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To all you guru’s of all construction technology—I am curious if anyone knows a good article/publication/picture/diagram/whatnot for framing a cylindrical structure, E.g. a small out building or a cylindrical tower?
I am a basic carpenter and have tackled some unusual jobs, figuring things out as I go or asking a knowledgeable person when needed. I’ve even framed, if you want to call it that, multi-layered ceiling and cylindrical and elliptical walls with steel stud, using flex track. But I have not from the ground up built a freestanding wooden structure that is truly cylindrical; not multifaceted. Any guidance/help is appreciated…Chuck Magers
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Dear Chuck,
I guess it would sorta depend on what you needed to support your siding of choice. But your a carpenter, get it together.
I mean, why blow the chance to show your stuff. Every day you have to build something that some other dope designed. Right? So cut loose. See the cylinder, be the cylinder, and then, hack the cylinder.
Pocket your beer money, take the truck out and pick up a load of 3 quarter ply and studs. Cut your curvy plates, make your X's, and go. Want smoother? Toe in more studs.
Be sure to post a few shots so we can complain about how you did it all wrong. Then we can argue about how to frame the cone roof "correctly".
See you on the job, Fred
*Doing it wrong:
*sg,You been to Henry Co. KY? I think that one is on the way to my place;>)
*Charles: This post prompted me to start a new thread about a silo house addition I was involved in. It is over in the gallery section. Several pictures showing the exterior and interior.
*Chuck,First of all, what is it? Will it need stairs? How big a radius? Is it on a slab, or footings, or what? What kind of roof. Dang it, don't say cylindrical something, my dog makes them with his butt. Big difference between that and a ten story round building...Help me, help you!MD
*No, it came from this site. Interesting to think that the pressure exerted on the soil is bulb-shaped...no corners to "catch" on. It's like trying to stand up a round-bottomed glass.Earlier wood silos were made like barrels, with T&G staves and iron rings. I've watched coopers make barrels, but how the builders managed it on that scale escapes me.
*this is how I did itcomments where made that it was unconventional framing - oh well I was just winging it
*ended up like this - altough it isn't free standingsam
*They still make round wooden water tanks; they are used in New York City for (among other things) tap water storage in older tall buildings. There was a section on NPR about just that.And, railroads built them for their steam engines. All of them use the barrel technique, but with a slight modification. The hoop does not go all the way around. It stops short by about a foot and has a hole in each end. A long bolt is put in, and tightened up to pull things together. (For water tanks, they then depend on the wood swelling to seal the tank.) I have been by silos, and have seen the same types of round hoops.