Bolt Together

[dickcrich]

Back in 1972 Family Circle Magazine sold around 25,000 sets of plans for a "bolt together" house designed by Jeff Milstein. Does anyone know where to get a set of these plans now?

[trish2]

When looking for odd things, e-bay is always a place to try

Have you googled Jef Milstean?  That might be another approach.  My fuzzy memory says that one of the mobile home/modular manufactueres actually built that house.  Silvercreast/Fleetwood is also another possiblity to check.

Let us know if you find them or one of the old Fam  Circle that it was featured in.  Sure would be fun to see those old photos again

[DavidLeBlanc]

Back in the 1910's and '20's, Sears sold house kits...

[Greenbank]

I dunno if it was featured in his book, but there are lots of copies of that available:

http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Jeff+Milstein&y=11&x=69

[Epiphany]

I purchased a set and then promptly put them in storage.  I'm in the process of trying to find them, but I'm growing less optimistic as time goes by.  I think I stuck the rolled up blueprint in my golf bag, and then my ex-husband sold my golf clubs without asking me.  Emphasis on EX-husband.    If I happen to run across them in the next few weeks (clearing out storage completely), I will post here first.  My understanding is that Mr. Milstein is no longer providing copies, but will provide permission to copy those already in existence.

[Epiphany]

As it turns out, I found the Bolt Together plans this weekend.  Yippee!!  As soon as I can get Mr. Milstein's address and get a letter of permission from him, I'll be glad to provide copies.  

I have no idea what the cost will be - whatever my actual cost is at Kinko's to copy something that large.

[Amanda_931]

Yay!

My copy got lost to water damage in the fire.

Not absolutely sure I want more, but....

[Chuckca]

I found this web site in a fishing mag today....looks interesting....they don't list prices....

http://www.flatrivercorp.com/

[jkevindonley]

Hello...
I am the next in line looking for Milstein's plans for the "Bolt Together House."
I am hoping that someone here can help me obtain a copy of these ever elusive plans.  I have search far and wide and continually come up short.  I have a copy of the book, Tiny, Tiny Houses, but I am looking for the actual BLUEPRINTS that were made available through Family Circle Magazine back in '72.  It looks as though some of the people in here do have copies or originals, but the posts look to be a year or so old.  Someone please help.  I can be reached at my email at jkevindonley@hotmail.com.
I am willing to pay for the cost of copying and shipping.  Possibly even a handling charge.  Also, did anybody ever actually build this structure.  Would love to see photos.  Get me the plans and I WILL build it and post photos!  Please!
Thanks everyone.

[tjm73]

As it turns out, I found the Bolt Together plans this weekend.  Yippee!!  As soon as I can get Mr. Milstein's address and get a letter of permission from him, I'll be glad to provide copies.  

I have no idea what the cost will be - whatever my actual cost is at Kinko's to copy something that large.

If it's been 20 or 25 years since he claimed copywrite, I believe no permission is needed.  '72 was 33 years ago.

Me...... I'd post them without permission because, quite frankly I don't care and I'd not be gaining anything financially from the action.  Or take pictures of them.  The pictures are yours and you can do with them as you please.  If they "just happen" to have the plans in the pic, ooops.....

[glenn kangiser]

Here's something John posted.

Bolt Together House

[jkevindonley]

I went to PlanHelp.com as mentioned in Jeff's Page.
Not only were the plans not there, I'm not really wanting to pay the $30 fee for joining the website.  Thanks for reading the post and keep your eyes peeled for these plans.
The instructions on this page and in the book are pretty basic.  I was hoping that the "purchased" plans would have better drawings and a more complete material list.
Thanks.

[glenn kangiser]

Planhelp may not have received permission to provide them yet.  I know the owner - he's a pretty straight shooter.

[John Raabe]

The permissions have not yet come through on this. I will try to get a follow up email.

The plans are quite complete (when printed full scale).

