Rain or shine ... they'll enjoy playing in this
roomy (36 sq. ft. of floor space) playhouse that
also serves as a convenient toy storage room.
Boys will use it as a "fort", a club
house, or as a bunk house for "sleeping
out" ...girls will use it to "play
house" and for "tea parties" and
other pretend games. Dad can also use it for
garden tool storage during the winter months.
The cleats to strengthen the plywood wall
sections of the playhouse are made of 2 x 4 stock
ripped in half making 1-5/8 x l-5/8 square stock.
Full 2 x 4 base plates are fastened to the ¼" waterproof plywood wall
sections on end as shown in Fig. 1. Use cement or
rosin coated 4D common nails for fastening the
waterproof plywood panels to the 2 x 2 uprights
as well as the top and bottom pieces. Fasten
cleats over the panel joints for strength and
neat appearance.
Make necessary cut-outs for doors and windows on
the
wall sections. Nail the outside trim and the
hardboard siding (if desired) with the sections
lying flat on the floor. Assemble the wall
sections as shown in Fig. 1A. Notice that only 4
corner cleats are required. If flooring is
desired, use 2 x 4 joists spaced approximately
24" apart and lay plywood or flooring stock.
For an economi- cal floor, lay common lumber and
cover with linoleum.
The hip roof is made in four sections. Each
section is made of ¼"
plywood nailed to 2 x 2 cleats with standard wood
shingles or composition roofing paper fastened to
the plywood. Should you decide on a cupola, for
which plans appeared in the May-June 1958
"Deltagram," or other means of
ventilation, the roof sections will have to be
made with a blunt end as shown in Fig. 5. For a
regular hip roof the sections come to a point as
shown in Photo No. 2. Overall roof section
dimensions and angle cuts are given in Fig. 5A.
The edges on the tapered sides of each roof
section are bevel cut for good fitting joints. To
make these bevel cuts, assemble all 4 roof
sections with the plywood pieces cut only to
general shape. Then set the blade or arbor at 19
degrees and make the side bevel cuts on the side
frame pieces and plywood tops simultaneously.
Doors are made in two same size parts to simulate
Dutch
doors. 1 x 6" (¾ x 5½") solid stock with
chamfered edges can be used for the door fronts. ¼" fir exterior plywood
with V-notches cut about 5½"
apart can also be used. The V-notches are made on
the circular saw with flute bead cutters No.
35-228 mounted in a No. 265 moulding cutterhead,
see Photo No. 3. In either case brace pieces made
of ¾" by 2" wide
stock are nailed in place as indicated in Fig. 6.
Butt hinges with ornamental hinge plates and a
complete dutch door hardware set make up the
hardware needed for the doors. Should you decide
to use a step be sure to allow for the overall
step height, (4¾")
Fig. 7, when cutting out the opening for the
doors. |
The
awning should be made to swing on hinges so as to
serve as a cover for the counter opening when
closed. The valance around the awning is made of ¼" exterior plywood
scalloped on the scroll saw or band saw, Photo
No. 4. Notice that the valance attaches to the
awning frame so that it sets back approximately 2
inches from the edge. In place of the awning
support brackets, two 4¾"
dowels can be used as awning supports with holes
drilled in the counter and frame to accommodate
them. The same type of trim with larger scallops
is used around the roof edge. These are fastened
to cleats as indicated in Fig. 4. The counter top
is notched to fit the opening and is cut from ¾ x 8" stock.
Apply a coating of wood perservative over all
parts except the wood shingles before painting.
Paint with an outside paint with colors of your
choice. Set house on bricks or blocks to keep
house above ground level.
Photo #1
The side edges of each roof
section are cut on the circular saw with the
blade tilted 79 degrees. Note the auxiliary wood
fence fastened to the regular table (Photo shows
roof sections with plywood removed to shown
framing construction.)
Photo #2
V-grooves in the Dutch door
panels are made on the circular saw with the
flute bead cutters No. 34-228 mounted in the No.
265 steel cutterhead.
Photo #3
Scallops of the awning trim
and the roof edge trim can be cut on the scroll
saw or bad saw. A ¼" skip tooth blade will
.make a smooth fast cut on the band saw.
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