Assembling prototype of Robert Bridge's Shelter 2.0

[bill.young]

Robert has posted a video of assembling the first prototype of his Shelter 2.0 entry for the Guggenheim DesignIt contest. It looks like it's a great middle ground between a tent and a full building.

There are a few details that we'll change after seeing it together and some things that we couldn't figure out at first that are much clearer after seeing it assembled, but all in all it's VERY cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li7iZ10ros0

We also have a video on youTube of the puzzle joint that we use for assembling the parts...bolting through the joints so that it's easily assemble-able and dis-assemble-able.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_068iaSqVMQ

We'll eventually put drawings and part files online at http://www.shelter20.com

Bill

[wberminio]

Bill

Thanks for all your work! Every update is even more intriguing.
Love that puzzle joint!

Erminio

[bill.young]

Hey Erminio,

We're really happy with the way that connector joint is working out. Though it's not as strong as a scarf for permanent connections, it cuts quickly and when glued or bolted together it keeps everything nicely lined up...sometimes a problem with regular "through cut " puzzle joints. It's also easy to take apart if you bolt it, which will make it great for temporary buildings and shelters.

Bill

[nschlee]

Bill,

How many sheets of ply are needed for this shelter?

Neal

[bill.young]

Hey Neal,

It's hard to be definite as we're still fiddling with the design, but we're cutting a new one for the Exmore, VA festival next weekend that will be 10' wide x 18' long. It will also be used for the local Cancer Society's Relay for Life the following weekend, which will test our assembly and dis-assembly techniques!

It looks like that shelter is going to take 26 sheets of 3/4" ply, 4 sheets of 3/4" Advantec for sleepers to assemble it on and keep it off the ground, and 5 sheets of 1/2" for the side walls. Plus misc bolts, nuts, washer, rope, and a 20'x20' tarp.

We'll post more accurate info after we've got this next one done,
Bill

p.s. This shed would be a good size for a temporary shed for a Buddy too.

[srwtlc]

Would make a great little greenhouse too!

[cutitout]

I see a trailer/camper -- also how small will it brake down to. and how fast will it go up.

[bill.young]

Scott,

A lot of people say the same thing...everyone thinks it would make a great greenhouse.

Eric,

I'll give you stats on assembly time when we put the one up next week for the Exmore Festival... we'll start cutting that one tomorrow I think.

Bill

[harryball]

How much head room is there (height inside)? It would need about 7'.

I wonder if it be designed to work without a floor? Perhaps pressure treated flats along the bottom. There would be wood chips over it.

If it could be adapted, it would make a great flat pack kit for a field horse shelter/stall.

/RB

[bill.young]

hey Robert,

It's 89.25" at the center, with a 3/4" floor.

It could easily be modified to eliminate the floor and cross-beams on the ribs...the two outside "fascia" pieces are like that already. One thought we had was that you could sink some 2x4 stakes in the ground and then bolt the legs of the ribs to them, for a more permanent "temporary" structure. Or just stake the covering tarp down really well and let that hold everything is place.

Would make a great boatbuilding shelter too!

Bill

[harryball]

At 7+ feet it would house most horses with the ends open and make a good temporary rain shelter. It looks like the price would be inline with the materials required to build a temporary horse/large animal shelter. The ease of assembly and flat pack nature of it would be a big plus. Just need somekind of canvas roofing material or something suited to the curved shape.

Gives me something for thought...

/RB

[bill.young]

We're cutting the 10x16 shelter for this weekend's Exmore VA extravaganza (sp?) and will intermittently have the webcam on today. If you're REALLY bored but tired of watching your grass grow, you can watch it at:

http://cam.shopbotwiki.com

Bill

[bleeth]

Bill:
Throw some wheels on it and hitch up the mules!!!

[nschlee]

Bill,

What's the width dims of the bows? 4", 6"?

Neal

[bill.young]

Hey Neal,

Sorry I missed this. The ribs are 8", but are slotted halfway through for the lengthwise stringers.

FYI, files and some rudimentary instruction info for cutting and assembling the 10x16 version that we did for the Exmore festival and the local Relay for Life are now available at www.shelter20.com/files.html (http://www.shelter20.com/files.html)
Bill

[nschlee]

Bill,

I've down loaded the files. Hoping to cut one this weekend.
Thanks again for your and Robert's effort on this.

Neal

[bill.young]

Hey Neal,

Very cool....the ones we've cut here have generated a lot of interest.

Let us know how it goes and please pass on any thoughts or suggestions.

Bill

[mziegler]

Bill, I want to modify the files. Is that OK? I would like to eliminate the pocket puzzle joints and make them as male and female joints. I see no advantage in the pocket puzzle joints. Mark

[nschlee]

Mark,

How are you going to hold the pcs. together without the pocket puzzle joint?

Neal

[bill.young]

Hey Mark,

Robert doesn't mind but before you decide let me tell you our logic for using that pocket joint in this design.

The idea behind this design is that it can be assembled and dis-assembled multiple times, and through joints don't seem to hold up well in that sort of application. They have to be pretty tight to keep everything in plane, which makes them harder to put together and take apart. And each time you put them together and take them apart they get a little bit looser.

If you're going to make this as an "assemble once" structure I think you'll be fine, but through joints that aren't fixed rely on pieces at right angles to them to keep them inline and together, and ideally the joints should be staggered between adjacent pieces. We don't have to count on the stringers helping to hold the joints together, but if you use through joints you might want to redo the stringer joints so that they don't line up in adjacent stringers and maybe add a few more or move them around a little, just to be sure.

Even though the pocketed joints cut quickly...30 to 45 secs per joint...the downside is the cost of the nuts and bolts to hold them together. For a structure like this that's designed to be put together by people that hadn't done it before, and assembled and disassembled multiple times, the ease of assembly and security of the pocket joinery seemed worth the extra cost and time.

Bill

[mziegler]

Thanks Bill, yes I agree that the through joints only should be assemble once. I was think on the lines that if the building was dis-assembled again that the ribs would stay together as an unit. There is 5 parts in each rib and if they are keep as unit the building would assembly and dis-assembly even faster than the first time. Same on the stringer units. Also I was thinking instead of through joints the joints could be simple overlap joints and held together with wood screws. With this change it would cut faster and also be easier to assembly. Just some ideas. Mark