A Japanese timber framed garden shed

[GRadice]

Potting bench is done. I oiled the top (commercial linseed oil, pine rosin, beeswax, citrus oil mix) and milled, joined, and finished the border boards. The border boards are giant chinkapin, an uncommon wood even in the USA because of its narrow distribution along the Oregon coastal mountains, down into northern California, and up into Washington states. Its properties are usually described as being between chestnut and beech. I got several boards from a friend.

https://www.wood-database.com/giant-chinkapin/

I (https://www.wood-database.com/giant-chinkapin/)t worked wonderfully but was a little plain. I added a little repeating decoration made with a square hole punch.

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I'm leaving it outside until I finish the floor, but it will go against the end wall by the window.


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[Optimark]

That really looks too good to start throwing pots and earth around, but like a new workbench, once the first nick or scar is made, it doesn't matter.

I've never heard of Chinkapin, the link was interesting; to say the least.

I've been following this since the start, its been a great journey.

Mick.

[GRadice]

Yes, I actually think it will look better once it ages and gets dirty. The wabi sabi esthetic is what I'm after but that takes time.

Here is a better link to info about giant chinkapin:

https://owic.oregonstate.edu/giant-chinkapin-castanopsis-chrysophylla

[Optimark]

Thanks, that is certainly a link with more information.

It would seem that this species is virtually irreplaceable due to the slow growth, among other things.

From seedlings, 6 to 18 inches after 4 to 12 years, plus its life expectancy appears to be somewhere around 500 years, with maturity seemingly measured in centuries.

The fact that honey from the flowers is thought to impart a bad taste to honey; at least the timber in the form of your furniture looks magnificent!!!!

Mick.

[GRadice]

I've been working off and on around summer (for us) travel with friends and family. The latest project is to make three sash to fill in the transom spaces above the window and doors.

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My original plan was to make lattices for the sash to provide extra light and ventilation. But the more I thought about it the more I thought that would be superfluous, and look too busy, and be more work than I wanted to take on. I also had one more clear vertical grained cedar board from the stock I used for the doors. So I decided to fill the spaces with frame and panels. Here is one dry fit. The others will be identical.

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[GRadice]

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- - - Updated - - -

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[GRadice]

And one better pic of the finished panels trimmed out.

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That is it for the shed project this year. I still have to plaster the walls, make the permanent steps, and put in a finished floor but the cold and rainy season is about to start here so I'm going to shift to a furniture project for the next few months. I expect to be back to the garden shed in April.

[r3nov8or]

Thanks for all the updates!!

[mic-d]

It's beautiful and very wabi sabi. It's a tribute to your skills and persistance.

[GRadice]

Well, one more little task before I wrap up for the winter. I am making some screens for the gable end lattices to keep flying creatures outside. These are bronze mesh on Port Orford cedar frames. The frames have glued bridle joints at the corners. To make the screens removable I'm mounting them with three bamboo pegs left proud so they can be pulled out. I have two screens done and should finish the other two tomorrow.

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[GRadice]

I can't seem to keep away. Now that our rainy season has started I became concerned about doing more to keep water out. So I installed some weather resistant barrier. It is held on with plastic capped nails. I was trying to avoid plastic for this project but sometimes you have to compromise. I ran out of the Jumbo Tex barrier so I finished off with some leftover barrier that I used on the roof.

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[GRadice]

No news, just a picture I like of the shed in morning light today.

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[r3nov8or]

@Admins, weird thing... using Android mobile browsers, I could Like the above post using Brave, after trying with Chrome where it didn't work

[GRadice]

OK, change of plans. Over the last couple of months my wife and I have decided to move house 2400 miles/3900 km away. And after much discussion have decided to take the shed with us. That means dismantling it here and rebuilding at the new site. We have purchased the new house and hope to sell our current one in April/May, with the move planned for early June. Wish us luck!

[r3nov8or]

Oh, wow, good luck!! Any thoughts of trying to ship it standing eg in a container or on a flat bed? Too risky? Won't fit?

[GRadice]

We have considered shipping it intact but it would be too expensive and too risky. It would have to be lifted by a crane on both ends of the trip, travel would be at least a week and probably more like 10 days, the shed is quite tall and tippy when not anchored, the roof isn't built for high winds, etc, etc. If we were moving it down the street I'd do it that way but not 3900 km. Also, dismantled it will fit into the moving van we are hiring and will travel essentially for free since we are already paying to move our household and my shop. I certainly know how it is put together and I'm sure I can take it apart. Although wouldn't it be fun to see it flying through the air under a crane?

[mic-d]

OK, change of plans. Over the last couple of months my wife and I have decided to move house 2400 miles/3900 km away. And after much discussion have decided to take the shed with us. That means dismantling it here and rebuilding at the new site. We have purchased the new house and hope to sell our current one in April/May, with the move planned for early June. Wish us luck!

Canada or Mexico?:wink:. Best of luck for the move!

[GRadice]

Here's an update. In April we bought a house in Bloomington, Indiana. Middle of the country. Our current house has been sold pending all the financial paperwork being completed and the sale is scheduled to finalize on May 19. Movers are coming June 2. We will arrive at our new location June 9.

I started disassembling the shed on April 21st. First the roof, then the walls. Yesterday it looked like this:

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Today a crew of six friends came over to take the frame apart. Four hours later it looked like this:

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Disassembly went smoothly I'm very happy to report. No injuries to people or shed. All the parts are labeled and under cover. I will wrap and pack some of them and the movers will do the rest. It all will go along with our household and my shop in one big truck.