sn0wwhite's Wichita Coop for the Twin Cities

[pbarr86]

That looks nice... but will it need to be locked all the time to keep raccoons out?

Do you think one like this would work if I used something like a carabiner to hook it?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-...P1271-SLIDE-ACTION-BLT/203623376#.UkrNKNKoNIE

I have that exact latch that you posted and love it, I just don't know if it'll cover that large of a gap that you have. The one I posted is also lockable with a carabiner and should cover the gap..

 

[aart]

Or you could do like I did to cover my door gap.
Thin piece of plywood on outside of door with slot cut (3 hoes drilled and a round file) so eye screw comes thru, carabineer goes thru eye screw.

 

[sn0wwhite]

Cutting the pop door tonight and once again working past the chickens bedtime. Sunny is trying to object.

 

[aart]

She's helpin'!

 

[chickiegrrl]

She needs a little hard hat and a pencil behind her ear. Sunny is clearly there in a supervisory capacity.

 

[waltandlori]

That looks nice... but will it need to be locked all the time to keep raccoons out?

Do you think one like this would work if I used something like a carabiner to hook it?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-...P1271-SLIDE-ACTION-BLT/203623376#.UkrNKNKoNIE

Exactly! If you feel insecure about security, there is a hole that will lock it all tight (small caribiner), leaving it open during the day and locking securly at night. I have this on my "goat coop", I made a insulated door out of 2x2 and covered it with plywood and put cleats on it so when open it is the ramp and closed nothing can get in, 2 birds one large heavy stone lol.

Walt

PS I was out of touch for a while I see OSB took care of itself, no need to stress too much problems= opportunitys. Looks great lots of progress.

 

[sn0wwhite]

Yup, or directing... it was tough to tell.

So here are some morning pictures. Got the pop door cut last night (10.5x13 to fit the ordered ADOR1) and the gangplank put on. Moved the chickens then over to bed and they had to try out the plank right away last night. Then I had to put them back to bed. They came out again this morning fine, and I'm hoping they'll make their way up tonight again fine.

A friend of mine told me that Rule #9 of woodworking is to never point out your flaws, but we discovered a huge #&@% last night and it explains why the door had such a gap. In the interest of maybe someone can be aware of how easy this is to misjudge, I'm going to point it out here and never mention it again. I put the rafter on the left side of the door on the wrong side of the vertical frame. I'm surprised that the house door worked so well. So when the remaining 2x4 went up, it was easy to spot.
On the bright side, it closes the gap to the door perfectly.

We're supposed to get rain for the next 3 days starting after 9 tonight, so we're going to try to get the roof on tonight. (The OSB is just laying up there now.) You can also see the latch I decided to go with, and I quickly found that I'm going to have to run a release cord to the inside of the coop as I immediately locked myself in. It will be hugely embarrassing should that happen when no one is around to let me out again.

 

[sn0wwhite]

Pics.

 

[waltandlori]

We have this latch. I love it. It has worked great so far.
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-Black-Gate-Latch-15462/202042227/

Sorry sn0wwhite, I meant to quote this lock it's a gate latch like for a fence gate, you can just give it a shove and it automatically latches.

Walt

 

[aart]

A friend of mine told me that Rule #9 of woodworking is to never point out your flaws, but we discovered a huge #&@% last night and it explains why the door had such a gap. In the interest of maybe someone can be aware of how easy this is to misjudge, I'm going to point it out here and never mention it again. I put the rafter on the left side of the door on the wrong side of the vertical frame. I'm surprised that the house door worked so well. So when the remaining 2x4 went up, it was easy to spot.


You can also see the latch I decided to go with, and I quickly found that I'm going to have to run a release cord to the inside of the coop as I immediately locked myself in. It will be hugely embarrassing should that happen when no one is around to let me out again.

Absolutely..well ya found the screw up, now forget it cause it still functions....lesson learned.


That's why I don't like those latches.....and didn't use one on the coop. I put a spring on the inside of the door so it closes automatically when I go in the coop area.
Gives me the major willies to even think of being locked in...shudder!

I have one on a gate and never could get a string to work well, kept breaking because of latch misalignment.(very funky gate)...used a piece of picture hanging wire instead of string, that won't break even when I have to yank on it hard.