I'm completely flabbergasted at the price being asked for sheds that seem to me to be made out of match wood.
Is there a good book that shows clearly how to build a simple wooden shed out of 2x2 timber and wooden tongue and groove cladding?
Would one of those "sliding" rotary saws be a good tool to cut the timber? I'm looking for an excuse to buy one
Where could I buy simple fixed windows to fit into said structure? I'm only interested in getting a little light into the gloom, not fantastic ventilation.
Just go along to a showroom and look at how their huts are constructed, make a few notes, take a few digi photos. Then decide what layout you need and get on with it.
You do not need to buy a window, just the glass. Just make a frame out of 2x2 then add some 1/2 x 1/2 fixed along the inside of the 2x2 frame to sit the glass against. More 1/2x 1/2 to retain the glass on the outside.
People are (seem) prepared to pay for the convenience of a 'pack-flat' shed...
It's not all that difficult. I've had some success in the past building garages & workshops like this.... it's probably overkill - but it worked for me...
Use thin plywood (6mm) for starters. Needn't be anything fancy - shuttering ply if you can get it or OSB... whatever's cheapest.
Cut one sheet of ply for each side and each end of the shed. Also cut suitable pieces for the roof (either /\ or single slope.
Fix a framework of 2x2" (or maybe 2x3" for a larger structure) to the plywood - battery drill-driver and a box of Screwfix turbo-screws. Bit of gripfill if you really want a de-luxe job.
Arrange a base. Timber (say 3/4" shuttering ply or better - sit it on treated fenceposts, levelled on sand and paving slabs. Lay a concrete base if you want to make life difficult .
Start assembling the sides - use long screws to fix the 2x2 pieces to each other, rather than relying on the plywood to take secure fixings.
Fix the roof to the sides.
Now obtain some 'building paper' (friendly local roofers ?) - and staple it to the outside of the plywood. Then clad the outside of the shed with whatever timber finish you require - tongue & groove, waney edge etc. Needn't be anything very thick - it's strong anough already.
Cover roof with Onduline - fixed to the plywood, after using more building paper to cover the ply.
As I say - probably well over-the-top - but the ply sheets ensure that everything starts out flat and square - and makes for a draught-proof shed - also a very strong construction.
Yes - ideal too for making sure that the 2"x2" timber has nice square ends - likewise any timber cladding that you use.
If you use Onduline on the roof then there's matching translucent roofing in the same profile (let light in through the roof & then you can have shelves all round the walls )
Alternatively - sheets of thinnish plastic / perspex etc - simply cut to fit in-between the 2x2's and use thinner timber (say 1" x 1/2") to frame round them.
What ever you use for a base, make sure there is some waterproof surface between the ground and any wood to prevent moisture rising up into the wood. The wider the air space under the floor, the better it dries out and the longer it will normally last.
Despite what the others have said, I cannot see the point of the 'sliding' chop saw in this case - just adds to the price, weight and complexity of the tool, when all you want is a basic chop saw costing =A330 from Lidls, Aldis, Ebay, etc. All you need is a the most basic in the range just to quickly cut your framing timbers at something reasonably approaching a right angle.
I'm talking from the experience of having built two wooden sheds of quite reasonable size. I'm also a bit doubtful about the need for the building paper and this cladding with ply and then weatherboard - I can see the point about the ply keeping everything square but that seems OTT to me and just adding to the cost and complexity. Your choice... and the paper thing does depend a bit if you are using the shed for just storage or if you are going to live in it !
Despite what the others have said, I cannot see the point of the 'sliding' chop saw in this case - just adds to the price, weight and complexity of the tool, when all you want is a basic chop saw costing £30 from Lidls, Aldis, Ebay, etc. All you need is a the most basic in the range just to quickly cut your framing timbers at something reasonably approaching a right angle.
I'm talking from the experience of having built two wooden sheds of quite reasonable size. I'm also a bit doubtful about the need for the building paper and this cladding with ply and then weatherboard - I can see the point about the ply keeping everything square but that seems OTT to me and just adding to the cost and complexity. Your choice... and the paper thing does depend a bit if you are using the shed for just storage or if you are going to live in it !
Rob
False economy is the point ie you might not think that you will ever need a sliding compound mitre saw but those who have bought a basic chop saw in the past will probably tell you now they wish they had bought the sliding mitre saw because it gave more flexability,depth and wideness of cut over the stationary fixed height and width chop saw.
Mine is made of 12 mm ply on the inside with 65x45 framing at 600 mm centers to keep the ply flat. Then insulated and clad. You can buy shuttering ply cheap and it is good for fixing shelves and stuff to.
Its easy to build too, just overlap the corners and drive some screws into the frame.
The floor is a structural job.. 18 mm ply glued to 25 mm polystyrene glued to 12 mm ply all on top of some bearers. I can jump up and down and it doesn't flex noticeably.
2x2 is too skinny, and you want larch from a decent timberyard, not "construction" whitewood or pressure-treated toxic crap. Bendrey Brothers if you're around Bristol - my last was costing me =A316/cube foot.
I do like Sobon's books (US-style simple timber framing), but they're about real "framed" sheds on an 8x8 cube or larger, not a minimal UK garden hutlet.
You don't even need the slider for cross-cutting this stuff. If you do want a slider, make sure that the depth stop allows you to also use it for cutting halved joints. If you can do that much, they're useful. As a mere chop saw, personally I can't be bothered as I'll still need another saw to cut the joints.
Or you can do the lot with a few trestles, G clamps and a decent handheld circular with adjustable depth. Stanley's nice adjustable square (heavy aluminium with a swinging bar) makes a good guidebar for this level of carpentry.
Recycle. Most of mine are sealed DG units taken from houses or shops being converted to tiny flats. Can't move for skiploads of things round my way.
No - in the 3 or 4 years that I have had the simple chop saw, I have had absolutely no need for a sliding one and no desire to find an excuse to buy one as the OP is looking for. OK no doubt there is use for the sliding compound mitre but I've never seen any and I have my suspicions that like all tools, cameras, computers, stereos, etc. with multiple facilities, the more exotic ones get use about once in the item's life. Gimmicks IMO.
Can you Mitre 6" torus on your chop saw? bearing in mind most of the chop saws can only manage 5" and then the wood has to be turned over to complete the cut.
I carry a little Wickes chop saw in the van for general purpose jobs. I also have an Axminster sliding compound mitre saw which I bung in the van for decking jobs (6 x 2 timber) or large skirting board jobs. Little chop saw copes with 90% of jobs, sliding saw invaluable with larger timber.
A SCMS is not a gimmick (unless you buy a toy one), but it is designed to achieve different things.
A basic chop saw is ideal for cutting framing timber quickly and square, and even a small basic one will be invaluable building a shed. A good chop saw will give better results than a mediocre SCMS.
However you would not use a chop saw to mitre a 12" window board, or use it to accurately dimension wider stock for a furniture building project. It is also unlikely to have the capacity to mitre the larger cornice and pelmet mouldings.
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