[whisper]

I am not as interested in the "Bolt Together" plans as I am in a couple of the others shown in Lester Walker's book.  One little vacation house that Walker did for Popular Mechanics magazine and another that Jeff Milstein did called the Summer House, also for Family Circle.    Does anyone know where they might be available?   I have tried searching the library archives but did not find them.

[Amanda_931]

I wonder how much design of houses is like design of quilts?

If you sketched out what you remember you liked about the Summer House or the Popular Mechanics houses, could you get there without the plans.

With quilts sometimes you can--mostly you can on a geometric pieced quilt--sometimes you can't, even if it is a pieced block, e.g. Margaret Rolfe's animals.

[John Raabe]

I haven't yet heard back from Jeff. He is being very cautious about the possibility of being sued should he make something like the bolt-together house plans public information. I have tried to help by making it necessary for people to sign an electronic hold-harmless agreement to download the plans.

This being the case, I assume he would also be reluctant to make the summer house plans available.

The bolt-together house is actually quite complex. I know I won't be building it.

Any plan layout that you can build using standard framing techniques such as used in the plans on this site will be much easier to build - and you will have many local folks to give you advice and show you where you screwed up.   You don't want to have to invent a new framing system just to build a simple house. (This is one of the things Jeff is worried about, I'm sure.)

See of you can get the layout you want to work inside a standard sized structural shell and you are more than 1/2 way there.

[whisper]

Thank you John - I am not planning to do a bolt together system for sure - basic good old framing for me.  I do like a couple of the framed tiny places in Walker's book but I reckon when I get to build it will be a modification of several that I like.

[Epiphany]

Whisper,

Are you talking about the beach house that looked kind of like a mobile home?  Living/dining, open kitchen sharing a wall with bath, bunk room and master...  Most furniture built in, deck all along one side...

[whisper]

The two I was referring to were both in the Tiny House book:   a) "Cottage in the Woods" by Lester Walker - quite a modern looking little unit with a loft and bumped out dining area and b) the "Summer House" - 10' x 10' with 2 bunks up in a loft, some "cute" trim (which I would leave off or simplify) by Milstein.   The inside out house would not work where I have land - it has a "proper" winter.

[Epiphany]

Yes, Whisper, I know which one you're talking about.  I tore out that article and have it "somewhere".  The windows were made of plastic, I remember that.

I have ordered some software to organize all these articles and ideas, called Scanalog.  I haven't received it yet, but it looks to be a godsend to me, as I have boxes full of articles, decorating ideas, recipes, etc.  As I go through and catalog my articles and GET RID OF THE PAPER, hopefully I'll run across that.  If anyone has used this software and has any comments, I'd love to hear them.  In case I need to give credit, their web site is www.scanalog.com

Have you tried contacting Family Circle?  I never could get them to respond, but maybe you would have better luck.

[the mahout(Guest)]

Greetings.  I have always liked Jeff Milstein's Bolt-together House and would like to get a copy of the actual plans.  I chased down a copy of the Family Circle magazine that featured it several years ago after seeing it in The Tiny House Book.  I have some scans of that article if anyone is interested.  

I would like to see some better pictures of one that someone has built.

I figure I may be able to build one of these in the woods as my retirement home (smile).  I will not be able to afford much more!  I am curious of what the material costs would be today – more than $2500 obviously.  Any thoughts?

the_mahout at yahoo.com  

[Amanda_931]

[highlight][size=24]It all depends [/size][/highlight]
on how good you are at scrounging!

Or buying at auctions, yard sales, eBay, etc.

And

if you've got a place to store all that

if you can see how something will work in your project

if you are flexible enough to make the cheap stuff work--as opposed to getting exactly what you originally had in mind

if you have the tools to make something that is almost right work

You may have gathered that it all depends is a pet phrase around here.

I have friends who are great that way.  I don't think I am.

[jraabe]

I now have the download file up on the Planhelp website and there is a full download of the original 1972 Family Circle magazine article about the house.

Check it out here:
http://www.countryplans.com/bolt-house.html

Let me know if you have any problems downloading the PDF files.