How do you attach legs to your coop?

[RentaPig311]

So here is the base of my coop. Its a 5x4 sheet of particle board framed with 2x4. The legs are 4x4 cut to 2' In length. To attach the legs I put them in the corners and drilled 3 3" screws from the top of the platform down into the center of the legs.. The legs are not very stable though. My wood working skills are...let's say lacking. I was wondering what the trick is to a solid platform, are there braces I should buy or should I run screws through the framing horizontally? All the screws I'm using are #10.

Bonus question: When framing the walls I am using 1.5" number 10 screws.l going into the side of one 2x3 and into the butt end of the other. The frame comes together but it doesn't seem to sit flush like frames walls in a house.

Anyone know of a construction 101 page? I think I need it.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Duplicate

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’m a retired structural engineer. Triangles are extremely good at stabilizing things. It’s the best way to approach it.

I’m not exactly sure how yours is framed, but I’ll guess that Hocum drew it pretty well. It’s what I envision from your description. Your problem in attaching the triangle is the thickness of the 2x4. You can’t get anything to line up flush with the 4x4 and the 2x4 to screw the triangle to. About the easiest way around that problem is to take another 2x4 and screw that into the outside of the 4x4 so you have a flush surface to attach to. Your triangle can be a board at a 45 degree angle or just cut a corner off of a sheet of plywood so you have a 90 degree triangle.

The way I built an elevated coop was to set the legs into the ground, then leveled it and built a 2x4 frame around the top, a rectangle the size of the coop base. The coop itself also had a 2x4 base. I set the coop on top and tied the two pieces together by screwing strips of plywood to the 2x4 frame on top of the legs and the 2x4 base of the coop. Since the legs were firmly set in the ground, I had no stability issues.

I’m also not sure exactly what your bonus question is. I think what you are saying is that you are building a rectangular frame that will be the bottom of your coop and when you screw it together, it is torqued? That’s not an unusual problem. When I build stuff like that I put it together on a level surface and only put in one screw at each corner until I have it fitted, then carefully adjust it before I put the second screw in each corner. If that’s your problem, hopefully someone else can give you a better procedure.

As far as a Construction 101, my first suggestion is to go to your public library and get a library card. Your librarian should be able to help you find a good book on how to build a shed, including techniques. If you’re too shy to go to the library and talk to the librarian or just like to spend money, you can usually find books at Lowe’s or Home Depot that will show you how to do this.

 

[ukuleledave]

Rentapig:

Hokum and Ridgerunner know more than I do about this, but I am about at your skill level, I think. We can't see your coop very well, but I have some suggerstions:

1) Hokum's diagram shows 4 screws in the corners of the "table." (That's what you have so far, a table.) Do you have 4 scews holding your legs in place? That will cut down on some wiggle.

2) See the orange 2x4s in Hokum's diagram? You probably want at least 4 of these. The good news is, they all have to be the same size, so put a piece of 2x4 in place, draw a line to show the angle and cut. Make sure it fits, then make 3 others from the outline of the first. Most of the wiggle should be gone.

3) Want easier? Cut 2x4s to the proper length, and box in the bottom of the whole thing. Ridgerunner is correct about a triangle being very very stable, but a square fastened from multiple angles (4 screws per corner) is pretty stable too. In other words, make 4 "H" braces like the two that Hokum showed. Put them on the ground, or halfway up the 4x4s and it will cut down on the wobble. (Look at a chair. Lots of straight back chairs have thin round wood in a sort of "H" brace. ) See how Hokum always shows two screws at each connection? Do that.

4) Remind yourself: You are not building a piano. Take pride in it, but remind yourself it is a house for chickens.

 

[4 the Birds]

I agree that wood triangles will support your legs well (add 2 per leg). Additional cross bracing will continue to stabilize the structure.

Bonus: not sure what you are asking but typically the studs in a frame wall have a sill plate or wood on the end that sits on the flooring. This creates a flush exterior where the wall meets the floor.

Triangles in use!

 

[bjones1128]

Triangles are the most solid geometric shape. I would try a few screws horizontally like you suggested (I would probably drill pilot holes to avoid splitting). It that did not do the trick I would put triangular braces from each of your legs.

Two pieces of lumber employed for each leg (yellow and green in this sketch).

Solid as a church!

The H brace may or may not be needed in some cases (depending on the length of the leg and weight of the finished project)..

If you take note in the sketch the legs are only fasten horizontally.

Screw dropped vertically into the leg do little to take away wobble.






For your second problem;
I would suggest putting one panel or wall of the coop on the base at a time ( not sure I understand your second problem however).

I built these stairs with the aid of the internet.

It was given a grade "A" approval from a carpenter with over 40 years experience (my first attempt at stairs from scratch I might add).

The internet is a valuable resource when it comes to carpentry. If you can verbalize your problem it can visualize a solution.

We learn and retain 80% of our knowledge visually.

Good luck Rentapig!.

Oh, I love these stairs! I currently need to build something to get me into the loft of my new shed. What kind of skill level would you need to build these? What was your cost in materials? Did you find a specific web site with plans for building these? Were there any Web sites that really helped? I'd love to look at some links!

 

[aart]

Oh, I love these stairs! I currently need to build something to get me into the loft of my new shed. What kind of skill level would you need to build these? What was your cost in materials? Did you find a specific web site with plans for building these? Were there any Web sites that really helped? I'd love to look at some links!

You could google...'how to build stairs'....just a suggestion.

 

[RentaPig311]

Awesome responses. Many thanks.

I put 8 3" horizontal screws in each leg and that helped a lot. My geometry is beyond rusty but I'm going to attempt to cut the triangle braces. The winds get high here in NTX so they may come in handy. I added some "studs" as well.

 

[Highcotton]

You should use a right (90 degree) triangle for the sides that attach to the leg and the floor. Cut the diagonal based on the length you want the brace on the leg and the floor support

 

[Hokum Coco]

All web sites are not created equal I have found.

My carpenter friend was out of town when I first attempted to build my stairs.

The first site I went to had too much information and poor visual aids and I thought I was too stupid to build something that sounded so complicated. Run, rise, tread, nosing stringer. Those were the terms I was familiar with. The first web site brought more terms and procedures then I could handle.

I waited a few weeks and my buddy came in and laid out a set of stairs but they did not fit the build (The stringer rand down in the middle of my window). Where he was pressed for time he told me to email him the measurements and he would do it the next time he was in town.

That is when I decided I was going to build them myself. I finally found a website that did just that after about 5 tries. That was back in 2009 and I have no clue what the web site was.

I was more than fortunate when building my garage (it is 34x40) I got all the 3/4 inch plywood and OSB for $3.% a sheet. I would estimate the cost of my materials to be about $80.% Canadian for the stairs. I would suggest you run a half a dozen searches for your project on the internet and hopefully you will find a site to fit your build.

As far as skill level I consider myself a rough carpenter skill level. I know how to stud a wall and space roof rafters and frame in a window. Something anyone could achieve as long as him or her had the desire to learn (in a few hours).

I guess I can add rough stairs on my list now. It took me 2 or 3 times as long as it would a skilled carpenter. I have the stairs autographed and dated. It is a source of pride every time I go into my man cave in the loft.

Especially when my buddy said he could not have built a better set!

It is not rocket Science and my carpenter friend only has Grade 9 as a formal education. However give him a carpenter square and you would think he was a genius!

You have enough knowledge on a carpenter square to build a house if you know how to read every aspect of it.