My shed with a round (hobbit) door

[MR M - DT]

My brick built shed with a 2.3m round door, in my back garden!

 

[MR M - DT]

This is what I started with .

And this is where I am now. The round door frame is near all concreted in!.

 

[GINGER2765]

Wow, I love it, can't wait to see it finished.
Where did the inspiration come from ?

 

[MR M - DT]

Well I needed a large shed of some kind and I wanted to do something a little different. I am a big fan of lord of the Rings and the hobbit. I suggested a round door as a joke and someone said "you couldn't make the hinge strong enough". Being as stubborn as I am, that was it; the door had to be round.

Ive had many builders and engineering mates who have advised me not too, or to modify the idea to some kind of square door in the middle of a round surrounding. But to me that's not a round door.

Just wait for the hinges... They are enormous!

 

[MR M - DT]

Painted up the upper hinge with red oxide. not ready to install it yet but I don't want it rusting away.

 

[MR M - DT]

Hobbit hinges

• MR M - DT
• 17 Jul 2015

Arranging the metal work.

these are the hinges. I designed them on a CAD programme called solidworks. I had them plasma cut out of 5mm steel. Then welded them.
They aren't at all like the hobbit door hinges, they are more Mordor than shire!

 

[Belboz]

Brill. Keep the pics coming.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You are nuts but keep the pics coming .......

 

[JBR]

As a fellow Tolkien fan, I think that's going to look fantastic.

Are you going to cover it in earth and grass for even more realism?

 

[MR M - DT]

I am nuts! And proud of it. I probably would have finished by now if I had a normal door.

I was originally going to put grass or sedam on the roof but my wife poo pooed that idea. To be fair we have a baby on the way so I may be glad of not having climbing on to the roof to cut the grass.

Time's ticking, I have to finish before the end of August! I have some time off now though.

 

[MR M - DT]

Hinge pin

• MR M - DT
• 18 Jul 2015

Turning down the welds

Hinge pin 2

• MR M - DT
• 18 Jul 2015

Welding up

Hinge design

• MR M - DT
• 18 Jul 2015

Welding

I have been working on the Hinge pin for ages. Doing a little bit on the odd lunchtime or after work.

It essentially a 45mm steel bar with 2 70mm collars welded at each end. Originally it was around 500mm long but I added another 150mm in the middle.

On the ends of the actual hinges, I made two 70mm diameter collars and welded them.

I'm not an engineer, so im kind of making this up as I go along. I always like to over engineer things anyway, its just my way.

(the Base of the shed has 10 tons of reinforced concrete, for example! Its just a shed!)

 

[MR M - DT]

Roof

• MR M - DT
• 20 Jul 2015

Roof design

Ive now built most of the roof. I really wanted a open design to give the look of more space. It was actually a lot cheaper to do it this way too. The purlins are 9by4 (225 x 100) again over spec'd but I like the chunky look.

The steel will form a loft. I made up the brackets out of some old box section I had.

 

[MR M - DT]

Hobbit Door

• MR M - DT
• 22 Jul 2015

Hinges in place!

This was a nice moment; seeing my hinges in place!

Must crack on with the roof though. Hard work on my own. Im too easily distracted.

 

[mattylad]

The dwarfs will be around soon to help you with the rest of the door

I look forward to seeing it finished, you are changing your username aren't you Bilbo?

 

[JBR]

Yes. That's going to look fantastic when covered in grass.