Outhouse ideas

"Morris Dovey" wrote

We have a gravity fed water system from a spring. It will be easy to tap into it and make a sylvan hygiene station. I wasn't worrying a lot about the wood. I just like doing it once and doing it right, rather than the trial and error method.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B
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And the old archaic for pitcher is ewer.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

| "Morris Dovey" wrote | || An inexpensive pottery water pitcher and basin, a bar of soap, and || a reasonably clean towel add up to Civilized Luxury in the context || of an outhouse. || || It'd probably make more sense to worry out how to keep towel and || soap both dry and convenient than to be fussy about the wood... | | We have a gravity fed water system from a spring. It will be easy | to tap into it and make a sylvan hygiene station. I wasn't | worrying a lot about the wood. I just like doing it once and doing | it right, rather than the trial and error method.

Really nice to have that kind of water supply! "Right" has a lot to do with why you have the cabin and with your vision of your/its future...

As with building a house, there just isn't any "doing it once and doing it right". There will always be something needing fixing/maintaining. If whatever you build pleases you, then the maintenance becomes a pleasurable activity - and if the place doesn't please you, then the maintainance becomes burdensome.

Not much help, am I? :-)

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

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Reply to
Morris Dovey

Not really a suggestion for accessorizing a privy, but check out the outhouse design I posted at a.p.b.w.

Call it truth in advertising?

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

"Morris Dovey" wrote

Well, I think that's only partially true. What about the foundation? The plumbing? The electrical? If it's not right, what's the alternative?

Nothing lasts forever, but selecting the proper tools, materials and techniques and TRYING to just do it once beats doing it more than once. Especially when the first version of the job has to be removed, and the second version tried.

I was a welder by trade. In that craft, a lot of times you get only one chance to do it right, or you will mess it up. When doing welds that require x ray testing, you get ONLY one try, and it has to be right, or you have to cut the whole thing out and do it over. Sometimes that means the difference of days of work. And lots of money.

I have always suggested to people "do it once, do it right" as a caveat to give it your best the first time instead of just putting a band aid on a problem, as so many people tend to do. Or just doing a half fast job.

Just MHO, YMMV.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Make a two-seater, then fill one of them in with a pair of legs sticking out. Put a motion sensor on them so they give a couple of kicks when the door opens.

Reply to
Prometheus

I think I understand where you're coming from - and I think we're talking crosswise. I agree with you on "right" and "wrong". I also think that even when something is done "right", there is almost always a way to do it "better".

In some cases there is only one opportunity to get something right; and in others there it's possible to do a best possible first job and return as often as might be desired to make improvements.

| Nothing lasts forever, but selecting the proper tools, materials and | techniques and TRYING to just do it once beats doing it more than once. | Especially when the first version of the job has to be removed, and the | second version tried.

True. I've discovered that darned near everytime I do something new, I discover later (sometimes not much later, and sometimes even before I'm done) some still better way it could be done. It doesn't seem to matter whether I'm planting a garden, building a house, writing software, or building a machine.

| I was a welder by trade. In that craft, a lot of times you get only one | chance to do it right, or you will mess it up. When doing welds that | require x ray testing, you get ONLY one try, and it has to be right, or you | have to cut the whole thing out and do it over. Sometimes that means the | difference of days of work. And lots of money.

I'm with you. Most of my career involved production of "mission critical" software where anything less than absolute reliability meant large financial damage or accidental deaths of innocent people. I really do understand "getting it right" - but in the process of getting it right, I frequently discovered better and more reliable ways to do those same jobs - and nearly always realized better ways still after the project had been completed and the customer well-satisfied.

| I have always suggested to people "do it once, do it right" as a caveat to | give it your best the first time instead of just putting a band aid on a | problem, as so many people tend to do. Or just doing a half fast job.

