new build for me

[fishingaddiction]

I've been reading the tips here and looking at pics to get some ideas for my new shack this year. I found lots of good info and got some ideas. I started this build with a few goals in mind. I wanted a hard sided shack that could comfortably fish 3 or someone 4. I don't have a trailer to haul it, so it has to fit in the back of my truck. In on a tight budget, so I'll be doing everything I am to keep the costs down. So that's all I need. Should be no problem, right?

I started with a 4' by 10' floor ( I didn't say i had to travel with my tailgate up. I'm adding a kick out bench all the way down one side to maximize floor space.

[fishingaddiction]

All the framing is 2x2 drilled pilots and screwed together. The bench has cantilever supports which are 8" inside the wall and 16" out past the floor. They support the short wall, and the roof is a simple slant.

[fishingaddiction]

It'll be a six hole house. I'm trying to avoid paying the 20 bucks for hole covers and another 20 for sleeves, so I cheaped out making my own out of 5 gallon buckets and lids. If they don't work I'll add real hole coffers later, but can do this for 20 bucks total as opposed to the 240 for commercial hole covers.

[jbhandjr]

Wow...keep the pics coming!

How do you plan to load/unload out of the truck bed?

[fishingaddiction]

Weight will be around 400 pounds. Not light, but it will slide up some long ramps with a come along (I hope).

[43.69375-97.188485]

that is awesome anymore pics

[Big Burk]

Like the design looking forward to finished product!

[maisy22]

I'm building one to. I like your cantilever bench. But don't you think you will need some kind of supports on it ?

[fishingaddiction]

I'm building one to. I like your cantilever bench. But don't you think you will need some kind of supports on it ?

When I started building my plan  was to make a retractable support for the bench, but now I don't think I need it. The cantilevers transfer the load to the floor. I've added sheathing to one side of the small box formed by the 2 by 2s for each of them to act as diagonal bracing. Will post some detailed pics when I can. Project is almost complete. I may even get it out on the ice for Christmas day.

[maisy22]

Have you put some kind of ski or slide on it? If so does it make it heavy on one side? How are you countering the weight different ? I really like the bench. Fixes the use of the seating problem without wasting space.
Thanks for any info

[fishingaddiction]

I covered it with luan and painted the whole thing a lovely shade of tan with some left over paint from my duck blind.

[fishingaddiction]

This was a constant source of worry for me, but now i think the framed lever bases and sheathing easily carry the load.

[fishingaddiction]

The windows are two panes of plexiglass separated by a half inch wood strip and the roof is is a southern style post hurricane blue roof.

[fishingaddiction]

The whole thing is lined with pink rigid 1" insulation between the framing.I cut the foam board to for right and glued it in place with loctite pl300 foamboard adhesive.

[fishingaddiction]

The bucket tops are silicones and screwed to the floor. For this, I found buckets with only 1 flange ring and cut them 5/8" below that ring so they'd be flush with the underside of the floor when installed. I found that if I cut the leftover bucket top about 3/4" below this then about 5" below that, I could use the resulting ring as a hole sleeve and it would fit right and go to the ice.

[fishingaddiction]

I added a little frame and plexiglass holder for my shelter tag. To keep the noise down, I added some soft foam material. These are those puzzle puce type mats for exercise rooms. They are cheap and easy and I think they'll help with noise a lot

[fishingaddiction]

Have you put some kind of ski or slide on it? If so does it make it heavy on one side? How are you countering the weight different ? I really like the bench. Fixes the use of the seating problem without wasting space.
Thanks for any info

I believe tip over risk to be minimal, because much of the wrought is distributed low, but it is still a bit of a concern. To counter issues with differential weight loading and any potential problems with tipping over, I have added a handle to each corner and plan to use screw in ice ancors and tie it down.

[fishingaddiction]

Wow...keep the pics coming!


It is amazing what you can do with some chain, a come along, and some homemade ramps.

How do you plan to load/unload out of the truck bed?

Yay physics!!!

[maisy22]

Great looking house. The pic are making me want to figure the bench out.

I have to tow mine on to the lake by myself and to do the bench, I will have to figure out how, with out it tipping over.

maybe make a outrigger ski on the bench side or counter weights on the other side.

Now you have me hooked on your bench design and I can't do with out it now.

Your bench design gives you so much more floor space with out adding to much weight.

