Mother's $10-per-square-foot Earth Sheltered House: Part V

(Page 3 of 3)

January/February 1985
By the Mother Earth News editors 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

The bulletin boards are set within the shelf frames and are also faced with burlap. Though we held costs down by limiting ourselves to lauan inserts, a corkboard pad would provide more cushion and cost only a few additional dollars. To help support the boards, we glued 1/2" X 1/2" stops to the rear of the required shelves to provide a tacking strip.

RELATED CONTENT

Though the gymnastic antics of your own children may convince you that a boarding ladder is unneccesary, we made one of 3/4" X 4" X 64" rails joined to five 3/4" X 3" X 16-1/2" steps with pairs of 3/8" X 1-1/2" dowels. (A doweling jig wasn't needed, since we just clamped the parts together before drilling and gluing them.) To hold the stair; in place, we screwed a 1/4" X 3" X 18" catch board to the rear of the rails at the top, and cut 3/4"-deep, 3-3/4"-long notches into the back of those planks, as well. In the interest of safety, you may also want to install a wooden stop rail between the uprights at the top bunk.

The ladder, like all the other wooden components of the bed, was fine-sanded and rubbed with pure lung oil to dress and harden the oak's surface. That final touch—along with the addition of two foam mattresses, of course—makes this bed inviting, and probably more functional than any other around. But don't think we'll be spending all our time napping: By next issue, we should be ready to reveal the details of our combination chicken coop/greenhouse project. This rather unorthodox bird-and vegetable-raiser should complement our little homestead nicely.

You won't want to miss it!

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.