Okay…it’s a chicken coop.  But it’s a really good chicken coop.

Birdhouse with Dutch Door

My vacation was coming to an end, so I had to accelerate the pace a little, and get the birds installed.  Still, I wanted to add features to make the egg operation as easy as possible.

The human entrance to the birdhouse, for example, is a Dutch door.  Rather than going into the birdhouse to check on the birds, refresh water and add feed (all daily activities), I only need to open the top half of the door.  I can view the birds from the outside, plus, the water and food dispensers are suspended from the ceiling on chains just inside the door. I can easily reach inside to refill, or lift them out for cleaning.

Nesting Boxes & Roof Liner

After finishing the inside paneling, I added nesting boxes along the back wall.  Building the boxes inside meant the doors for accessing the eggs could be flush outside. It’s more of an aesthetic consideration, but it might mean the nesting boxes stay warmer than if they protruded outside with winter air circulating around them.  Of course, they’ll be warmer in summer too. But I’m working on a different solution for that.

The top of the nesting box assembly is heavily slanted, of course, to keep the birds from perching there.  And 5 boxes is more than enough for 10 birds.

Outside Doors to the Nesting Boxes

To latch the nesting box doors, I used an old-fashioned solution:  Wooden twist latches.  Simply drill a hole in a scrap of lumber, then run a screw through the scrap into the edge of the door frame.  Voila – a latch handle.  Leave the screw just loose enough for the latch to rotate easily.

Having decided to insulate the birdhouse, the simplest solution for covering the ceiling was to create a roof liner using a sheet of 3/4 inch, foil-coated, foam insulation board.  The single sheet of foam board was inexpensive and easy to cut and trim.  A handful of roofing nails were all that was needed to hold the lining in place.  I used foil duct tape to seal the seams.

Painted Interior of the Birdhouse

Adding a coat of paint made the inside look uniform and clean.  It might also make cleaning up easier.  The electrical wires in the ceiling were capped with a light socket and an electrical outlet.  A light switch was installed just inside the Dutch door.  Running electricity to the birdhouse will be done later.

Vinyl Floor

Most of the information I read about chicken coop design recommended installing a vinyl floor remnant to make cleaning easier.  So the birds have a nice faux stone pattern floor.  The pristine appearance of the nearly finished interior lasted about 5 minutes…just enough time for a photo before the birds were moved-out of the basement and into their new house.

Residents of the Birdhouse

The birds were able to live in the house while exterior painting and finishing work continued, including the windows and moulding.  The birdhouse was painted green with white trim to match the other buildings on the farm (except the barn) . I tacked leftover paneling over the window openings while fabricating  the windows.

Rather than buying window units, I opted to build simple sliding windows.  Each window required the following:

• Four pieces of 1×4 plank to line the window opening (like casement)
• Each plank had a pair of 3/16 inch grooves cut along the full length of one side, using a table router
• Once installed, the grooves would form a track all the way around the inside surface of the window opening
• Two window panes cut from a sheet of 1/8 inch plexiglass, measured to fit into the grooves when the casement was installed
• Each pane was cut wide enough so they overlap by about 1 inch when pulled all the way to opposite sides of the window opening
• Each pane had a finger hole drilled on one end with a 5/8 inch butterfly bit, for opening and closing
• A piece of 1/2 inch square wire was stapled to the inside of the window, to keep birds in, and predators out

Birdhouse Windows

The windows worked perfectly, even though cutting plexiglass was challenging (it’s very brittle).  A roosting bar suspended between the open windows in summer, will allow the birds to perch in the cross breeze.

Chickens generally require a chicken run – an enclosed pen attached to their coop where they are safe to be outside.  In addition to a chicken coop & run, many chicken owners have a “chicken tractor”.  It’s a portable enclosure (often on wheels) that can be moved around the field, so the chickens can scratch for bugs and bits of grass…more difficult to do if they are restricted to one spot. It’s healthier for the birds, providing extra nutrition and exercise, and better eggs.

Base of the Chicken Run

Instead of building multiple devices, I decided to build one device that functioned as a run and a tractor.  The chicken run attaches to the chicken coop on a docking station.  When it is undocked, the chicken run sets on the ground and can be moved around like a chicken tractor.

The first steps was to build the docking station – a short platform upon which to set the run.

