Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If you want access to members only forums on HSO, you will gain access only when you Sign-in or Sign-Up .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member. ?

4X6 dark house project


Early Riser

Recommended Posts

I got pretty far on this project over the weekend between odd jobs, errands, a visit to a relative in the hospital, church, lawn mowing and cooking meals for the family.

I started a 10' x 12'shed during the evenings after work last week, finished the floor of that project, and then decided to use the floor to start a permanent darkhouse.

A floor and a couple walls

September2008BobbyandSpearshack002.jpg

The hole is 45" X 30"

September2008BobbyandSpearshack005.jpg

Walls done and a couple of sheets on.

September2008BobbyandSpearshack016.jpg

Materials

5 - 2"x4"x8' treated

1 - 4'x8'x 1/2" CCX plywood treated

25 - 2"x2"x8' studs

6 - 4x8'x 1/4 sheets of grade 1 Lauan plywood or marine grade.

I can get a few more pics up here as I get it finished up. If any one is interested in building something like this I can let you know that the materials cost me just a bit over $200 including lumber, hardware, paint, caulk, etc. With two full days a guy could get this project buttoned up tight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys. Shamalex, first I caulked all the edges and screws on the roof. Then I added two thick coats of spar varnish I had laying around. Now after discussing a few ideas with elwood on his thread, I am leaning towards also adding some sheets of aluminum or even thin steel to cover the roof. I will also likely wrap all the edges with metal as this is where the house will take a lot of abuse loading and unloading into the pick-up or trailer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeff I have painted the inside black. I just finished up the door tonight. Everything is sealed up tight. I sat with a friend in his house last year after he had just finished it up - except for painting the inside black and it was plenty dark enough. I just think it will be even better with everything totally dark except for the light coming in from the hole.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ER-

Nice looking house. I think you'll enjoy it this winter.

I'm curious, so here's some questions, if you don't mind:

What's the interior height?

Did you insulate the walls/ceiling?

Where do you plan to put a heater?

Huey

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I cut the studs at 6' so with the top and bottom plates the height is 6'3".

I am used to spearing out of a canvas portable so I am not used to an insulated house. I might get too hot!

In my portable houses I use either a buddy heater or sunflower, depending on the outside temp. I place my heaters behind me just to the left of the door opening. If this new house is as tight as I think it is going to be, I will purchase a big buddy and forgo the sunflower for the cold days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If this new house is as tight as I think it is going to be, I will purchase a big buddy and forgo the sunflower for the cold days.

I have a 4X6 Canvas and I use a big buddy in there all winter. I put moving blankets over the top of it and I get a little insulation plus no condensation but the big buddy heats it up enough for me to go be in a T-shirt even on the coldest of days.

It would be nice to have a perm house since you could mount the heater on the wall or put it on a shelf and save some floor space.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BnS- Thanks for the welcome. It feels like old times, checking this HSOforum everyday to see who's posted. Good times, good times.... laughlaugh

ER - Thanks for posting. I'm thinking of building my first permenant so it's cool to see what you and other people like Elwood have done.

FYI- Fleet Farm had a really good sale on Buddys and Big Buddys last yr just before ice fishing. Big Buddys were marked down to $90. Hopefully they'll do that again this year. I'd like to get one for my portable.

Huey

Link to comment
Share on other sites

earlyriser if your house is as tight as mine you should be able to heat it with a candle grin I have a 6x8 fishhouse that is not nearly insulated as good as my spear shack and half the time the heater is on pilot or off.

Heuy good to hear from you are you as pumped up as us for the up coming season. it was so cool to see you get that pike on the get-to gator last year can hardly wait for ice and its not even duck season yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are a few pics from today. Sorry about the white spots - from drizzle this morning. I still have to wrap the corners in light steel and cover the roof with same.

003-1.jpg

001.jpg

It is fairly light and I don't think I will have any trouble tipping it into the pickup.

By the way, I believe the Dec. 1 opener is a thing of the past. I heard the DNR is going to let individuals decide when the ice is safe. So if there is good ice by Thanksgiving this year up north we are good to go!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Landscaper, since the house is framed with 2x2s and sheeted with Lauan, it is fairly light. I plan on either tipping and sliding into the pickup, or sliding it onto a trailer. Since I can spear on several lakes close to home, I plan on using this house as a base where I can spear if I only have a few hours, or use if it is too windy to make spearing out of a portable comfortable.

I like being able to set up on a different lake every day, so my portables will get the most use. The permanent house project is just a way to experience another aspect of the sport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • By The way that didn't work either!! Screw it I'll just use the cellular. 
    • It’s done automatically.  You might need an actual person to clear that log in stuff up.   Trash your laptop history if you haven’t tried that already.
    • 😂 yea pretty amazing how b o o b i e s gets flagged, but they can't respond or tell me why I  can't get logged in here on my laptop but I can on my cellular  😪
    • I grilled some brats yesterday, maybe next weekend will the next round...  
    • You got word censored cuz you said        B o o b ies….. haha.   Yeah, no… grilling is on hiatus for a bit.
    • Chicken mine,  melded in Mccormick poultry seasoning for 24 hours.  Grill will get a break till the frigid temps go away!
    • we had some nice weather yesterday and this conundrum was driving me crazy  so I drove up to the house to take another look. I got a bunch of goodies via ups yesterday (cables,  winch ratchet parts, handles, leaf springs etc).   I wanted to make sure the new leaf springs I got fit. I got everything laid out and ready to go. Will be busy this weekend with kids stuff and too cold to fish anyway, but I will try to get back up there again next weekend and get it done. I don't think it will be bad once I get it lifted up.    For anyone in the google verse, the leaf springs are 4 leafs and measure 25 1/4" eye  to eye per Yetti. I didnt want to pay their markup so just got something else comparable rated for the same weight.   I am a first time wheel house owner, this is all new to me. My house didn't come with any handles for the rear cables? I was told this week by someone in the industry that cordless drills do not have enough brake to lower it slow enough and it can damage the cables and the ratchets in the winches.  I put on a handle last night and it is 100% better than using a drill, unfortatenly I found out the hard way lol and will only use the ICNutz to raise the house now.
    • I haven’t done any leaf springs for a long time and I can’t completely see the connections in your pics BUT I I’d be rounding up: PB Blaster, torch, 3 lb hammer, chisel, cut off tool, breaker bar, Jack stands or blocks.   This kind of stuff usually isn’t the easiest.   I would think you would be able to get at what you need by keeping the house up with Jack stands and getting the pressure off that suspension, then attack the hardware.  But again, I don’t feel like I can see everything going on there.
    • reviving an old thread due to running into the same issue with the same year of house. not expecting anything from yetti and I already have replacement parts ordered and on the way.   I am looking for some input or feedback on how to replace the leaf springs themselves.    If I jack the house up and remove the tire, is it possible to pivot the axel assembly low enough to get to the other end of the leaf spring and remove that one bolt?   Or do I have to remove the entire pivot arm to get to it? Then I also have to factor in brake wire as well then. What a mess   My house is currently an hour away from my home at a relatives, going to go back up and look it over again and try to figure out a game plan.           Above pic is with house lowered on ice, the other end of that leaf is what I need to get to.   above pic is side that middle bolt broke and bottom 2 leafs fell out here is other side that didnt break but you can see bottom half of leaf already did but atleast bolt is still in there here is hub assembly in my garage with house lowered and tires off when I put new tires on it a couple months ago. hopefully I can raise house high enough that it can drop down far enough and not snap brake cable there so I can get to that other end of the leaf spring.
  • Topics

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.