I'm not sure what compelled me to go through with the project. The idea entered my mind one morning while I was doing nothing interesting in particular, and I talked to some friends about it. We discussed and debated various things until eventually we came up with a grand idea:
Let's build a wooden shack in the middle of a public forest.
Saying this very sentence aloud sounds like a shitty idea to anyone with at least half a brain. First of all, there's the problem of it being completely and undeniably illegal. Getting caught constructing this thing would lead to a guaranteed vandalism of public property charge (along with a potential destruction of public property charge, which is a felony.) Secondly, the shack you construct is not in your jurisdiction. It's on public land, so anyone can do whatever they want to it. Last but not least, it would be extremely difficult to transport a couple hundred pounds of wood into the middle of a public forest without arousing suspicion of the people around you.
It was precisely for all of these reasons that I was compelled to go through with this project.
A friend and I both thought up suitable spots for the construction of this monstrosity of a house, and eventually decided that a nearby public park with a runoff trail would be the best location for it. We were originally going to go with a spot that was half a mile into a public nature reserve, but we switched over for obvious reasons.
After grabbing my two-week overdue paycheck (payroll errors are a bitch), I immediately set out to purchase the raw materials necessary to build this structure. It was to be a one-room house, established to be eight feet wide and twelve feet deep along with a slanted roof that descends from eight to seven feet from front to back, all suspended by six cinder blocks placed strategically around the perimeter of the base. The list was fairly simple: some 2x4s, a couple 1x4s, half-inch thick plywood and OSB, etc. After transporting all the wood over from the nearby Menards, I snapped a photograph of our haul for future reference.
[quote][img]http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140713_142328.jpg[/img] [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140713_142525.jpg[/img][/quote]
We decided to make the door out of a series of connected 1x4s (the total width of which added up to ~3 feet) held together by a cut 1x4 bolted to each individual piece, a rough design of which can be seen here.
[quote][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140713_142431.jpg[/img][/quote]
After moving the wood another time and waiting a day or two, the time to cut was upon us. With my outdoorsman friend's assistance, we were able to get all of the lumber chopped to spec in one afternoon.
[quote][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140717_142654.jpg[/img][/quote]
It was at around this point that my friends noticed that this might be a pain in the ass, and two of them quit for "moral reasons". I talked them both back into it later, however, and the great haul of lumber commenced shortly after. It was a grueling twenty hour day of pure, unadulterated transportation and it cost me a fortune to rent the truck for the fifty miles I got out of it; however, after that grueling work was over, we all realized that the worst had passed. Below is an image of the build site after transportation of the materials (the rest of the plywood was in a buffer area that was slightly less into the thicket.)
[quote][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140719_165638.jpg[/img][/quote]
And before we had a pronounced path, we used a cross to mark where the entrance to the location was. We made it out of scrap pieces left over from the cutting, and still have it with us to this day.
[quote][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140719_115435.jpg[/img][/quote]
The construction process went on for about a week, and it was a pain in the ass to work around everyone's part time work schedules. You would think that the sound of construction coming from the woods of a public park would raise some suspicion among the locals, but you would be wrong; the site was left entirely undisturbed during the entire building process. We lucked out with rain too, as it stayed dry for the whole two weeks we were dealing with the wood.
Below are some progress photos of the house at approximately halfway to completion, along with a video of me being an idiot to demonstrate the scale of the house.
[quote][img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140725_182512.jpg[/img] [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13898571/shit%20shack/20140725_182653.jpg[/img]
[video=youtube;p0vZArXh8TQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0vZArXh8TQ[/video][/quote]
Construction continued as planned and went on without a hitch. It was on this last Saturday, the 26th, that we suddenly hauled ass for no particular reason and belted out the rest of the walls, along with the paint and the door. Using scrap wood and great stuff (the wood filler junk) to fill in all the imperfections, we suddenly had a more or less functional unit. Satisfied with our work, we hung out at the place in triumph.
Finally, the finished product: The Shit Shack™
[video=youtube;iUyA9yU2fzs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUyA9yU2fzs[/video]
I have the original plans at the shack hanging on the wall, if I get around to scanning it I'll post it.