I could do the normal bench on 2 side but it's not what I want.
I want a full wall that I can put windows in to watch my tackles and limit the over all weight.
To much weight and gravity will kill you when it comes down the ramp. LOL

I'm only making a 4' x 6' house to keep weight down.

Now I'm starting to babble I'm so intrigued with the bench.

[fishingaddiction]

Great looking house. The pic are making me want to figure the bench out.

I have to tow mine on to the lake by myself and to do the bench, I will have to figure out how, with out it tipping over.

maybe make a outrigger ski on the bench side or counter weights on the other side.

Now you have me hooked on your bench design and I can't do with out it now.

Your bench design gives you so much more floor space with out adding to much weight.

I could do the normal bench on 2 side but it's not what I want.
I want a full wall that I can put windows in to watch my tackles and limit the over all weight.
To much weight and gravity will kill you when it comes down the ramp. LOL

I'm only making a 4' x 6' house to keep weight down.

Now I'm starting to babble I'm so intrigued with the bench.

Once you build it you'll be amazed at how un-tippy it is. If you think about it, in my 400# shack, I've got about 60 pounds extended beyond one wall. I suggest you just build and then if you think it's too tippy to tow, either throw in a sand tube on the opposite wall or make a ski that you can lower down after you get it out of the truck. My bench is 24" wide, so I can take naps on it occasionally, but 18" wide would work fine. I also made it overly talk because I'm talk and have spent my life sitting on benches too short. I over did it with a 22" bench height. 18 " would have been more comfortable.

[IM-POUNDING- R -U]

What will stop someone from doing what you did in reverse with a  winch and ramps?

[fishingaddiction]

What will stop someone from doing what you did in reverse with a  winch and ramps?

Nothing, I suppose...
I don't think I'm understanding the question. Please rephrase.

[nocod]

Nothing, I suppose...
I don't think I'm understanding the question. Please rephrase.

it may get taken the same way you loaded it up .I think that's his point.

[fishingaddiction]

it may get taken the same way you loaded it up .I think that's his point.

It may, indeed. That's a risk we all take with our vehicles, our boats, or any piece of equipment that sits outside. If it happens, I'll build another and it will be better than this one. It will take some time to get it loaded up, and a thief better not let me catch him in the act, or he'll pay the consequences whatever those might be. I take some refuge in the fact that it would be much easier and more profitable to hitch up one of the $30,000 wheel houses that I see every day. Anyway, if you are planning on stealing it, please let me know!

[Moonman]

If indeed the bench turns out to be a bit tippy on the outside section, especially if sleeping, you can do what I did on my collapsing portable hut and use two buckets with a two by four dadoed out to slip over the edges and prop the bench up that way. You can use the buckets to carry extra gear or fish home etc. so multi use. I will post a pic.

Moonman.

[Moonman]

Okay here is a pic:



I originally made two like this one and placed them under my swing out bench.  Then I changed it to use only one longer two by four, with cut outs like this on each end. Easier, and stronger, as support runs along entire two by four. You can rip the two by four if needed, to make it lower, or use a 2x6 to get it higher, as you mentioned a 22" high bench. Obviously depending on how high your buckets are.

Moonman.

[maisy22]

Thanks

I think I will take your advise and build it. I may readjust the beach size.

Good fishing

[Chris338378]

That's a good looking shack, good luck with it.  How thick is the plexiglass you used for the windows?

[maisy22]

I live in central Massachusetts, driving trucks on ice is iffy at best for me maybe not for some.

I just think if you tow it and the center of gravity is off set then it may want to tip over. Maybe not on clear ice but on uneven snow for sure.

When set in place the bucket idea would be great. I like the bench idea but I need  to over come the towing problem. Making a outrigger ski may be the way or counter weight.

I just need to figure out if it is worth the extra work. But with the ice this year, it looks like I will have to next year to figure it out.

There is no worry about stealing, if they want to steal it, the sleazebag will always find a way.

If you do tow yours I would like to know how it goes.

Thanks for the idea it's a good one

[fishingaddiction]

That's a good looking shack, good luck with it.  How thick is the plexiglass you used for the windows?

Thanks, I'm enjoying it so far. The plexiglass is nothing special, about .09 acrylic, good enough, but if you want something tougher you could up grade to polycarbonate. Just be careful when drilling pilot holes so you don't crack it.