Build a log cabin Playhouse for under $300

Step 3 Cutting the Panels

Select the nicest fence panel you have to use for the floor. Remember, your kid will be crawling, rolling, and laying on this floor
Support the fence panel up off the ground using the cut off pieces of 4x4. Make sure you have the stringers facing up, and that the 4x4's are inside the outermost stringers.
Using your circular saw cut along the outside edge of each outermost stringer.

Fit the floor but don't secure yet
Lay the newly cut floor panel onto the 4x4 floor supports and adjust the 4x4's to exactly fit the floor panel.

Cutting the Front and Back wall panels to size
Measure the front and back wall panels so they will be six feet high. You can deviate from this slightly so you end with a full width slat.
Snap a chalk line and make the cut.
You must now cut the front and back to the proper width. You only want to have a slight overhang past the outside stringers to cover the slats on the side panels. From the back of the panels, measure out the thickness of the slats (3/4 for me) from the outside edge of the outer stringers and snap a chalk line.
Cut along that line from the inside of the panel to reduce splintering.
Measure and mark the top center of the front and back panel. Measure and mark five feet from the outside bottom edges of the Front and back panels. Connect those three points with a chalk line and snap your mark. Cut along that mark to set the roof pitch.

Cutting the Side Walls to size
Mark the height of the side walls to the same height as the lowest point on the front and back walls, should be around five feet. Mark this height with a chalk line.
The side wall panels must have a larger overhang than the front and back in order to cover the corner where you screw the end stringers together. For me this was an overhang of 2 1/4 inches. Mark that overhang on the edge of each panel with a chalk line and as always make the cut from the inside of the panel.

Cut the Roof panels
This would have to be the most complicated and labor intensive part of this build.
You will be removing each of the stringers on the last fence panel and screw them to the opposite side of the panels in the needed locations.
On the front panel, measure the distance from the top point to the outside edge along the angle. Transfer that measurement to where one of the stringers must be on the roof panel. The other stringer should be two inches in from the top edge. This is to prevent the top stringers on the roof panels from binding with each other. Use the 2x3x8 board for the fourth stringer. (During Layout, make sure you use the point top of the fence panel for the peak of the roof. This will allow you to use the most of the panel and hide the pointy parts with the ridge cap. Also, if you have any leftover material that you need to trim off, make sure you take if off the pointy end "about 1 inch for me") Remove and reposition only one stringer at a time to keep the panel as straight as possible.
Once all stringers are in the correct location, Measure and mark the center of the fence panel with a chalk line. Cut the fence panel into the two roof sections.

Comments

[dagwoody]

What a great job of both the cabin and instructable ! (stopping the saw to take pics) Bravo!

[ddowdie]

I cannot seem to print out the detail pictures. When I print the instructions there is a cut out. Help!