The Poultry Keeper

Woodburner

It must be silly because no-one ever says how to do it, they just say, "Make the frame with 2x2 timber." or, "Fix the panels at right angles."

How do I fix two (or more) pieces of 2x2 at right angles?

I have occasionally seen angled struts screwed through the tapering part, but how is the right angled joint fixed?
3 inch screws? Surely not. Surprised

Small pieces of wood in the angles? Never seen any in pics. Ditto metal brackets. I've seen plastic things in the shops and I've even seen them used in kitchen cabinets, but never on a coop.
Confused

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 860 Location: Correze

Depends how posh you want ot be, Woodburner. Ours are done very simply, literally lapping one against the other and screwing through. Works a treat, and is so easy to do!!

If you want it to look better (depends on the use, for a coop it won't show anyway, being covered with more wood!), then you can mitre the corners (that, I presume is the "tapering" to which you refer?) - cut both ends to 45 degrees, and join that way.

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 468 Location: Dublin, Ireland

You can get small metal braces in your Homebase, Woodies or hardware shop. There are right angled ones that you can fit to the inside of the join after you screw them together, to make them more stable. Big old screws do the job well, but the bracket/braces really stabilise the frame, esp if it's going to have to hold up a roof, or in the case of mine, another coop! HTH.

Chickweed · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 61 Location: Baldock, Herts

I cut triangles of ply to fix them on the run. About 6"x6" It also helps to prevent the joint twisting in high winds

Pete

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1220 Location: Midlands

Depends what I'm trying to fix to each other . . . . sometimes I use battening at the right angle and sometimes I use the metal thingies. The battening works well if the pieces you are joining are not too thick - like tongue & groove, but if I'm joining pieces of battening - for example for a run the I use the metal thingies, as I have to pay for those (as opposed to using cast off pieces of battening) I tend to skimp somewhat so some of my runs are a bit wibbly wobbly Laughing

Itsybitsy

Woodburner · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:37 pm Post subject:

Thanks folks. I like to be neat but cost is an issue. I think I'll get a bunch of these (second one down) to hold things together until I get the ply on, and properly brace the ones that will have removable panels.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1220 Location: Midlands

Hmmm - with only one screw on each angle I see wibbly wobbly coming up. . . . . . mind you if you are then filling in the panels with wood then that should sort it out.

Wilkos are good for that kind of stuff - cheap

Itsybitsy

Dopey · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject:

Have a look at the bottom of my hen house
http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=12638
what i did was take the noggins out of a pallet, the bit that keeps the top and bottom of the pallet apart, this will do a few things for you when you screw your timber in, it will be nice and thick, so it matters not the size of the screw your using, its a good flat base for it (i know it looks like there in the ground but their not) so it will give you a very stable footing

Magpie · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 525 Location: Norfolk

Half lap joints are probably best for 2 x 2, I can't think how to describe it in writing so I'll go and google it Smile

First result is the one I needed Laughing

Have a look here.

Tim

Magpie · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 525 Location: Norfolk

Forgot to say that I normally put a couple of 1.5" screws through the joint to hold it together and I don't bother with glue if it's outside.

Tim

Woodburner · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:37 am Post subject:

Itsybitsy, yes, I'm kind of relying on the ply to hold everything together. I will check wilko's out again, but I'm pretty sure online will be cheaper, it was last time I bought a bunch of stuff, and I need quite a bit again. (Saving exceeds postage.)

Dopey, The coop is going to be moved regularly, so the legs need to be fixed very very well to it. In fact I am using continuous timber for the coop corners and legs and joining them on two out of four sides. You have given me an idea for compost bay construction though Very Happy

Magpie, half lap joints would compromise the strength of the legs so are a no go anyway this time but I can't figure out how to do the corners (where three pieces join) either. Confused

chicken_house_man · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 79 Location: Brynmawr

You could use 3" screws but they'd need to be designed for end grain - screwfix supply them as screw-tite.
If you're using weldmesh and it's pulled tight then you may not need anything else to reinforce the corners. The mesh will hold the timber in place as it takes a fair amount of force to distort. If you'r useing chicken wire the frames will definatley need to be more rigid. 6mm ply triangle will be enough