Wooden bike shed plans – No self-respecting boy would leave his bicycle outdoors, exposed to the weather like a neglected piece of farm machinery. Because it would not be long before it would look like a “bum old bike,” and he would be ashamed to be seen riding it; also, because he knows that it would require a complete overhauling and thorough lubrication to put it back into good running order.
Excerpt from the book: “Carpentry & mechanics for boys: up-to-the-minute handicraft” by Hall, A. Neely (Albert Neely), Publication date 1918 / Publisher Boston: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co.
The fellow who neglects his wheel must sooner or later learn to care for it properly or he will never become qualified to handle machinery. Sometimes it is an effort for a fellow to put away his wheel upstairs or downstairs, after a long ride, which, it would seem, has exhausted every bit of his energy; and sometimes he will foot a short distance rather than take the trouble to get his wheel out from an out-of-the-way place. To have the wheel handy-by would make it of greater usefulness, and would repay the owner for the time, labor, and expense required to provide an outside shelter.
A garage like the one shown in Fig. 540, built only large enough to hold the wheel, can be set up quickly. From the working-drawings in Figs. 541 to 547 you will get all of the details necessary for building the shed.
For the Working Material you will need a 2-by-4 8 feet long for the corner posts (A, Fig. 543), 72 lineal feet of 2-by-2s for the framework pieces B, C, D, E, F and G of the floor, walls, and roof (Figs. 541, 543, and 545), 175 lineal feet of 10-inch shiplap for the walls, door, floor,, roof, and runway, and 50 lineal feet of 4-inch boards for trimming around the roof, the wall corners, the doorway, and for door battens.
It may be that you can get old lumber of different dimensions from the above pieces, and it may be that you have some pieces on hand which you can run in with new stuff. You can alter the plans in such a way as will best suit your material, bearing in mind of course the dimensions required to accommodate a bicycle.
Instead of the shiplap specified for the boarding up of the framework, you may prefer to use tongued-and-grooved boards, or for the walls you may prefer drop-siding, which makes a neater finish.
You may want to sheath up the framework with plain or matched boards, and then finish with beveled-siding, or with stucco.
These are matters ‘ which you will have to decide yourself. A material man will help you to figure out quantities.
The Floor Framework – Wooden bike shed plans
The tops of the 2 – by – 4 corner posts A must be notched as shown in Fig. 544 to receive the ends of the floor framework pieces B. Having the width and length dimensions given you in Fig. 543, you can locate the proper positions for the corner posts A.
Dig the post holes 18 inches deep. Be certain that the posts line up correctly before you fill in around them. They may look right, yet be enough out of the way to throw the entire framework out of square.
The proper way to do is to fasten pieces B in the notches in the tops of the posts, after the posts have been dropped into the holes, then fasten pieces C to their ends, with one nail driven part way in.
Test the corners one at a time with a square, and, when you have corrected any error that you may find, nail a temporary diagonal brace across the tops to hold the pieces rigid. When all corners are correct, spike all members in place.
Lay the Floor short-ways of the framework. With it in place, build the walls. Make The Side Walls in sections like that shown in Fig. 545. Cut the plate D and corner uprights E and F, of the dimensions indicated, and place them flat upon the ground; block up the ends and center, if necessary, to make them level.
Spike together the ends of these pieces, then nail about four of the side boards to them. Trim off the tops of uprights E and F so top plate G will rest squarely upon them, and spike the top plate in place. Then finish nailing on the remaining wall boards. Having completed one wall, turn it over so the framework members will be uppermost, place the framework members of the opposite wall upon them, nail on the siding, and you will have the second wall a duplicate of the first, only reversed.
Erecting The Walls
When the two side walls have been completed, stand them erect upon the shed floor, in their right positions, hold them in position with temporary braces, and spike the floor plates to the floor. Cut end plates H and I of the right length to fit between side wall plates G, and spike them in place.
Then nail on the rear-wall siding. Figure 542, a cross-section taken through the shed at the point 0-0 (Fig. 541), shows how The Roof is put on in two layers, the upper layer overlapping the edges of the lower layer. Fill in the pieces / between the ends of the lower boards (Fig. 541 and 542).
Figure 546 gives dimensions for The Door, and shows how to batten together and brace the boards. Trim up the doorway with a board across the – head, and a strip down each jamb. Cut the trimming boards of the right widths to leave a M-inch clearance around the door edges.
Hinge the door on the edge indicated in Fig. 546, and fit it with a strong lock. A box, can be fastened to the inside of the door for A Cupboard in which to keep miscellaneous tools and supplies, as shown in Fig. 541, provided you use heavy enough hinges in hanging the door to prevent sagging.
Make a Wheel-Rack to support the bicycle when it is in the garage (Fig. 541) Make this as shown in Fig. 547. Cut the piece of 2-by-4 M of the right length to fit between the side walls of the shed, and nail the blocks N to it at the center 2 inches apart. Fasten the rack in the shed at the right height to catch the top of the rear wheel of the bicycle.
A Runway from the ground to the floor level, built as shown in Figs. 540 and 541, will complete the carpenter work on the garage.
Paint the Bike Garage two coats of oil paint to protect it from the weather. It will look best if you paint the trimming pieces a different color from the body color.
To Make the Garage Tighter, you can cover the inside of the walls and roof with building paper well-lapped and tacked.
