Folly in the garden

[MikeG.]

Obviously, if you are going to build a folly you need some octogons:

and a jig to make them on:

Then you would need to cut some points on the octagons:

using this jig:

Next, the pointy octagons would need shoulders:

made on this jig:

And this is what you end up with:

Lots and lots of morticing later, you get to cut the odd tenon or two:

Stick it all together, hoist it up in the air, then prop it with a few bits of wood:

.......and that, with a nod towards classical architecture and Camelot, is the gazebo/ pergola thingy I have been making over the last few weekends. Just the staining to do, and the creepers can then set about hiding the whole thing.

Previously, the decking area (which is in fact a bridge over a stream), just had the 4 corner posts sticking up in the air waiting for me to get inspired.

This is displacement activity because my competition piece has not been going very well.....

Mike

 

[Majorlarf]

Very Nice & what a joy

 

[Fergus]

Looks great

 

[OPJ]

O

Nice work, Mike, but, come on; you must be hiding a lathe in that workshop, somewhere!! :wink:

 

[Ironballs]

You know when sometimes you get that feeling that you're not even playing the same game, never mind at the same level...

Good work Mike and excellent as always

 

[Boz62]

I love it Mike. And some great ideas on bandsaw jigging for me to bookmark

Boz

 

[chris_d]

Mike, that is awesome!

However, you will have to tart up those plain handrails to match now. :wink:

Also, were those curved pieces steamed or naturally sprung?

Cheers,
C

 

[thomvic]

A beautiful job there Mike - hope you intend to do something with the safety fences and corner posts?

I note that you found someone to do a bit of wood spinning for you :lol:

Doesn't it rather spoil it for you having nice round bits in the design?

 

[MikeG.]

Thanks guys!

For all of you who thought I might have slipped onto the dark side, the turned stuff is no more than pre-made balls from the builder's merchants at about £2 each. The sprung arches are laminated: 2no 44x15 pieces glued together.

This is meant to be a bit of a giggle rather than a serious constuction....

Mike

 

[zambezi]

Looks really good!

 

[Mailman14]

Impressed, yet, kinda speechless...

 

[RogerS]

I like that a lot, Mike. How many pairs of hands did you need to raise it up?

 

[MikeG.]

I like that a lot, Mike. How many pairs of hands did you need to raise it up?

Thanks Roger......

Just the one pair. I raised it by myself, in the middle of a bad back episode.

What I forgot to mention is that this structure is all jointed, with no screws or nails at all except for the jack rafters (the truncated ones coming off the hip-rafters). If some giant came along he could lift the whole lot off in one piece.

It is slowly turning dark green........

Mike

 

[RogerS]

Did you pre-assemble it on the ground then?

 

[studders]

pre-made balls from the builder's merchants at about £2 each.

Mike

That's a good price for Balls.

 

[MikeG.]

Did you pre-assemble it on the ground then?

I assembled the central rectangle (which was already glued & dry), and 2 pairs of parallel rafters, temporarily. I then clamped a pair of temporary joists in place across the feet of the rafters, and with a little cross bracing it was ready to lift.

I then lifted one end up onto the rear plate, slid it all along then started to inch the front up, using a series of props and struts, but never actually lifting the whole thing. My back was too sore for that.

It took half an hour to get it all up the air, but it wasn't secure until the hips were in place. The hips hold the entire load of the roof, which is why there is no need for any ties (joists). There is no spreading load down the rafters whatsoever......and that is also one of the reasons for the finger joints at the corners.

Mike

 

[johnf]

Really nice I assume the post were already there you must have had this in mind for some time

Well done Mike

 

[Woodmagnet]

:shock: Oooh! That's nice. 8) Cracking
bit of fun Mike. :lol:

 

[milkman]

looks great although I think the posts and curved arches look a bit spindly in comparison to the roof. That’s a niggling criticism though. I wish I had the gumption to build something that good.

 

[MikeG.]

Thanks guys..........

Milkman, I agree with you with regards the posts. I was a bit stuck with what was already there (3x3s). It would have been a major chore to change them, and I didn't want to clad them over their entire length like I have at the top. The lightweight secondary arches are there to take your eye off the big-roof-on-thin-stilts look...but obviously haven't fooled you!

Mike