Anyone have building plans for a boy's fort? I salvaged some wood from a lumber yard and would like to build a fort. I homeschool my son and would like a project that is easy to read. I plan on my son and I doing it ourselves with no hubby. It will be a school project! Any plans out there? Thanks for your time! Stephanie Wood

-- Stephanie Wood (cnswood@goeaston.net), February 21, 2002

Answers

Use his imagination and creativity as the "plans" and he will have one unique to his personality and it will be a homeschooling project to boot.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 21, 2002.

I do not have plans for the fort, but offer some advice on some of the construction details for your little one.

1. Ease the edges of all exterior corners of doors, windows and walls if possible. By ease, I mean take some time to rub / route the corners of the lumber so that bruising and splinters is held to a minimum.

2. Try and build the foundation so that it is off the ground, away from ground moisture i.e. on concrete pillars. Use termite shields on top of the pillars to prevent them from getting to your structure.

3. Try and maintain light colors inside the fort. Light colors maximize light inside, and reveal wasp / bee nests quickly.

4. Try and use a design module of 24". Because most materials like plywood come in 4' w., you will waste less materials instead of having scrap pieces here and there.

5. Include your son in its design and construction. They often have insights that we adults have forgotten about. 'Secret' doors for escaping, that kind of thing.

6. Countersink all fasteners, and make sure that all exposed nails (both ends) are protected from skin contact.

Have fun.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), February 21, 2002.

I am a public school teacher. Since you homeschool and have more one on one time I would let your son design his own fort using measurements. Also let him use his own ideas as long as the lumber is avaliable. This would be a great learning experience. Good Luck.

-- lb (lanelynn@hotmail.com), February 21, 2002.

If you mean so that he/you can "follow the directions" of the plan as a school type project, I'd draw them yourself. The best thing is, it's a kids fort. Doesn't have to be perfect ... probably better if it's not. You can make the dimensions to fit the amount of wood you have. If that's not an issue then wing it. Not hard at all if you keep it simple.

BUT, if it's a tree house, then don't do it unless you are familiar with carpentry and are comfortable with it. Won't be as much of a safety issue on the ground.

-- Mike in Pa (smfine@yahoo.com), February 21, 2002.

My two cents- as a fomerly fanatic fort builder- give your son a little bit of the salvaged lumber, a little hardware and odds and ends, hammer, and turn him loose. You might teach him how to drive a nail first. Can't explain why, but it just is no fun at all to have a fort that your parents know about, one that they built is even less fun. He will learn a lot by making mistakes and exploring what he wants to build. :)

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 21, 2002.

Agreement is with Rebeka I homeschool 3 boys now in highschool and they have their own ideas and the appreciate it more so just oversee it if ya want and let them do it their way even if it looks wrong silly crooked etc to a grownup It will be what they want but let them know what they can use and not use and stand back. Make suggestions not orders Good luck and sneak in a few pictures during Cindy

-- Cindy (hollo@BITWISESYSTEMS.COM), February 21, 2002.

Thank you all for your quick response. I didn't even think about having him draw it out. (duh!) What a neat idea! I got plenty of salvage wood from a lumber yard. All oak too! Thanks again! Stephanie Wood

-- Stephanie Wood (cnswood@goeaston.net), February 21, 2002.

Here a few more suggestions:

You don't mention how old your son is. The oak will be hard to nail into. Even an experience handyman would have a hard time nailing into a had wood like oak. Look around for some pine pallets. They and be taken apart and re-assembled as a fort.

Try to make the foundation (floor) as flat and square as possible. This make the walls and ceiling fit better.

Plan? What plan? My brother, the neighbor boys and I built many a tree fort. Never did we have a plan. Just keep adding on as the lumber becomes available. Just don't put the fort too high in the tree.

I tell my children, if the tree limb is not as big as your thigh then it's not big enough to climb on.

-- ChrisN (chrisnass@hotmail.com), February 21, 2002.

My son and I are doing a mother/son treehouse.He designed it complete with rope ladder and pulley operated elevator.It is over 150 sq ft (bigger than his bedroom),and we used 2 trees and cable suspension.We also got free lumber from the lumber mill,all cedar,rounded on one side with the bark on.We will use that for the siding,so it will look like a log cabin. Also,it is only 10 ft off the ground,but feels much higher when you're up there. So far,we have finished the floor,the trap door,the wall framing,the rope ladder(we made it),and started on framing the roof.My son is involved in every part of it and we are learning together.He's 9 and we have a system...he measures,I cut...I start the screws(to make sure they're straight)and he finishes them. I would not recommend letting your son build it himself if he's as young as mine.The flooring needs to be VERY strong and stable and the floor frame needs to be secure.^We used 2x8's for the floor frame and secured them to the tree with 10" lag bolts.We also used all screws (no nails ) for the floor frame,as nails can pull apart with stress and wind.Keep in mind,trees move with the wind! However,it is a fun learning experience for us both(I'm no carpenter).I think this is the most fullfilling thing we've done together. So,jump in with both feet,MOM,and have fun with your son.50 yrs from now,he will still remember that you took the time to build it with him.Those are very special memories! E-mail me if you want info or pics of what we did....but,let your son design his own treehouse,it has to be 'his'. One more tip...when you finish have a treehouse sleepover,with all his friends.We plan to do just that...oh,and my son says I'm the coolest mom ever! Makes a mom feel good.

-- Johna (marcnjohna@aol.com), February 21, 2002.

I built a barn with no real prior knowledge of how to do so(even drawing up my own plans)using information and plans from How To Build Small Barns and Outbuildings by Monte Burch as a starting point. You can get it out of your local library (via interlibrary loan if they don't have it).

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), February 21, 2002.

consider an Earth Shelter... no nails required... consult T. Brown (Tracker )

-- K.C. Gordon (kcg@nuwavenet.com), February 21, 2002.

If you have the access to the oak consider using screws instead of nails might have to use a pilot hole too. But then with small amount of maintence should last forever.

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef@getgoin.net), February 22, 2002.

For swings and such get coated chain from the hardware store. also try used tires. I made a fort/swing set/ what ever, from timbers from large packing crates. 4x4's 4x6's 6x6's I just buried the timbers, kids will be grown out of it by the time it's starting to rot. conect tires like this for a ladder O O O O Bolt them all together and bolt them to the up right post(lag bolts an large washers to connect to the post/ and 3/8 1/2 inch bolts with large washers to connect the tires together. Paint tires different colors. and don't forget to drill extra holes for drainage. You can make swing seats from old tires. got other stuff you can use the tires for in the building of a fort and ideas that I used. Write me

-- jack c (injack1@aol.com), February 26, 2002.