Thursday, September 22, 2011

Building the Chicken Palace, part 3

Once I got the base of the chicken palace relocated without incident from the garage to the barn, I was feeling pretty darned smug.
Give me an 18-volt cordless drill and I could conquer the world. I set up shop in the barn 
and spent Sunday afternoon assembling the pieces of my chickens' new home.

Lucy made regular inspections. It was nice to be working in such a social setting
instead of the isolation of my garage.


All the framework was fitting together just as I had planned it...


...and the nest boxes turned out way better than I had expected.
I rehearsed walking up to the hinged drop-down door and opening it to collect some imaginary eggs.


Things got a little dicey when I had to notch the roof of the nest boxes to fit around the framing, but all the careful measuring paid off. 
The size of the coop and the access doors seemed just right. Once the girls moved in, I would be able to easily clean up their mess 
and feed and water them. And have I mentioned how sturdy this thing is? That framing is screwed down so tight and in so many places, 
not even a New Mexico spring windstorm could blow it down.


The part I was most worried about - hanging the siding without benefit of an assistant - turned out to be a piece of cake, 
thanks to a reader's comment. Thank you, Hartwood Roses

When the weekend came to a close, all I could do was stand back and admire my palace in progress.

It wasn't until Sunday night, as I sat in my office downloading the pictures from my camera, that I came unhinged.

How could I have missed it?


During all the time I spent screwing in the framework and attaching the siding, 
I never noticed that one of the door hinges was folded under itself. Just shoot me.

I agonized over this mistake all Sunday night, losing sleep over the thought of removing all those screws and taking apart everything I had spent the weekend putting together. I'm surprised you didn't hear me banging my head against the wall. Then I asked myself... WWDD? (What Would Dad Do?). Buy another hinge and install it on the outside of the frame. It will mean another trip to Home Depot, but it sure beats starting over. Thanks, Dad, for teaching me a little common sense.

15 comments:

  1. Another two thumbs up for you Carson! Your chicken coop is indeed a palace and your girls will be thrilled the moment they get to move in.

    BTW, Dad's rule too!

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  2. WWDD--love it! That's how I felt about my father, too--he could do anything.

    Impressive piece of work there, lady!

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  3. Wonderful job all round! But especially fixing your "mistake" the ole fashion way!! The best way! Lucky chickies!! and u collecting ur eggs!!

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  4. woops! other than that one oops, it is looking really good!

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  5. Did Smooch and the flower cats hear some new words on Sunday night? :) Wonderful design. You should make them for sale!

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  6. You should be a comedy writer! You have me cracking up everyday! The girls are going to LOVE their new palace. Good work and some little stinking door hinge isn't going to stop you - girl power!!

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  7. Yep.. thank goodness for the wisdom our dads' bestowed upon us. I'd have driven to Home Depot too.. the gas money spent would have been worth ridding myself of the aggravation of my building mistake.

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  8. Carol in Colorado9/22/11, 8:22 AM

    Congratulations on becoming a journeyman carpenter!! The coop is awesome. The girls will definitely enjoy their winter home. Can't wait to see the finished project.

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  9. It is beautiful!!! Great job.

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  10. Looking good! Are you going to paint it a great "New Mexico" color? The girls are going to be so impressed. Only one ooops, that's pretty darn good.

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  11. Oooh...I guess I'm too much of a perfectionist: I would figure out the least ambitious way to disassemble the front to get that hinge back where it should be. I would be the only one to notice, but it would drive me crazy, taunting me with it's location!
    Great job!

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  12. Great work!! If that hinge happens to be the kind with a removable pin, maybe you can drive the pin out with a nail, and then pull the trapped piece out. Then just put the pin back in, and Bob's your Uncle!

    And if it's not a removable pin, you can may be able to file off one end of the pin and still drive it out.

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  13. I am so proud for you! I sure could not have done that! Awesome and I bet your girls will LOVE it.

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  14. You had me wondering...that's an excellent solution! Sometimes, the best ones are the simplest. Funny how we try to make things more difficult than they need to be, hmmm?

    Lookin' good!!

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  15. As I read your post, I was thinking, "Go get another hinge"! LOL I applauded when I finished, and that was your solution! YEAH! I can't wait to see this palace all finished, and the special little decorations that you will add! :))

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