In and Out Buildings - Thoughts and Research

[Peter Cross]

Reading through the logcabins.co.uk detailed web site I came across a section on the fact that horizontally laid wood log structures tend to shrink due to compaction. This is generally not a problem but I can see that an inside/outside track bed could distort. Typical problems are vertical electrical conduits that are fixed at the top and base of a wall. The plastic conduit can bow out into the room, so shrinkage might be a problem for model layouts. Wall cabinets these days tend to be hung from the top so would not be affected. However a typical staging used for a layout (back screwed to wall, front on posts standing on the floor) might suffer with time.

The shrinkage could affect windows and doors but the design takes this into account. A gap is left above each window and door frame.

Yes timber shrinks across the grain, not with it. That's why on things like skirtings you scribe internal corners and mitre external. A good example of the shrinkage, is to look a modern house a year or so after building, the wooden floors upstairs are often ½ inch shy of the bottom of the skirting, when they were tight at construction.

 

[Dog Star]

That's why on things like skirtings you scribe internal corners and mitre external.

I do not understand what you have written relating to "corners", can you please expand on the text?

thank you, Graham

 

[Peter Cross]

Graham.
When fitting skirting boards (wooden at least, but good for MDF etc), on an outside corner you do a 45° mitre joint. As the wood does not shrink along the grain the corner stays tight.
For an internal corner if you did the same the joint opens up. So on an internal corner one goes straight into the corner (it's best if it's on the wall most looked at, so one opposite the door as you walk in the wall either side of fireplace etc). This is because any shrinkage will show up less. So we have one board into the corner, the board on the other wall has the end shaped to fit the shape of the already there. When fitted together you see only a line. As the wood shrinks across the grain the only one that will affect the corner is the one that goes right into the corner, you in effect halve the damage shrinkage can do.
Back to the order the boards get fitted. If the board goes into the corner of the wall you normally look at, you along the shaped one which has the effect of hiding any shrinkage. Now the good thing is as you go around the room you always or nearly always have one end shaped and the other end plain, makes it so much easier to fit.

I can do a fag packet sketch, if need. Like most things easier to do than describe.

 

[Focalplane]

The concrete should be poured sometime next week, so I need to get my skates on and finish the ground preparation. Yesterday I managed to extract the heaviest foundation ever for a three cinder block high nursery bed that pre-dated our ownership. Talk about the Forth Bridge!



The photo also shows the range of tools required for the job.

 

[Osgood]

Those Gorilla bars are good.

 

[Focalplane]

Not much work going on at the moment due to the weather. The motor house foundation work has been deferred so I have focussed on restoring the gazebo. Structure is finished and the roof material is waiting on completion of the painting. A couple of photos from last weekend:





The trellis lattice work is a pain to paint, taking hours to do. It’s a pity Superdec can’t be sprayed. The final roof will be red mineral felt, only the underlay is on at the moment. Once the second coat of paint is on I can start to think about how an octagonal roof can be designed. I have a good idea, using radial strips of wood on top of the joists, covering the joins and sealed underneath. We’ll see how it goes.

 

[simond]

Equilateral triangles...

ideally 8 identical ones, but if it’s anything like the one I replaced about 15 years back, they won’t be.

I used OSB. Built it on the floor, and then lifted it (expletive deleted heavy) into place.
Atb
Simon

 

[Focalplane]

Simon, the roof consists of 18mm plywood rescued from shuttering for another project. Cheap stuff, made in Brazil, but plenty strong enough and heavy enough to stand on. There are two sizes of triangle, think of a square that has its corners bevelled off.

 

[Focalplane]

The roof is now 3/4 finished. It’s taking a lot of time and customisation of the tiles. The roof will be finished off with wooden strips over the joins, suitably caulked with roofing adhesive. The wood will be painted to match the rest of the gazebo.



The knee pad is essential equipment!

 

[LarryG]

I thought gluing laser-cut slates on model buildings was bad enough!

 

[Focalplane]

Yesterday I drove out to buy the wood strips which will cover the joins in the roof tiling between each triangle. Unfortunately there had been an accident on the M3 and all roads were blocked, so I decided to exit the A34 and visit a Homebase store I had noticed before but never visited. Not exactly the type of shop I would think to buy timber from but they did happen to have some finished deal that "would do". Not surprisingly the strips were stacked vertically and many were severely warped.

I was reminded of how lucky people are who live in the catchment area of Anglesey headquartered Huys Grey. They stack all their timber horizontally and it is of good quality to start with. When I was building the base for Moor Street in France I even took a load with me from Portmadoc! French timber is nothing to write home about either. But I think Homebase takes the prize.

 

[Dog Star]

Your comments above suggest that you have not found Totton Timber.... all timber is stored horizontal.

 

[Focalplane]

That’s true but we have been locked down since arriving in Hampshire last March! Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Focalplane]

The gazebo is 95% finished, just the ceiling light to clean up and replace and any final adjustments. In light rain earlier:



The bank of soil is temporary.

Not an easy project but satisfying in the end. Also a good “go by” for painting the future motor house. It is certainly better than anything new on the market today!

Now it’s back to foundation preparation, maybe this coming week there will be a slab for the motor house . . . .

 

[Focalplane]

Another setback on the foundation, now Monday. Which Monday! Meanwhile the gazebo is finished. The temporary central support was removed with some trepidation but nothing happened when I pulled it away with a length of rope.

I'll take some pictures of the foundation set up but will miss the pouring as we are helping a daughter-in-law move house.

 

[simond]

will miss the pouring

when I was about 10, my dad built a garage. The ready mix truck turned up, and started pumping, and dad said, “thanks, that’s great, you can stop now!”

but they didn’t/wouldn’t, til the truck was offloaded. The garage floor ended up a good foot thicker than was planned, with a ramp, again unplanned.

I was young and I don’t know the details, but my dad shifted some wheelbarrows that day, I don’t know if he got his sums wrong, or the previous drop had been short changed, or what, but the driver wasn’t leaving with mix on board.

I’m not sure I’d risk not being there, unless you have some very reliable backup!

 

[Focalplane]

Simon

I think it will be OK, professionals (no offence!) did the sums! And we have a load of debris to be taken away as well.

But I have learned that contractors always order more than they need and I have taken advantage of that, the roof of the gazebo and the rebar for the motor house are freebies (well, I paid for them but they were not wasted.)

 

[simond]

He was quite good at sums .

fingers crossed, all will be well!

cheers
Simon

 

[John Ross]

When it comes to sums I was always told that if you asked a scientists what 2 + 2 = he would tell you that it would be a figure in the range from 3.5 to 4.5. A builder would give 4 as the answer, but to be on the safe side better make 5. An accountant would just ask you what you wanted it to be!

Now heading for the door.

John

 

[Focalplane]

When it comes to sums I was always told that if you asked a scientists what 2 + 2 = he would tell you that it would be a figure in the range from 3.5 to 4.5. A builder would give 4 as the answer, but to be on the safe side better make 5. An accountant would just ask you what you wanted it to be!

Now heading for the door.

John

The oil industry version is similar. An independent operator decided to retire so he called in his three key employees to see who could run the company for his heirs. The engineer came back with 4.0000, the geologist with 4 give or take a bit and the geophysicist closed the door and whispered “what do you want it to be?”