Another Project with the kids...

[brewmaster15]

Well WE have another construction project going on here now....I grew up in a woodsy area that was being developed for a housing...lots of new houses going up on the street meant lots of scrap wood for building forts and tree houses....and me,My brother , and cousing grew up making forts you would not believe...By young teens we were heading off to the woods with saws and axes in hand and building Log cabins..I wish I had pics of those as they were amazing.

So Its only natural that I build something with my kids.:) Things are kind of hectic here right now...so this kind of project is just what the doctor ordered...something to just get lost in and have fun.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67262&d=1309266630


al

[brewmaster15]

Photos are pretty bad...my droid takes a decent pic, but for some reason, doesn't resize as easily as my camera....got to work on that.

So the tree house is going to be 6 feet off the ground...Its platform is anchored by only one corner to the tree (hence the name applies loosely here)...Its base is 8 ft X 8 ft...and on that there will be a fort with 6 foot high walls, and a foot print of 5 feet X 8 Feet...It will also have a small 3 Ft x 8 FT deck with railing ....Just big enough for 2 chairs and a fold up table. The customers have requested a door and at one window. :)

More pics to come as we do more... Day one we built the base and got one wall studded.

-al

[two utes]

Looking good Al. I'd reinforce the floor a bit more...never know mate...the kids may want a few tanks in their shack :)

[brewmaster15]

Looking good Al. I'd reinforce the floor a bit more...never know mate...the kids may want a few tanks in their shack :)
Lol... That they might! We've already had the discussion regarding adding electricity and a TV..and my son wants to be sure theres a wireless access point nearby for his laptop....I may just comply with these requests...afterall....never know when I may need a place to chill out. :)

-al

[brewmaster15]

Been a long time since I updated this...The tree house was mostly completed this past summer..., we worked on it a little here and there...long term project. But fun. The completed tree house now contains pine floors, and a state of the art solar battery system capable of running a few lights, Dc fan,Mp3 players,etc, and a laptop for work, games, and movie watching. My kids play out there often and my son and I have slept in there many times, even when the temp was as low as the teens... have a few things to do still... just like a house, it never ends, I want to side it next.

This pic was from the summer.
81220
-al

[Second Hand Pat]

Dang Al, that is almost like a guest house and very cool for the kids. Talk about a hide away to get away from the parents. :D

[brewmaster15]

Pat,
I used to build tree houses as a kid with scrap lumber , made many! Surprised they stayed up! Can tell you though they never looked like this one. Its what I always wanted as a kid.. so I guess...I finally got that wish!

-al

[DLock3d]

Are you shrinking Al, you look shorter than usual?

[brewmaster15]

Are you shrinking Al, you look shorter than usual?
Lol, wish I was as young as my boy Dan!!!

-al

[Trier20]

Looks like a lot of fun! I remember making forts and single room shacks to hang out in when we were young. One of them last just 10+ years before it was torn down. Not too shabby for a shack built by some 10-12 year old kids!

[brewmaster15]

Looks like a lot of fun! I remember making forts and single room shacks to hang out in when we were young. One of them last just 10+ years before it was torn down. Not too shabby for a shack built by some 10-12 year old kids! Hey Brandon, thats a pretty good fort! We had one, not sure how long but it came down on its own after many years... Young maple trees grow much faster than old oaks.. In a few years got real lopsided and fell down!
-al

[Trier20]

Hey Brandon, thats a pretty good fort! We had one, not sure how long but it came down on its own after many years... Young maple trees grow much faster than old oaks.. In a few years got real lopsided and fell down!
-al

As young kids we had a lot of free time being from a large city of 200 people. Imagine 5 of us kids and our BB guns hanging out in that fort all day. A lot of good times. I hope there are as many in your tree house!

[brewmaster15]

Imagine 5 of us kids and our BB guns hanging out in that fort all day Sounds like my child hood....so hey question.. did you ever try and find out if those BB guns actually hurt?:bandana: we did....they do!

-al

[Kal-El]

Interesting i stumble onto this thread just after watching "Treehouse Master." It's amazing how amazing some of these treehouse can be... Anyway, Al amazing job on finishing the tree house.

