the continuing saga of Roof

[kellan_the_tabby]

Because of the rafters, I needed more than sixteen feet of roof. To be precise, as seen above, I needed sixteen feet & 20.5 inches of roof, so that’s what I cut.

That piece went on the back section of the roof, & the rest of that sheet of plywood went along the side, which is enough to cover nearly the entire roof.

There’s just a bit of a gap left in the middle. I’ve got enough thin plywood to cover that up, but that’s got to wait a while, because right now, that’s the only way I can safely get on & off the roof.

I had to go round to the other side & screw down the bottom edge of that board, as before. Tom helped.

Or maybe he just wanted a Love.

Of course nothing quite fits like it’s supposed to — that’s how the world works, & also, I can’t cut a straight line — so this needed to be trimmed down before I could fasten the roof at that corner.

That’s okay, to misquote Grimjack. I’ve got another saw.

Did I mention I can’t cut a straight line? Cos I can’t cut a straight line. This is lined up.

This is, also, why I’m glad I bought three rolls of Tyvek tape. I was gonna be taping all of the gaps between boards anyway.

The view from inside. Roof!

With bonus skylight!

Next up, I’ll be coming up with a way to fasten down the bit where the plywood overlaps, taping up the rest of the gaps, & covering the entire roof with housewrap. Then, napping.

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I’d REALLY like that.

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originally posted on Patreon; support me over there to see posts a week early!

Comments

[siliconshaman]

Heh, I think that might be a universal problem. the easiest way on or off a roof is though a hole in the roof.. but then what do you do to cover that?

I know I have that problem, plus the fact that my workshop is on a four foot plinth of ground on three sides, so just getting level with the roof takes the longest ladder I've got. Hence, the easiest point of access is from the inside.

Hm, skylight on a hinge perhaps with yours?

[kellan_the_tabby]

I mean I can reach the _edge_ of the roof from on top of the van, which helps a lot? But YES it is VERY USEFUL that I _can_ pull the van up next to the tinker's wagon, which is NOT a thing that can happen with your shed.

... I am SO tempted to turn it into a skylight. If I thought I had half a chance of making it watertight ...

[siliconshaman]

That I know how to do.

Build a frame that is about 2-3 inches wider and longer than your hole, out of 2x1 with one on the edge and one nailed to it flat so it makes a sort of L shape in cross section. Slot poly carbonate or glass into that. Apply copious amounts of silicon calking. Then nail another layer of 2x1 ontop so you sandwich the glass or poly carb in a square C shape.

Then build a frame of more 2x1 that fits inside of the hole, nailed to the roof and projecting up by the inside depth of your skylight. Apply sealant to the outside of that to fill gaps between frame and roof. Thus you have slight projection all the way around and a skylight that fits over the hole. [and water doesn't run uphill usually]

The complicating factor I can see however is that you have a curved roof. So you'd need to build a square box to project through the roof. I suspect you need to do something with battans and plywood to essentially make box open at each end, with the skylight screwed to that and capping it.

But I built basically that so I could get up through the front half of my workshop roof and access the solar panels if necessary, or just let a breeze blow though when the forge is running.

[kellan_the_tabby]

That ... I could TOTALLY do that! That's awesome! Thank you!

[siliconshaman]

You're welcome. the secret is to use more silicon sealant/adhesive than you think you'll need. [yeah, I found that after I built the back part that leaks] and seal the edges solid. That and have the lip of the inner frame be above the roof level by about half an inch to an inch. Which I suppose if you're talking about a flat line at tangent to he curved roof, means you need an inner frame that's six inches deep minimum, so it's comfortably above the curve of the roof at all points.

BTW, what are you using to saw with? because if it's a jig saw you can cut straight line by holding/screwing down a sight edge [plank, ruler] amd resting the side of the foot plate against that. You just have to off-set it from the line you want to cut by half the width of the metal foot plate. [I got sick of wonky cuts too!]

[kellan_the_tabby]

I have a circular saw, which I made a cutting guide for. Problem is I'm working al fresco, with a too-small worktable. I've already decided my NEXT project is a workshed, with room for tool storage & a worktable big enough for an entire sheet of plywood.

[siliconshaman]

If I may make a suggestion.. make yourself a couple of saw horses. The time spent on making the right tools for a job, is well worth the time you save trying to do it the hard way. You can make a cutting table by balancing a pallet or an old door or a couple of lengths of scrap timber across them, then put a sheet of ply on it to cut.

[kellan_the_tabby]

I made a couple saw horses using those cheap clamps, & well, they were cheap. I've dug up plans for a good set, I just gotta get the wood for em.

[siliconshaman]

Ah, I just sawed a pallet in half, and then bolted some legs made out of 2x2 to them, with a few 2x1 lengths cross wise and diagonal across the corners to brace them.

Once I'm done with them, I'll bolt them together and make a picnic table for the patio.

[danabren]

I can't cut a straight line for shit, either. You are not alone.

[kellan_the_tabby]

It seems a common malady.

[corvi]

I think some types of saws drift more than other types... it may just be that people with limited budgets are using saws that aren't ideal for straight lines.

[kellan_the_tabby]

I mean it's not a _cheap_ saw. It's no a really nice one, but it's decent.

[corvi]

I didn't mean to impugn your saw! It's more like, there are a bunch of kinds of saws, all good at different things, and maybe the kind you have is not a straight-liney kind.

[kellan_the_tabby]

It's a circular saw. & my apologies, I'm kind of freaked out about something else entirely from somewhere else entirely & my brain is. Having a Thing.

[siliconshaman]

I've got a jigsaw with one of them fancy laser guides... it helps, but only a bit!

[thewayne]

Grimjack?! Wow, been a long time since I came across that comic name! Myself, it wasn't much for me, I was much more in to Badger and Nexus. Badger could never come out often enough for me.

[kellan_the_tabby]

I was hoping someone would recognize the name!

[cellio]

Wow, looking great! Uneven cuts add character (so long as by the time you're done they don't also add rainwater :-) ).

[kellan_the_tabby]

THAT WAS MY THOUGHT when I put it up there, I was like CRAP, leak, but now it['s covered in tyvek tape AND housewrap AND a tarp & eventually there will also be metal roofing over it TOO so probably I'm okay I hope.