Roofing for playhouse

[youngins]

OK. here is my test rafter run:

All my materials:


Drawing ridge plumb line and marking end of first step


Marking end of second step:


After all 4 steps have been marked - used felt BLACK pen to make them camera friendly
Here's Step 1 (with ridge reduction in BLUE pen):


Step 2:


Step 3:


Step 4 with seat cut marked:


Seat cut with offset to take into consideration sheathing:


So, how did i do ?    

[PEG688]

Looks good cut two , do NOT reduce for the ridge yet, try the pair at both ends , the cuts should line up all around , ridge / seat cut bottom and the birds mouth wall connection point. Adjust or ask IF it doesn't look right.

When you cut the birds mouth , DO NOT "cut past" use a hand saw / jig saw to finish the cuts so the piece falls out.

G/L PEG    

[MarkAndDebbie]

Chris,
You're sly - using that old rafting square makes it look like you have been doing this forever . I do the same thing by carrying my father-in-laws toolbox. He was a roughneck at one time.

-Mark

[PEG688]

Chris,
You're sly - using that old rafting square makes it look like you have been doing this forever . I do the same thing by carrying my father-in-laws toolbox. He was a roughneck at one time.

-Mark

That plastic speed square kinda tells the rest of the storey

So you cutum yet?? Tap, tap, tap , waiting  :-/  :-/ Get a move on lad,  those girls will be in college bafore yer finished

[glenn kangiser]

Ahhh --- grasshopper, ---the master becomes impatient.

[youngins]

Trying to get my hands on a jig saw.....

[glenn kangiser]

Any straight saw will work -- even --- gasp --- a hand saw.  You know -- one of the old ones without an electric cord attached.

PEG just doesn't want you to over cut with a circular saw to get the cutout to break off and weaken your rafter.

The PC reciprocating saw you posted a picture of the other day could be used to finish the cut straight without over cutting.

[youngins]

The PC reciprocating saw you posted a picture of the other day could be used to finish the cut straight without over cutting.

Ugh!  Even though sawz-all made short work of trimming the Fiber Brace - its a bear to keep straight - my guess is because the blade on it is flimsy.  I don't know if they make rigid blades for it - but the blade I was using wanted to jump all over the place.

[MountainDon]

Even though sawz-all made short work of trimming the Fiber Brace - its a bear to keep straight - my guess is because the blade on it is flimsy.  I don't know if they make rigid blades for it - but the blade I was using wanted to jump all over the place.

Just use it to finish off the cut. Do the main work with the circular saw... just cut UP TO the end of cut line. Then switch.

[glenn kangiser]

They make many very heavy blades for the PC including demolition blades.

Keep the shoe tight against your work to prevent the jumping.  Also a wider heavy blade with fairly coarse teeth will help.  They make some very good wood cutting ones.

[youngins]

I will try first with circular saw and then fine tune with hand saw.  Its a test piece of wood anyways - so nothing lost if i mess it up.

[MarkAndDebbie]

I don't know if you could do this safely with your one test piece (maybe with some extra scrap?), but I was thinking of gang cutting mine with the circular saw at an angle. Sort of like PEG did with the ledger here
http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1144724922/0#0
Of course no need to clean anything up since the two cuts will meet. Set the depth a little shallow and finish with the handsaw.

I had even considered using my tablesaw - which is easier to get a precise angle on.

Any thoughts?

[PEG688]

 Larry Haun a " some what " noted author and builder who started out in the 1950's , one of his technics was / is, ( Larry's about 80 now , last I read about him he's still doing some building) , that type of gang cutting for the birds mouth , he or some one like him also developed a over sized saw blade set up of a worm drive saw to take a blade large enought to cut the ridge / tail cuts as well . So once "racked and stracked" all the rafters could be cut essentailly at once.


 IMO it's way more work than it's worth and errors , clumitive / due to material thickness, crown , bows etc would be exeserabated.

 When I cut rafters  I  pick a nice straight / light / true one for my pattern , I [highlight]screw on[/highlight] two engagement cleats that are about  1/2" x 2 1/2"x 6"   , these engagement cleat's  are  attached about 6" from the peak cut and the other what would be right above the birds mouth, they stick down 1" to engage the rafter your about to mark .


Use screws , nails can and will loosen up and you[highlight] won't notice [/highlight]that till you've cut " how many"  :'(  bad rafters  

I stack a bunch ( as many as you saw horses will hold safely) and I leave a space between each stack so that cleats can fit in ( about 2" between stacks , one person has the ridge one the birds mouth end ,  work together to move and mark each rafter on the pile , then cut each rafter , when cuttin a whole house it is wise to have the same person cut the same "end" of each rafter , in theroy you could swap ends , BUT theroy and reality seldom match , and neither will your cuts , so like I said the same person should cut the same cut things sould fit / look / go better that way.