Framing the Chicken Run

The chicken run frame had to be designed for strength and light-weight. The frame assembly is a combination of 2×4 and 2×2 boards.  Such a delicate frame would have been a perfect case for using mortise & tenon joints – a square peg cut on the end of one board tucked into a square hole cut in another board.  Very strong.  But that would have taken much longer.  Instead, a few lap joints, deck screws and construction adhesive were used to join the pieces together.

Framed Bird Run

The chicken run/tractor simply sits on top of the docking station without fasteners.  Eventually, a roosting bar will span the enclosure, and a couple of nesting boxes will be installed.

Bridge from the Birdhouse to the Run

When docked, the door to the coop is open, and the birds move through a portal between the units. The portal is attached to the coop with deck screws, and aligned with, but not attached to the opening on the run.

Drawbridge

A drawbridge is hinged on the inside of the chicken run opening.  When it is lowered, it serves as the ramp for the birds to descend into the enclosure.  In preparation for undocking, the drawbridge is raised and latched to shut off the opening.  Moving the run requires two people – one on each side.  Eventually, I’ll figure of a way to add retractable wheels so it can be deployed by one person.

Applying Chicken Wire to the Bird Run Frame

The chicken run is wrapped in a single roll of chicken wire.  The seams and edges of the wire sometimes have sharp ends that can snag clothing and skin.  Seams and edges are also the most likely places for predators to break in.  To mitigate those risks, all seams and edges are to be covered with batten, fastened by screws.  I’m using 1/2 x 2 inch treated lumber stock…commonly used for garden stakes.

The wire is also buried all the way around the perimeter.  Of course, the wire will be cut along the line between the docking platform and upper frame (where they come apart).

My wife Melanie came up with an idea – sell raffle tickets to win sweet potatoes.  That’ s right.  She embarked on a small campaign at work to sell raffle tickets for  baskets, each containing 5 pounds of sweet potatoes, spice pack and a recipe sheet – with the proceeds going to a local food bank.  The poster boy for her campaign was none other than Mister S. Potato Head.

Campaign Poster

Not just anyone could do this.  But someone with an ebbulient personality, like Melanie, could persuade, coax and otherwise prevail on people to purchase tickets for a chance to win a humble vegetable!

Prize Baskets

Ultimately, Melanie and Mister S. Potato Head collected $564!  Of course, our gratitude goes out to the ticket purchasers, all (or most) of whom understood that what they were really doing was providing support for people in need (in this case, through the Arlington Food Assistance Center).

Sweet Potato Pie

Meanwhile, we continue our culinary experiments – new and creative sweet potato dishes, as well as traditional favorites.

Birdhouse Basic Design

After studying a variety of designs, I came up with one of my own, and went shopping for the first batch of materials.  The design only accounted for the general exterior shape and dimensions.  I’d work out the finer details as I encountered them.

Birdhouse Foundation

The first issue was that I had not yet determined the best location for a chicken coop.  So I built the foundation with 4×4 skids.  I was able to tow the assembly into position after I figured out where, and completed the framing with the assembly temporarily leveled on wood blocks.

Nearly Complete Frame

As usual, budget was limited so I specifically looked for low cost alternatives:

•  2×3 wall studs instead of 2×4
• primed hardboard siding instead of wood
• tempered hardboard for the interior

The design called for a 4-12 roof pitch.  Since I’d never properly measured and cut rafters before, the project gave me an opportunity to learn how.  Common rafters like these are not difficult.  The angle on each end is determined using a roofers square, and the dimensions calculated using the Pythagorean Theorem from high school math.

Common Rafters

Pouring the footers for the structure after framing is, well, completely backwards.  But even without a plan, I was confident it could be done.   It turned out to be easy:

• Remove the sod
• Dig a descending trench into the location of the footer
• Insert a disposable cardboard footer-form
• Back-fill dirt behind the form & replace the sod
• Pour concrete into the form

Footers Poured After Framing

The complexity here was to ensure tie-down bolts and plates were in position before pouring the concrete.  The wind is sometimes quite strong, and the tie-down bolts & plates will prevent my chicken coop from rolling across the pasture like a tumbleweed.

Siding and Roof

Once the footers were done, I added siding and roof panels. That’s when some of the other details had to be resolved, like placement and size of the doors and windows. Rather then trying to measure and cut each siding panel around the window openings, it was faster to attach a panel, drill holes through the panel at the corners of the window frame, and use a jigsaw to cut out the window opening.  Minor imperfections would be concealed by casement and trim.

