Lean-to Greenhouse (x1) Completed!!!!

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ByronBlack

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I thought I might start a thread for the progress of this project. I find if there is something like this to update it keeps me to a schedule and I get things done quicker. Also it's nice to see the progression of a project.

I'm currently working on a sketchup model to finalise a couple of the small details and will post that here in the next few days so you'll have an idea of what the project should look like when it's finished.

So, onto the details of the project itself. Tracey (aka SWMBO) was originally going to have a greenhouse on the back of the workshop, but for a number of reasons we decided against it and instead we are having a couple of smaller ones attached to our left-hand side fence, this will make access easier and will also provide better security.

They are going to be made from Maranti (or Meranti) and thin poly sheeting which we are getting from an old greenhouse we had in a previous property will be used for the glazing. In terms of dimensions, they'll be 1500mm tall and wide, and an internal dimension of 500mm.

They'll have adjustable shelving, featuring 4 slatted (Redwood) shelves in each greenhouse. A series of 8mm holes and removeable dowels will be used to make the height of the shelves adjustable.

The greenhouses will have a pair of doors in the front as well as a hinged lid to allow access to the top.

So, now the preambe is out of the way, some initial pictures:

Day 1

I cut all the 47mm square stock on the mitre saw to just over final length. I've added 5mm to all the dimensions to allow for final cutting. Here's all the rails, stiles and stretchers cut to size. There is enough stock here for 2 greenhouses.

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Once these were all cut, I then sharpened up and set up my new record jointer and got started on thicknessing and squaring the stock. For what it's worth, I used some of the tips that David Charlesworth wrote about in the last edition of F&C. I've only managed to thickness and square the side rails (the shorter pieces) tomorrow will be spent doing all the rest of the pieces.

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I really wished I bought a jointer before now, it is superb to use and actually gives me a better finish than my 4 1/2 (but that does need some fettling and re-sharpening).

Thats it for today, more interesting stuff coming over the next couple of days. I'll be making a mortising jig for the router tomorrow too and will post details and pics of that in a seperate thread when it's finished.
 
Nice to see the workshop getting some use :D (although I see the electrics still need finishing... :wink: )

Looking forward to the next installment

Andrew
 
Andrew, the electrics are officially finished, I just need to mount the sockets that you see dangling into the boarding, not sure when that will be though, but it gets me working for the time being which is the main thing :D
 
Day 2 of the greenhouse project:

I put my new mortising Jig (homemade) to work today, it was ok. I think version 2.0 will be much better, but it did the job. All my mortices are now cut, I now need to either square the ends, or round the edges of the tenons that will be cut tomorrow or wednesday. Photo's will be added later of the Jig in action.
 
Photo's of the jig in action and my makeshift setup for doing the tenons on a sort-of router table.

Marking out the mortises:
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The jig; ready to use:
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The stock installed in the jig. You can see an index mark that lines up with the bottom of the mortise - this helps position the jig correctly.
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Router on the jig; the two fences setup to cut a 35mm long mortise:
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Successful cut:
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Makeshift router-table and tenon jig. It's just a sled that reached to the fence so that it supports the stock as it goes over the cutter - this is to prevent tear-out.
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Tenons cut. Ignore the can of preserver. I tenoned all four of the side-rails to connect the back and front stiles. My next task is to tenon the long back and front rails.
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Tenon rounded over to match the motise. Shoulders needed a little cleaning up. I did this with a nice sharp 25mm ye-olde ebay chisel.
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Stiles and Rails glued together. This is one side (left). I can only glue-up one piece at a time as I only have 2 clamps big enough :(
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Thats where i'm to. The other side will be glued-up today (Good Friday) and the tenons on the longer rails will be cut. I might also glue up the pieces to make the sloping sided that will fit on top of the two side panels, this will be to support a hinged lid.

One other small project i've completed this easter break is this:

3 Vegetable Planters for SWMBO:
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I used brown eco friendly tanalised 6x1 timber. The beds are each 5'x4' and are steaked with 2x2 treated timber. I can now look forward to some tasty home grown veg later in the year!
 
Looking good Byron!

I built such a rasied bed only last week for some extra veg growing area. Home grown veg is just so gorgeous - especially when eaten half an hour after picking (the kids pick it whilst i cook the other food) :wink:
 
Progressing very nicely - and time to make some planters as well!

Looking forward to the finished article :D

Andrew
 
Byron excellent work, your enthusiasm is a credit to you and an incentive to others, keep it up, and inventive as you go too.

Alan
 
Thanks for all the positive comments guy's, its what helps me stay enthusiastic!

Here's an update of todays work:

I cut all the rest of the tenons in the same manner, however this was quite tricky as the long rails are much heavier and more difficult to handle than the shorter rails, but nonetheless it went smoothly.

The glue-up was tricky also, but with help from SWMBO and some band-clamps I managed it.

Here's a quick snap of the finished framework (sorry for poor photo)

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The best thing about this stage is that the hard difficult (to me) parts are completed, and now, all I need to do is make some doors and mould the glazing bars for when I order the glazing sheets.

But to top that off, my debt to SWMBO stops here, she has suggested that I don't bother making a second one as this one is bigger than she thought it would be so I've got some Maranti left over for my window frames, and I can get on with my own projects sooner rather than later!
 
Byron said,

"don't bother making a second one as this one is bigger than she thought it would be "

Yeh I've had a lot of women say that to me :lol: :lol:

Dom
 
"my debt to SWMBO stops here" - hehehe! you poor deluded fool!

Your debt never stops!
AND they remember everything, forever!

My SWMBO reminded me the other night (god knows where this suddenly came from) that before we were married, I bought a bag of chips (my intention was to share it with her) but did not get her one.

- we celebrate 30 years marriage next month!!
 
So, over 3 months later, the episode of el-rusto has come and gone, Tony Blair has somehow been given a job in bringing peace to the middle-east, half of the country has become aquatic and some of our GP's have gone a bit nuts, but atleast the greenhouse is finished (almost)!!!

Photos:

Front Shot:
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Side Shot:
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Lid Detail:
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Close Up:
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Doors actually work!
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..and does the lid!
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So there we have it. All I have to do now is attach a piece of ply to the back and install it in the garden.

So to summarise the project:

Made from Meranti, frame joined with M&T's throughout. Shelves installed on moveable blocks, I made a jig that allowed me to drill holes at equal distances on each part of the frame so SWMBO can move them about as she see's fit.

The lid is hinged at the back and can fold all the way to the back if required. I've left a small gap at the back between the frame and the lid to allow for air-flow.

The glazing is the acrylic stuff from Screwfix. The doors and lid glazing was done by installing some glazing bead on the front and then some gripfill on the back - original idea was to use putty, but I made a real mess of that! The frame glazing is held in by the same glazing beading and some thin pine strips on the inside for a nice contrast.

Finish was a very rough sanding with a ROS and then 4 coats of teak-oil with a day between each coat.

Thats it, finally!!

Part of the delay for this project was that I didn't have the tooling for it, so I had to spread the cost over a couple of months, I also didn't have all the wood and glazing panels, and again had to wait to get this, I also decided to do a kitchen refit in the middle of it, and lastly I put my back out again trying to move el-rusto so I couldn't do much for a week or two.

But, SWMBO is happy, my debt is paid, and I can now move on to more interesting projects like my uber-bench and some nice side-tables!
 
errr, can I see lots of pocket holes.

Looks good Byron, I think I would have avoided pocket holes outside
 
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