First Portal, View II

Today I finished the framing for my 3x3 window on the end of the tiny abode. Three more window frames to go!

At long last, a portal!

Roof and wrap

During the winter holiday, I managed to get the box framing done for the wheel wells, and installed the remainder of the studs.
















I have also installed weather-proofing just in time for the winter monsoon. It was supposed to rain yesterday, so I put in a marathon day of building and installed the top side beams, all of the rafters, and almost all of the plywood on the roof. I also covered the top with plastic sheeting and tarps, and used some leftover cheapo house wrap to cover all of the sides. Now I have a totally overbuilt tent!

Four walls

Happy Solstice to all!

Two complete walls and two half walls are framed, to be exact. The newly installed top plates and half walls provide the first real feeling of enclosure. Most of the design issues with the frame have been resolved. Now it is time to just cut and nail.

Unfortunately, my building vacation from work is over; but the holidays will allow for more building time over the coming two weeks. I am hoping to have all the wall framing including door and window portals done by the first weekend of the new year, along with installation of all of the rafters and the first layer of roofing material.

Interlude

No big progress today due to some necessary recalculations and measurements, and a morning meeting for work. So I thought I would post some images from my calculations and plans to give you some idea of what I'm shooting for.

First, I would like to thank my secret Santa for giving me such a nice rafter speed square. I had one from Harbor Freight which was quite ugly and not very precise, but this aluminum square is a thing of beauty. I have used it a great deal in the two days I've had it, and it will see a lot more use in the months to come!

These models were made in Sketchup, which has been a very useful (and free!) program during the (never-ending) design stage of the project. The outside of the building as shown here is rusted steel, my current idea for siding. I found a local source with free delivery of steel 4x8 sheets today, Santa Rita Steel, and they were also of great assistance in suggesting how it will be attached to the framing.

Lastly, I wanted to post these images I used to figure out how the wood was going to integrate with the trailer structure. They remind me of an early 20th century modern art triptych.

Second wall

I thought that the morning rain would hinder my productivity today, but I managed to get the second wall up in the afternoon.

Tomorrow should bring more walls. The sides will go on in segments, since I am on my own at this point.

First wall up

My helper has gone back to Delaware, but before he left, we managed to get one wall up. I have spent the last couple of days finishing up attaching the plywood underfloor, and adding a few more studs to the wall. Next stop, the opposite wall, and then the roof?