Insulating the Walls

Opinions vary about insulating chicken coops.  I chose to add it.  Using some insulation leftover from my basement, I split each 6-inch-deep bat into two plies.  The resulting 3-inch-deep layers went into the birdhouse walls.

Interior Paneling

I covered the insulation with a combination of tempered hardboard and lauan (5mm flooring underlayment)  .

Electrical Boxes in the Ceiling

Boxes for a light fixture and and electrical outlet were attached to the inside of the roof.  A switch by the door will operate the light.

Birdhouse, Phase 1

A few more details remain:  Nesting boxes, roosting bars, windows, doors, etc.

The sweet potato is a source of complex carbohydrates and they’re loaded with more-or-less every vitamin you can think of, plus protein, iron, calcium, potassium and fiber.  They contain almost no fat, but you can fix that by adding lots of butter, along with brown sugar and nutmeg and then baking.  The result is absolutely delicious.

Sweet potato vines overflowing one of the garden beds

Sweet potatoes grow in vine-like fashion, and during the course of the summer, 10 or 12 small plants will take over a 95 square foot garden bed.  So to harvest the potatoes, the obvious first-step is to clear away the vines.  But I don’t discard the greens.

Cutting away the vines

Sweet potato leaves are also edible, so I cut off the better looking ones into a pail for the kitchen.  When saute’d with a little garlic and balsamic vinegar, they are a tasty and nutritious side dish.  The remaining leaves and vines may be composted, but I put them out for the horses to eat.

Sweet potato leaves are also good to eat

Although the vines spread all over the bed, most of the potatoes are concentrated around the center-base of the plant.  Some sweet potatoes grow in odd shapes, and I’m careful how I dig them out  - I don’t want to break them.

Carefully digging out the potatoes

Once in awhile I’ll find a super-sized potato.  Because we had plenty of rain this year, I found several super-sizers.  Just one of these is enough sweet potato for Thanksgiving dinner.

That's one giant sweet potato

As I work my way across the garden bed, I place old boards down as steps, just to minimize the mud and keep from crushing the soil too badly.  After a couple of hours, about one third of the garden bed has been cleared.

A good year for sweet potatoes

After the potatoes have been pulled up, they are washed and dried. Laying them out in the sunshine is the best way to dry them.

Washing potatoes

After the potatoes have dried, they are put away somewhere cool where they will keep for a very long time.  After cleaning out the storage rack in the basement, I had 7 potatoes left over from last year.  The skin on the old potatoes was a little darker, thicker and more rough, but otherwise not much different from the new potatoes.

Leftover old sweet potatoes (front) compared with the new

This year was an especially good yield, probably for several reasons.  We had  increased rain and the soil condition was better than it has ever been.  But most important – the deer were not able to eat the leaves.  I used electronic motion-detecting Scarecrows which activate a sprinkler when they sense any movement.  They were very effective.

Best harvest yet - 190 pounds

For each of the previous years, I’ve harvested between 50 and 70 pounds of sweet potatoes.  This year’s take was 190 pounds.

Mister Potato Head

Well, during a routine trip to the feed store this month, we found they had chickens again. “How much are the chickens,” I asked.

“Oh, you get 10 free with the purchase of a 50 pound bag of feed.”

“Ten birds, really?”

“Yes.”

The cost of 50 pounds of chicken feed was $16.  Wow, what is that, a dollar per bird and 6 dollars for the feed, or 10 cents per bird and 15 dollars for the feed.  Who cares – what a deal!

“I’ll take one bag,” I said, thus obtaining 10 chickens and validating “chicken feed” as a metaphor in one transaction.  So we took our little birds home, determined to learn how to take care of them, and me imagining a lifetime supply of free eggs! And that is how Operation E&P began.

Imaginings of Free Eggs

That’s E&P for ‘egg & poultry’. I have no idea how to determine bird gender, but I have no illusions either.  Statistically, half of these fuzzy little peeps will not be equipped to lay eggs, so the future process will have two outputs: eggs, and uh, well…chicken meat.  Also, the operating plan is to have between 8 and 10 birds in egg production.  However, according to my research, “layers” only have 2-3 really productive years.  So eventually, non-productive layers will be re-assigned to the kitchen.  That also means we will need to establish a pipeline of new candidates from the feed store to back-fill egg-laying positions as they come available.

