because you discover there is more sawdust there.

You GO, girl!!