A cabin, to me, is recreational living space. It's not a production job - it's more like a piece of artwork in progress. To me, part of the enjoyment would be continuing enhancement and improvement on a schedule (or none) of my choosing. I think I'd even try to design stuff so that it'd be easy to modify/improve...

| Just MHO, YMMV.

I certainly respect your work ethic and your desire to get it right the first time. I think I'd approach a cabin a bit differently - but this variety of perspective is what makes people interesting. I wish you much satisfaction and enjoyment.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

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Reply to
Morris Dovey

| Not really a suggestion for accessorizing a privy, but check out the | outhouse design I posted at a.p.b.w. | | Call it truth in advertising?

Sometimes a picture is worth more than any number of words! :-D

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

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Reply to
Morris Dovey

A friend of mine is a veterinarian. He told me a quote they told him at vet school.

"Better is the enemy of good."

On your first try, try to do it good. Then don't mess with it, because most likely, you will goof it up trying to make it better.

Stand back. Take a look. Think about it. Get your stuff ready. Have a plan. Then give it a good shot. Doesn't even have to be your best shot.

I just hate doing things more than once, especially when I'm listening to that little voice, "If you'd done it right the first time ................"

Thanks for the input.

Everyone tries to get it plumb and square, then reality takes over.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Hi,

If you are in cold country, and paln to use the outhouse in the winter, consider making a seat cushion (with a hole) out of styrofoam. It warms instantly to the touch of one's usually protected backside. A small radiant heater is also nice. I used a little butane camping thing.

My only other suggestion to to make it two stories, but that can be messy for those using the lower level.

Enjoy Roger

******************************************************* Morris Dovey wrote:
Reply to
Roger Haar

Steve B wrote: [snip]>>

alt.pictures.binaries.woodworking

j4

Reply to
jo4hn

This site has a bunch of outhouse pics.

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Reply to
klaatu

Also, If you look at books - outhouse on Amazon you will find more than you want to know about them. I have wanted to build a shed that looked like an outhouse. Fake vent pipe and all.

Reply to
klaatu

| Even with MDF, the fibers are bigger than that, aren't they?

The fibers are smaller (I think) but it doesn't really matter - it's accurate enough for what I do.

The accuracy isn't really wasted. While a thou one way or the other in placement of a joinery element isn't usually critical as long as there aren't any cumulative errors, the _fit_ of two boards being joined does matter. I've produced some joints with the bigger 'Bot that cut either so tight that they need to be assembled immediately or are loose enough to need spackle/grout - without any option for a happy medium.

There were two objectives in building the new machine: firstly, to be able to /specify/ a glue gap and actually have better control of the fit; and secondly, to be able to use the spindle/router horizontally so I could cut into the ends of boards longer than the height of the supporting table (a shortcoming of the larger 'Bot with its vertical-only spindle).

This machine allows me to do both of these things; and truthfully, I don't have any tools in my shop that'll give me that kind of measurement accuracy - but I can _feel_ it in the fit of the joints. :-)

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

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Reply to
Morris Dovey

Aha! I was wondering what you were using to check that! :)

Sounds like a nice machine.

Reply to
Prometheus

While you're about it, why not a diaper changing station? And maybe a hot-air hand dryer (which, carefully situated, could also provide some much needed heat in critical locations).

Reply to
J. Clarke

Well, an Aladdin with a smoke bell should do fine, give out a good dela of light, and make a not insignificant amount of heat. Remember, oil lamps and candles were all that they _had_ for most of history. When I googled "Aladdin oil lamp", was the second hit--he's got lamps for just about any occasion.

Reply to
J. Clarke

You could find an old tank and mount it above the seat with a "dummy" pipe to the seat and the pullchain hanging down.

How about a very small corn crib....for all of those left over cobs.....aint nutin like recyclyn.

Reply to
Brent Beal

I was in a Tractor Supply [for the first time] today and there on their book/magazine rack was a thin, hardcover book "Outhouses" by a Holly Bollinger. Mostly pictures but some real unusual styles. FWIW.

Reply to
New Wave Dave

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