Chicks in their temporary housing

However, even before developing this concept of operation we had to figure out how to get these little guys set up with temporary housing, food and water.  For housing, I discovered a medium dog crate was just the right size for ten chicks, their feeder and water dispenser.  I put them, with crate, into the basement, along with a heat lamp borrowed from the neighbors.  Towels draped around the sides protect the chicks from drafts, and keep them from escaping through the bars.

Little Fuzzy Peeps

The chicks were probably just a few days old when we brought them home, fuzzy and delicate. After two weeks, they are about the size of fat sparrows, with well-developed feathers on their wings and some on their tails. Sadly, one chick became sick and died in the first week, but the other 9 birds appear quite healthy.

Chicks at about two-weeks old

During periodic cage-cleanings, I put the chicks into another container so they are safe & out of the way.  They’ve grown too big for the box they came home in, so during the last cage-cleaning I took them outside.  They loved it!  They’re little grazers…munching clover and picking through the grass for bugs.  They also play.  One will grab a twig and run with it while others try to take it away.

It will take about 6 months for them to reach egg-laying age. And by that time I should have a coop built, with an attached run.  More to come.

Chickens out for a walk

All the cutting, gluing and clamping required 5.25 hours.  Then the unit had to dry overnight.   These first steps should have been a little faster, but I had to take measurements for several detail steps from a completed cabinet.  Those measurements were not captured in my plan – evidence for the importance of good documentation.  Rough-sanding, finish-sanding and attaching doors required about three more hours.  So about eight hours were required to build one cabinet, not including the coating.

Applying the finishing coats had to be done outside, and as it turned out, several weeks of drought conditions were no guarantee the weather would cooperate.  Rain arrived between coats, but it was very much needed, so I couldn’t complain.

Arranging cabinets along the barn walls

A minimum of 12 hours was required for each coat to dry before applying the next, and each cabinet received 3 coats of polyurethane.  I added pigment to the polyurethane, and the red-brown color made the pine cabinets look like cedar.

Prior to installing the cabinets, the barn aisle had to be cleaned.

1. Everything was removed
2. The aisle was pressured washed, floor-to-ceiling
3. A coat of water-seal was applied to the walls

The first step of actually installing the cabinets was to place them along the walls where they would be attached.  The cabinets were to be mounted about nine inches above the floor, so I used a paint can and a wood shim to elevate each unit into position.  Then I used heavy-duty screws to fasten them to the wall.  

Elevating a cabinet into position before attaching to the wall

After all the cabinets were up – elevated and immobilized - it was easier to install the inside hardware.  Then, of course, each cabinet could be filled with tack and miscellaneous equipment.

Filled Cabinet

There was not enough wall space to arrange the cabinets evenly, one-per-stall along the aisle, even after moving other aisle accessories around.   Still, once installed and filled, the cabinets accomplished the goal.  The aisle is more organized than ever.

Installed Cabinets

There are a few touch-ups needed and some corner protectors to add, but the job is essentially done.

Pine boards from the local home improvement store are almost never perfectly straight, especially the thinner stock.  So a I looked for the curvature in the thinnest of the two door planks, glued them together so they touch on the ends but not the middle.  Then I applied the clamp to the middle and tightened, pulling the pieces together until the gap in the middle disappeared.

Single Clamp Solution

It is important to have pressure along the entire length of the join while the glue dries, to keep the door from falling apart later.  Oh, a pair of 45 pound plates from the free-weight set also helped hold the door planks flat while the glue dried.  If I did this again, I would use the table router to cut tongue-in-groove joints on each of the door planks.  If the doors DO fall apart, that’s what I’ll do.

In case it isn’t already apparent, this is not fine cabinetry and Elle Decor will never feature any of my furniture in a photo spread.  However, these boxes will serve creditably for storing tack in the barn.

Doors with Clamps Applied

While the clamped parts were drying, I cut the parts for the next step and rough sanded the other cabinet shells.  As usual, the first cabinet in this phase took a long time – more than two days.  But I soon developed a rhythm – only one day to complete the same steps for the next cabinet, and to get the third one glued and clamped.

