My wife knows I'm excited about getting my Phlatprinter3 (I think thats what we are calling it now) but she decided I needed something to occupy my time while waiting for it to arrive. So she thought that I could do a little "simple" building project for my daughters birthday (October 31st she'll be all of 3 years old! Time flies!). I agreed that "we" should get her something more than just toys. So my wife happily went out and bought what she wanted.

It started dawning on me what she'd gotten me into after I had to go borrow a trailer to get the stuff home...

BTW, I almost thought this should be in the kit building section. It is after all a kit that I'm currently working on...


Why can't other companies figure out how to minimize the amount of different hardware in there products like the Phlatboyz do??


This would be a scratch builders dream if it was all Balsa and ply!


Another box had even MORE hardware!


Overall I think my weekend is shot...


Well, At least I got everything unpacked and accounted for... Now the real work is going to begin... :roll: Attached files

 

Gefahren, is your darling wife at least going to help you build the playhouse / jungle gym? I've heard guys at work say they needed at least one other person to hold pieces in place while attaching some other section.

 

Apparently I've already gotten a little lucky on it. One of the guys where I work put a smaller playset together last summer. Only one of each type of wood piece was marked and even then they just had little stickers on them that fell off. Also when he saw the picture of the hardware he was amazed that it was all in individual bags. Apparently he had just as many different nuts and bolts but they all came dumped together in just two bags!

Well, I'm gonna start putting the tower frame together tonight (Sorry, gonna miss the live show!) in the garage since I know that's flat and level, then I can haul it outside and make sure I got the groundwork done right.

So far I don't think my daughter has figured out that the entire halloween celebration isn't part of her birthday.

 

Gefahren, is it this monster that you're assembling? http://www.momdot.com/highlander-swingset-instructions

 

Yes, that is the exact one that I'm trying to put together. I hope it goes better than hers with the cracking wood...

I went and separated all the parts out by the letter code this evening (duh, should have done that while I was doing the inventory on it). Then I started to assemble the basic frame in the garage since I knew two people could easily carry it out to the back yard and the concrete floor would be flat and level. Good thing I stopped to check before proceding with that idea. I realized that it would be taller than the door into the garage and I'm not sure if I have enough roof height to tip the structure on it's side. So I'll start building it tommorrow out in the yard... O well, just one day lost so far.

 

Well, most of a days work put into it so far. It's coming along nicely I think.


This part was actually easy, just took a long time because I was trying to make sure it was level.


This would have been great to build somewhere that was flat and level then bring in to level off to the ground. It's still light enough that two people could carry it easily.


These anchors nearly killed me. The tree close to the playset has all it's roots underground there, I had to twist all four anchors though them to get them deep enough. Did I mention that I put them in by hand? My drill wouldn't turn them after about two inches in the dirt. I don't think a tornado could get these out, it'd rip the playset apart, but the anchors would still be there.


Here it is as it stands. The top platform is about 7 foot off the ground, and I still have to build the roof up from the corner supports. At least from up there I can spy over all my nieghbors fences!

BTW, if anyone thinks it's taking me alittle long to build this, I am doing it by myself. I took a day off from work so I HOPEFULLY will be done by sunday. My wife even took a half day from work... of course she used it to go somewhere instead of help....

o well, I got to finish up lunch so I can go do some more work! Attached files

 

Well, I managed to get the roof on it by the time there wasn't enought light to see anymore. I was having to feel for the screw holes in the roof. That puts me all the way through step 13. There are 36 steps in all if your wondering... So that means a whole day put into it and I'm only 1/3 the way through!! So since I took a lunch break that means I've got about 9 solid hours of work into today for a total of just 10 1/2 hours.

Anyways, here's the roof on it.


Attached files

 

Wow, it's sure looking good! Has your daughter seen it yet? I'll bet when she does, you're going to be nominated (by her) as the next President of the World!

 

ok, I forgot to post pictures earlier, but here they are now that it's all done.







Attached files

 

And the final pictures...

Attached files

 

Man! That is one sweet club house! Your daughter will have good memories of this house the rest of her life for sure!

 

Thanks for the compliments. So far not a day has passed that my Daughter hasn't INSISTED that we go outside so she can play on her "house". She let her cousin play on it but I tried sitting in one of the swings (I checked the wieght limit first! it's 350lbs!) and she wouldn't let me touch HER swingset. I'm just allowed to stand next to it or sit at the picinic table and watch her play... She might be alittle spoiled. :roll:

 

I wonder what gave that away!