Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
- Starfaun
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:11 am
- Location: A magical forest, Sweden
Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
Hey, everyone!
I thought I would share my adventures building a hermit's hut with you! I've been wanting to do this for a few years now and I guess it was just time. I haven't built anything since third grade, so thankfully my dad is helping me out!
Well, anyway, in January I started looking around for windows. I found an old pair in a thrift shop and so I peeled off the paint and the putty, removed the broken glass, oiled them, replaced the glass and applied new putty. The same thing went for the door, except it wasn't found in a thrift shop but up on our attic! Apparently it was the kitchen door in the 40's, 50's and 60's. My late grandmother and I grew up in the same house and it's so fascinating (and comforting) to think that something that was part of her every day life is now going to be part of mine!
I've chosen to use locally sourced 95 mm wood fibre insulation and I'm going to heat with a wood stove, which has been bought used. The hut will be 3,00 meters by 3,60 meters and it will have a sloping tin roof. Well, I guess that's about how far we have gotten for now!
And here's a photo from today's building!
I thought I would share my adventures building a hermit's hut with you! I've been wanting to do this for a few years now and I guess it was just time. I haven't built anything since third grade, so thankfully my dad is helping me out!
Well, anyway, in January I started looking around for windows. I found an old pair in a thrift shop and so I peeled off the paint and the putty, removed the broken glass, oiled them, replaced the glass and applied new putty. The same thing went for the door, except it wasn't found in a thrift shop but up on our attic! Apparently it was the kitchen door in the 40's, 50's and 60's. My late grandmother and I grew up in the same house and it's so fascinating (and comforting) to think that something that was part of her every day life is now going to be part of mine!
I've chosen to use locally sourced 95 mm wood fibre insulation and I'm going to heat with a wood stove, which has been bought used. The hut will be 3,00 meters by 3,60 meters and it will have a sloping tin roof. Well, I guess that's about how far we have gotten for now!
And here's a photo from today's building!
- Starfaun
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:11 am
- Location: A magical forest, Sweden
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
It looks like only one attachment per post is allowed, so here's a photo of the window...:
- Starfaun
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
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- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:11 am
- Location: A magical forest, Sweden
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
...and here's a photo of the door!
- Chants Cottage
- Tom Good
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Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
Oh dear. I'm going to make myself feel and sound very old and potentially patronising by saying I wish this is the kind of thing I'd wanted to do when I was 20... Love that door (and the fact that it came from the family home). Look forward to seeing how the hut progresses...
- Carltonian Man
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
That's an interesting project SF, I love following things like this. Re posting photos, once one file has been added if you scroll down a bit I think you can add another (and another)
- bill1953
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Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
Nice project
Just because you see two eyes shining in the jungle at night, do not think that the worse thing that could happen is that you are about to be attacked by a tiger. It could be two one-eyed tigers.
- Starfaun
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:11 am
- Location: A magical forest, Sweden
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
Tomorrow, a friend will be dropping off the wood stove we bought - wee! Also, I would be curious to know if anyone would happen to have any experience from working with iron sulfate/copperas/green vitriol? (Which is the most commonly used name, btw? ) Some say to treat the wood when it's in place and some say to treat it in advance... Anyone?
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
Hi Starfaun,
Any timber treatment needs to be applied to the finished surface, ie if you cut or drill holes into the treated surface then the wood boring insects and fungies have a way in and can then chew their way through the wood (under the treated area).
I hope that this makes sense.
Any timber treatment needs to be applied to the finished surface, ie if you cut or drill holes into the treated surface then the wood boring insects and fungies have a way in and can then chew their way through the wood (under the treated area).
I hope that this makes sense.
- Starfaun
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:11 am
- Location: A magical forest, Sweden
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
It does! But you know how it is - everyone says something different and I happened to read somewhere that with iron sulfate you should treat it in advance, but if someone who tried it doesn't advice otherwise, we will just follow "standard procedure" so to speak.dustydave wrote:Any timber treatment needs to be applied to the finished surface, ie if you cut or drill holes into the treated surface then the wood boring insects and fungies have a way in and can then chew their way through the wood (under the treated area).
I hope that this makes sense.
My little stove was dropped off today and picked up again a few hours later by someone who's going to fix a few things on it. So, of course, I forgot to take a photo... It's a small Husqvarna from the early 1900's with a boiling plate and a small window. Anyone else looking forward to winter?! Probably not.
- Thomzo
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Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing and please keep the photos coming.
Zoe
Zoe
- demi
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Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
yes keep us posted ! :)
Tim Minchin - The Good Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr1I3mBojc0
'If you just close your eyes and block your ears, to the acumulated knowlage of the last 2000 years,
then morally guess what your off the hook, and thank Christ you only have to read one book'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr1I3mBojc0
'If you just close your eyes and block your ears, to the acumulated knowlage of the last 2000 years,
then morally guess what your off the hook, and thank Christ you only have to read one book'
- Starfaun
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:11 am
- Location: A magical forest, Sweden
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
It's snowing, so no building this weekend, I'm afraid. *Not very happy about that.*
I found a photo of our sauna wagon, though, and while this one hasn't been treated with iron sulfate, this is something like what the outer walls of my hut will look like. I don't know what you think, but I love it!
I found a photo of our sauna wagon, though, and while this one hasn't been treated with iron sulfate, this is something like what the outer walls of my hut will look like. I don't know what you think, but I love it!
- demi
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- latitude: 41° 50' N
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Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
is it actually a working portable sauna? love it!
Tim Minchin - The Good Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr1I3mBojc0
'If you just close your eyes and block your ears, to the acumulated knowlage of the last 2000 years,
then morally guess what your off the hook, and thank Christ you only have to read one book'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr1I3mBojc0
'If you just close your eyes and block your ears, to the acumulated knowlage of the last 2000 years,
then morally guess what your off the hook, and thank Christ you only have to read one book'
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
Looks great! – could you also use it as a caravan at weekends?
Is that a large mosquito hovering above it?
Is that a large mosquito hovering above it?
- Starfaun
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:11 am
- Location: A magical forest, Sweden
Re: Building a Swedish hermit's hut!
Yes! We pull it down to the lake in the summer.demi wrote:is it actually a working portable sauna? love it!
You probably could if you wanted to! The "giant mosquito" is the top of the chimney - I guess I accidentally changed some brightness or contrast settings.dustydave wrote:Looks great! – could you also use it as a caravan at weekends?
Is that a large mosquito hovering above it?