Cutting door planks for the next cabinet

Steps completed so far:

Phase 1

1. Cut sides, top and bottom
2. Use router & saw to cut grooves for joining
3. Cut the back
4. Assemble the shell

Phase 2

1. Cut and install back bars (planks on the inside through which the screws attach the cabinet to the wall)
2. Cut and install center divider wall
3. Cut and install shelves

Phase 3

1. Cut and attach the fascia
2. Cut and assemble the doors
3. Rough sand the entire assembly
4. Attach doors

Cabinets in various stages of assembly: plain shell (bottom-center), all parts cut & glued (top-left), cabinet assembled (top-center), and with hardware on the inside (top-right).

The remaining steps have to do with finishing.  The top of a cabinet is the perfect place to perch one’s drink while tacking up a horse, but I don’t want drink rings.  So once all the cabinets are assembled, they will receive a final sanding and a few generous coats of polyurethane.  Hmm. Those lavish barns with polished brass, chandeliers and high gloss wood work – do their owners leave drink coasters lying around the aisle to protect wood surfaces?

Steps remaining on this project:

1. Final sanding of the assembly (doors temporarily removed)
2. Apply the finishing coats (sealer, stain, polyurethane or whatever)
3. Install all hardware
4. Hang the cabinets in the barn

I’m hoping to wrap up in a couple of days.

But well-ordered is not perfectly ordered.  We are kicking off our own little Kaizen improvement initiative. That neat array of hooks will be replaced by a set of matching cabinets that I am building from scratch (of course).

I had a difficult time grasping the vision at first.  I imagined something like bathroom  medicine chests or dart board cabinets distributed along the barn walls.  It was not until we actually pulled out the tape and started taking measurements that the idea made sense.  The dimensions would need to be 24 inches wide  by 42 tall.  Each cabinet had to accommodate two bridles, along with shelves for brushes, fly spray, helmet, gloves and miscellaneous other items.  They could not extend any farther from the wall than the blanket bars – about 10 inches.

Measuring the space available to determine cabinet size

The next step was to draft a plan.  The cabinets were going to have a side-by-side door configuration.  After sketching the design, I determined what kind and how much material would be required.  The simplest design would use 3/4 inch thick pine planks (1 by x stock).  But I also wanted to try using thin plywood (1/4 inch or 5mm) in some places to keep the construction thin and light.  After estimating, it was off to get the supplies.

Cabinet Plan

The current requirement is for four cabinets, so it made sense to use an assembly-line approach.  I outlined the 10 major steps in the process, however, I ended up grouping those into 3 phases.  For each phase, I planned to construct a prototype, and then quickly reproduce it 3 more times.   The prototyping method allowed me to work out the fine details for each phase, while risking only a limited amount of material in the event there was a serious design flaw.

Creating a Prototype - Sides of the basic shell

The first phase was to cut and assemble the cabinet shell.  This was the most challenging because of the many grooves that had to be cut, where the pieces would join together.  Although I’ve learned to make pretty precise cuts with a circular saw, the table router was the most valuable tool in this phase.

Assembled Cabinet Shell

At present, I am working on the steps in phase 2 – adding the insides.  The center divider is composed of 5mm plywood with a 1 x 2 facia – again, to keep construction light, and to preserve as much internal storage space as possible.  The left-side compartment will have two bridle hooks on the back wall and a small coat hook on the inside of the door.  The right side will have a hook in the top compartment for helmet and gloves.  A retaining rim on the middle compartment will keep brushes and small items from falling out.  And the bottom compartment is sized for even the tallest fly spray bottle.

More to come.

Statue of James & Dolly Madison at Montpelier

Their house, Montpelier, is described variously as an example of Classical Revival, Neo-Classical or Federal style architecture. All of these terms refer to similar styles of architecture popular in the early American republic, inspired by Greco-Roman architecture.

Montpelier House

The red brick house features a grand portico with columns on the front, and a wing on either side. The design of the house was influenced by James Madison’s friend, Thomas Jefferson.

Montpelier House, southwest corner

Before the wings were added, the main house was configured as a duplex, shared by James Jr. & Dolly on the North (left) side and parents James Sr. & Nellie on the South (right) side. From a distance, the grandeur and bold geometric lines make the house look huge. In fact, it is not especially big. Without the wings, the footprint of the main house is 86 by 33 feet. The wings are even more narrow than the main house.

Montpelier - South Side View

From the front of the house, there is a striking vista with the Blue Ridge visible on the western horizon.

Western Vista

The back of the house features a smaller portico with colonnade.