One person pulls a  opposite stacked rafter  , start on different / oppisite sides of the rafter stack , the ridge cut person should always finish firts as the birds mouth end has two cuts , well four cuts really start the cuts with the skilsaw stopping so you don't cut past then change to a handsaw / jigsaw to complete the cuts .


I rarely cut the rafter tail before the rafters are installed , I much perfer to get them all up , then snap a line form end to end and cut the tails that way , again in theroy percutting the tails should work , I have found it rarely does . I like my soffits straight .

 Cuuting the birds mouth on a tablesaw is , well,   nuts :-/       How would you index it ? How would you guide a 20 foot long 2 x12 cross ways over a tablesaw table ?? Ok even a 8 foot or so one   the rafter crown would fight you as would the lenght / weight etc .

 And we're not building a piano here , that's pretty obvious by the pictures Chris is taking ,  


 So Chris ya gottum cut  yet?    

 Thanks for linking my other thread , I some times wonder if all this effort of formatting and typing all this stuff is worth it / if it ever gets read   :'(

But I guess it does  

 Get a move on Chris , ya can't cut rafters sitting at a computer

G/L PEG

[glenn kangiser]

That's my problem, PEG.  I spend too much time sitting at the computer and not enough time actually going out and doing something. :-/ :'(

[youngins]

I did it again (another rookie mistake)....

Background: My plan was to get 10 2x4x10 rafter stock for all 20 rafters.  A couple of days ago, I had cut all of my stock in half so I would have 20 5ft pieces of wood, ready to make rafters out of them.



Lesson learned: Work out ALL the math first.

At 8/12 slope - that comes out to about 14.5" per step. Multiply that by run (4 ft) = 58"

The second rafter is at 7/12 slope. At 13.89" per step x run (4 ft) = 55.5"

You can see Red at the back door going to momma to tattle on me....

[PEG688]

Hummm ,

[size=72]  DOH [/size]


Seems to fit here  

[youngins]

So, moving on, I know that I need to do two things:

1. Mark the rafter intersections with the ridge board
2. Raise ridge board

Two questions:

Do I mark the second rafter at 15 3/4" like i did for the second stud for the wall framing?

What is the best method for determining the ridge board height?

[PEG688]

Two questions:

Do I mark the second rafter at 15 3/4" like i did for the second stud for the wall framing?

What is the best method for determining the ridge board height?

#1: Depends , any rake over hangs ?? If so how wide , and what materials will make up said overhang?

If no overhang/ eave , lay it out like the walls either 15 1/4" to it or 16 3/4" to the far side ,

 we been over this before , learn,  adapt , add one lesson to another  







#2: It will be where the two rafters meet , remember to reduce for 1/2 the thickness of your ridge board , you said you where getting 1x6 , you layed out for  (what appears to be ) a 2x ridge , 1/2 of 3/4" is 3/8" , so what are you doing ?

Not so easy when your the one doing it , as it would appear to be when your just watching is it?  
 

[youngins]

We ended up getting a 2x6x12  - The 1x6's were not very straight - and those I could find in 12 foot lengths were all PT.

[PEG688]

We ended up getting a 2x6x12  - The 1x6's were not very straight - and those I could find in 12 foot lengths were all PT.

Texas ,   still shopin a Home Despot / Blowes  

[youngins]

Thanks for your guidance-

Wagner's "House Framing" does not specifically exemplify roofing a structure.  His explanation of marking the ridge board is very generic.  Also, The explanation on determining ridge board height is a bit short because do does not go through an actual example.

Again - I appreciate everybody's time/patience.

[MarkAndDebbie]

What is the best method for determining the ridge board height?

I have no idea what the best method is. I used sketchup and measured it. Since I am still on wall #2 I can't tell you if it will work

[youngins]

What is the best method for determining the ridge board height?

I have no idea what the best method is. I used sketchup and measured it. Since I am still on wall #2 I can't tell you if it will work

look forward to hear back on your outcome.  Wagner suggests doing the math.

PEG's guidance is "do NOT reduce for the ridge yet, try the pair at both ends , the cuts should line up all around , ridge / seat cut bottom and the birds mouth wall connection point. Adjust or ask IF it doesn't look right. "

So, that's what I am going to do - build 4 rafters using my 5ft stock (still mad at myself for doing that - I should have used 12 footers to split in half).

Put two up and one end and two on the other.

Go on from there....I just need to decide what slope I want - 8/12 with basically forced clipped eaves or 7/12 with some overhang. Other difference will be about 4 inches of height.

[MountainDon]

...I just need to decide what slope I want - 8/12 with basically forced clipped eaves or 7/12 with some overhang. Other difference will be about 4 inches of height.

Is there going to be a loft? A loft begs for a steeper pitch.

With NO loft in my plans I base my choice of roof pitch on what I'm comfortable working on. That depends on the roofing material. Asphalt shingles supply a lot more grip than the metal roofing I want for the cabin. So my gazebo ended up with a 7:12 pitch and the cabin will likely have a 5:12 or maybe a 4:12 like my house.  :-/

[youngins]