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Kristie 4
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| Posted: April 23 2008 at 3:35pm | IP Logged
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My children so want a tree fort. But I grew up in the country and our tree forts were the children made kind, while my husband was thinking more of the architectural plans type!!
I have convinced him to move over to my team, but he is going to help us with the platform. Have any of you folks built or supervised a tree fort building? We are planning on using a big tree we have and two supporting posts of cedar to make a sort of tripod design.
Ever since I was a kid I have loved to build, but have never really figured out how to get past the stage I was at at age 10! So here goes a fun spring project!
Any suggestions?
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Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!
A Walk in the Woods
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 23 2008 at 8:46pm | IP Logged
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First, look at this treehouse for inspiration. 
OK. That's a bit over the top...
Try this book:
Tree Houses You can Actually Build
I envy you. We have no such adequate tree. Good luck!
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 23 2008 at 10:12pm | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
First, look at this treehouse for inspiration.
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I want to live in THAT house!Wow! LOL!
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Theresa
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Mary G
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| Posted: April 23 2008 at 10:28pm | IP Logged
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I second MacBeth's recommendation of the Tree House book ... that's the one we used when we build a tree house for my brother/sil a few summers back (before we moved out here, we used to come every summer, stay with them, and do a major project like a tree fort!).
The one we built is still going strong (and includes a "patio" beneath so the younger kids could have a fort that was close to the ground while the older ones hung out in the branches! We did a rope "fence" around the top and that too has stood the test of Denver's intense sun and weather....
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MaryG
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my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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mavmama
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| Posted: April 23 2008 at 11:49pm | IP Logged
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We used that book to build our treehouse on the farm in Iowa. I'll try to see if I can find a picture to post...
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Liz
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: April 24 2008 at 6:32am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
First, look at this treehouse for inspiration.
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Or watch The Swiss Family Robinson. Boy I always wanted to live in that tree house!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Kristie 4
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| Posted: April 24 2008 at 8:07am | IP Logged
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WOw, most of my family would want to live in that treehouse. That or with the elves in Lothlorien!
I put the book on hold at the library. But alas, we have snow today. So construction will have to wait for the melt!
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Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!
A Walk in the Woods
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theNetSmith
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| Posted: April 24 2008 at 8:15pm | IP Logged
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what occurs to me as funny is... when I was a kid, we used to scavenge(?) the neighborhood in search for lumber, then head off to "the woods" with whatever tools we made off with from our fathers' toolboxes, somehow get this stuff up into a tree, and start hammering away, attaching processed wood to the unprocessed, still-living stuff.
we did it as kids. no adult supervision. no blueprints. no walls. no doors. it was pretty much: climb the tree and rest on a plywood platform. and we loved it.
and yet, i find myself (as a father) wanting to help my kids design and build something so much more than that. something functional. something resembling "thought."
in other words... don't lose sight of the fact that they are still kids, and the simplest of designs can be the greatest escape...
-T
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ALmom
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| Posted: April 25 2008 at 11:16pm | IP Logged
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Oh, my boys and dh did just as you described, Tim - except mean old mom wouldn't let them put any nails in the trees - so they built around the tree, nailing wood to wood, allowing plenty of room for expansion or being prepared to modify as expansion required. My dh was pretty much in the middle of it - but no plans, all scrap wood. I think he got involved 'cause the boys were making it many stories high (we are wild at our house) and he didn't want to be left out of the fun. He was also the safety tester or would specify an extra railing here or there (truth be told, the railings mostly served as climbing devices and one of my nephews ended up way, way up in a tree above the level of our 2nd story roof). Anyways, my dh, by golly, was going to be able to stand up in it so he made sure the thing was high enough for that . They did buy some PVC pipe to use as a fireman's pole.
Everyone who visited for a while, was handed a hammer and got in on the action. The boys continually added and modified as ideas struck them.
When we moved and found out the folks buying our house didn't want the treehouse, we asked if they would mind if we came by, disassembled it and took the wood. They were delighted. We spent at least 3 days in their back yard disassembling and transferring all these old pieces of wood and such - and an old wooden swingset which had neat things that became parts of the new tree house.
The boys built another treehouse in this yard - only this time using a very large rock as the base floor. They are currently working on a tunnel from the tent fort they made out of old branches to the tree house on the other side of the yard.
Janet
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Kristie 4
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| Posted: April 25 2008 at 11:53pm | IP Logged
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Yes Net Smith.
I am with you. The kids are building this one. I have convinced my hubbie of this now! He just said he would be available for questions....
We just scavenged high grade cedar from the home depot parking lot of all places. They had just left the scrap out at night after they closed and my dh was in there.
We had a great time at dinner tonight planning it. Hannah, my dd10, is ready to pull nails tomorrow after some scrap wood we got from the third story of our church (an old warehouse!) We live right downtown, so scavenging has to be creative!
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Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!
A Walk in the Woods
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Tree Forts