Montpelier House - Rear View

Behind the house is the James Madison Landmark Forest, 200 acres originally set aside by James Madison. The forest is considered one of the best examples of old growth forest in the Eastern United States, perhaps the only one in Virginia.

Montpelier - At the base of an old growth Tulip Poplar

The version of the Montpelier house we see today is the way it appeared around 1812, after several additions and modifications. The house was initially built in 1764 by James Madison Sr.. Before expansion and remodeling however, Montpelier started as a simple Georgian colonial style house – typical of the period.

Montpelier was originally a Georgian colonial style house, enlarged over the years

Although the Neo-Classical/Federal styled Montpelier is far more grand, it shares the same symmetry and elegant simplicity of the original Georgian structure. It’s a pleasure to see places like Montpelier, lovingly designed, built and preserved. While I have no plans for adding a Tuscan Portico to my house, places like Montpelier – and the people who created them – are a great source of inspiration.

The simple lines and symmetry of the Georgian colonial style.

A few searches on Google Images yielded some ideas, then I refined the ideas on graph paper.  The design had to be one I could build in a reasonable amount of time and an equally reasonable (low) cost.  So the winning design took a kind of minimalist approach…a narrow lattice panel across the top of each span.

Fence Design

The garden fence was intended mostly as a decorative device…a way to disguise the fact that my garden is on a slope.  The garden’s symmetrical design was more suited to a flat space, but leveling the yard or creating terraces would have required more digging than I am prepared to do for now.   The idea was to make the fence level across the top.  Although the distance varied between the bottom of the fence and ground, the fence should create the illusion of straight and level space.

The fence also has a practical purpose.  Hopefully it will serve as a visual deterrent for the deer. Pretty and practical…perfect attributes of a formal garden where I grow vegetables for the kitchen.

Fence Concept

I started by setting posts in the outer corners of each bed.  I didn’t have 4x4s but did have some surplus landscaping timbers, so I used those.  I used a string to level the tops of all the posts.

The next step was to build the fence panels.  For the horizontal rails, I ripped 2x4s down the middle.  I could have used whole 2x4s, but I wanted the lattice panels to appear very thin and lace-like.  For the vertical sticks I used 2x2s.  Lumber this thin, though, is going to warp over time.  In fact, most of my stock was already bowed. (Note: Planed lumber is always thinner than the stated dimensions, especially so with the 2x2s, which are more like 1.25×1.25)

Notching the Rails

Prior to attaching the verticals, I notched the horizontal rails.  When I put the panels together, I’d use the irregularities in the pieces to counter each other.  Bowed or straight sticks would apply opposite tension on the other bowed sticks…and I’d end up with a reasonably straight assembly.  Plus, the notched/joined assembly would be stronger and less prone to sagging.

Twelve panels were required: two 8 footers and one 10 footer for each garden bed.  I attached the panels to the posts as I completed each one, cutting of a few inches from each end to fit.

Completed Panel

To attach a panel, I fastened some spare deck boards to the outside of the posts, like a kind of fascia.  The panel could then be attached to the inside of that fascia board.

Panel & Fascia Board, and a weed among my sweet potatoes...

With all the panels attached, the overall effect was achieved.  The slope of the yard was less pronounced and the deer have not eaten my vegetables.  There are four openings into the garden, though, so I still need to figure out what to do for those.  Vine covered archways or arbors perhaps.

Garden Fence

Still haven’t decided what color to stain the fence either.

After finishing the  garden fence, I still had lumber left over, and the horse people were in need of a mounting block.  So, since the tools were out anyway, why not keep building?

For the uninformed, a mounting block is a platform with stairs.  A rider leads her horse up to the side of the platform as she ascends the stairs.  Then she can simply step over the horse into the saddle.

I already had the stair stringers (the boards with stair notches), and the treads…no coincidence as the mounting block had been on the to-do list for awhile.   All the remaining deck boards were used on the fence, so I had to buy a few of those, along with some carriage bolts, nuts & washers.

Mounting Block Diagram

The mounting block had to be sturdy enough for frequent use, but light enough to be moved for mowing, so I tried to use as little lumber as possible. The sides were assembled first, with diagonal supports to offset the stair stringers, and a few lap joints chiseled out for additional strength. The sides were connected with horizontal supports, then the treads and risers added (the flat & vertical step boards). Finally, I attached deck boards for the platform, arranged diagonally to prevent swaying, should a rider have to push her horse into position while standing on the platform.

Completed Mounting Block