[Bill63SG]

I built my son one.Being in the trades,so to speak,before the housing crach,it was amazing what got tossed in the dumpster.It was about 8ft off the ground in an actual tree,re-tractable ladder.We also sell window,so it had what ever we stopped carrying,they were triple paned,poped out for cleaning,on wall had a 3x5 window.Oh,did I mention skylights?It had 2 skylights.Dont think I have any digital pics.Roughly 10x10 floor.Have fun with yours,I know we did.I actually had to take it down last summer,Ill see if I can find a pic of it when it was whole.
http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/Bill63SG/m_108029_zps1b3daaa3.jpg (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/Bill63SG/media/m_108029_zps1b3daaa3.jpg.html)

[brewmaster15]

Real Cool Bill...sounds like it was awesome.

Thanks,
al
I built my son one.Being in the trades,so to speak,before the housing crach,it was amazing what got tossed in the dumpster.It was about 8ft off the ground in an actual tree,re-tractable ladder.We also sell window,so it had what ever we stopped carrying,they were triple paned,poped out for cleaning,on wall had a 3x5 window.Oh,did I mention skylights?It had 2 skylights.Dont think I have any digital pics.Roughly 10x10 floor.Have fun with yours,I know we did.I actually had to take it down last summer,Ill see if I can find a pic of it when it was whole.
http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/Bill63SG/m_108029_zps1b3daaa3.jpg (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/Bill63SG/media/m_108029_zps1b3daaa3.jpg.html)

[Bill63SG]

It was.Main reason I had to take it down,even tho I thought I left enough room for the tree to grow,I didnt,and it started to girdle it's self.I geuss the main theme is I did all this before being into discus.Enjoy your time with the kids now,you can always go back to discus,but you cant go back to thier childhood's.

[brewmaster15]

The Bohemian Palace in all its unique splendor!.....

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=83035&d=1406642248

[Second Hand Pat]

My daughter would be so jealous. Very nice for the kids so they can get away from that mean dad of theirs :D

[Allwin]

Super cool, like the way little castle got blended with plants.


The Bohemian Palace in all its unique splendor!.....

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=83035&d=1406642248

[brewmaster15]

Thanks!... Had to dress it up alittle and we had some old cans that were re-purposed. My son is a bit of an artist...he'll be painting some anime characters on them come fall.

Even the planter boxes are re-purposed from an old deck I tore down.

-al

[Keith Perkins]

Okay, now I never landscaped my tree house. lol Quite the nice touches.

[brewmaster15]

Okay, now I never landscaped my tree house. lol Quite the nice touches. Theres never enough places to garden around here Keith, we I figured "what the heck" why not. The kids picked all the plants, and it was an excuse to build something with them. They even water the plants... its been a good learning project....and it looks pretty cool all robinson cruso-ish:)

If I could capture it on camera, you have to see it lit up by the solar lights and in the winter we have LED christmas lights that run off a solar powered battery..looks cool, and my kids understand the whole solar panel, controller,and battery system as well as the way to calculate how much juice is needed to run things.

-al

[rickztahone]

I would have loved growing up in a home that allows you to do so many different things Al! You have chickens, turtles, side-houses and God knows what else, lol.

Your kids will thank you for it when they are older, take that to the bank.

[Keith Perkins]

That's very cool that they're learning so much along the way Al. There's nothing like learning while you're having fun, especially if you don't even realize how much you're learning at the time. :D I learned carpentry, plumbing, electrical, sheet rocking, you name it from my Dad. I've appreciated the heck out of it for years.

[brewmaster15]

I would have loved growing up in a home that allows you to do so many different things Al! You have chickens, turtles, side-houses and God knows what else, lol.

Your kids will thank you for it when they are older, take that to the bank.

I hope so Ricardo, I am a firm believer that kids thrive the more parents interact with them..These things we do together are a great way to do that and I hope they remember and do the same with their kids...At the very least, I will always remember the times spent with them.


That's very cool that they're learning so much along the way Al. There's nothing like learning while you're having fun, especially if you don't even realize how much you're learning at the time. I learned carpentry, plumbing, electrical, sheet rocking, you name it from my Dad. I've appreciated the heck out of it for years. Keith, I hear you there! I learned much as well working with and helping my Dad when it came to learning anything construction. I grew up in a house my Dad built, and it was a bare lot. My Mom and I Planted pretty much every tree and plant there together. They are still living there, 40 years latter...pretty cool seeing trees I planted as a kid 40 years latter.:)

-al

[Scribbles]

Cool tree house Al. You are a great dad to be so involved with your kids. You guys seem to always be busy with fun things.

Chris