I would like to thank all of my skilled friends for making this wonderful project possible, and also my boss for paying me a ridiculous wage for doing pretty much nothing. Without their combined help, none of this magic could've happened.
Watch out for junkies and homeless people.
I know someone who used to dig holes in the middle of public trails and fill them with random crap like door handles. This kind of reminded me of him.
[B]Edit:[/B] What's the point of a mosquito repellent that kills you?
To get rid of mosquitoes, I suppose.(The fuckers!)
I really like the idea of this random hut in the woods. It'd be so strange to come across something like it.
But it ain't no 12th century fort.
[QUOTE=owenthecool;45604109]What's the point of a mosquito repellent that kills you?
To get rid of mosquitoes, I suppose.(The fuckers!)[/QUOTE]
To sacrifice himself for the sake of all that will go there. For like 2 days until new ones hatch.
Made an update video after a month of renovations.
[video=youtube;2Z5lQPJ71Vc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z5lQPJ71Vc[/video]
[QUOTE=MallocNull;46044540]Made an update video after a month of renovations.
[video=youtube;2Z5lQPJ71Vc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z5lQPJ71Vc[/video][/QUOTE]
aren't you concerned that some little group of shits is going to find it and burn it down /steal everything /trash it? I think if I was going to build something like that I would be nervous of that happening!
I do kind of want to do that, but I have nowhere to build it and I would be too paranoid about being caught. If I did it, I think I would try to put it recessed into a hill or something, use a corrugated metal roof instead of plastic and disguise it more. It seems like the sort of thing I always wanted to do as a kid though, just make a little clubhouse of my own that I would build and furnish. Never happened though. Great project.
[editline]29th September 2014[/editline]
If I did it, I would probably fake a "US Forrest Service" or similar sign up, just to keep people from messing with it, and to deflect attention from anyone who might come across it.
It was a good run, but all good things must come to an end. May the eternal lord Mao give rest to The Shit Shack™; lost but not forgotten.
[video=youtube;8pgixOpr8Bo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pgixOpr8Bo[/video]
You thought it was finished. You thought it was over.
Well guess what, motherfucker.
It's just getting started.
[img]http://nabuc.co/zO4nnSy.JPG[/img]
[img]http://nabuc.co/KlSJra8.JPG[/img]
Expect a video later today.
This could be the plot of a HIMYM episode
make sure to include a couch and lamp, that way you can shoot pornos there.
This is pretty awesome. I also think you should build it (semi) underground
I really want to know what's happening with this.
[QUOTE=FinalHunter;48122103]Version 2 should just be called The Bullshit Bungalow or something.[/QUOTE]
Or Shit Shack II: The Revenge™
This thread deserves to stay alive. He has some serious motivation.
That's actually a good point. If over a period of like two weeks or whatever you guys just dug a fucking huge whole in the ground, you could genuinely make the thing underground. I mean it'd be creepy as fucking shit but it'd be fucking awesome.
Where them updates at, son?
Some friends and i were smoking out in the woods one day and I started talking about this thread. We could easily dedicate time to building the thing but the cost of supplies would suck. And getting them as far into the woods as we're planning. would either need a lightly forested area for a truck (in which case the house might be seen from far away) or use a dirtbike or ATV to haul the heavy stuff
[QUOTE=Instant Mix;48188230]If over a period of like two weeks or whatever you guys just dug a fucking huge whole in the ground, you could genuinely make the thing underground. I mean it'd be creepy as fucking shit but it'd be fucking awesome.[/QUOTE]
[img]http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsT/17358-28615.jpg[/img]
What if he actually has been lifted? I mean he said "expect a video tonight" over a week ago
[QUOTE=Pops;48191146][img]http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsT/17358-28615.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
Anyone who doesn't understand: Watch the film "The Lovely Bones".
Also its a brilliant film.
I don't know if that's maybe covered in that 15 minute video you posted... but I didn't have the patience to watch/listen to you talking about the shit shack for 15 minutes, no matter how cool this whole project is. And it is cool.
Anyway.
What I wanted to ask is: how did this whole thing with other people coming there work? Did a lot of stuff get trashed? Did anyone shit or piss inside it? Did people do nice things to the shack, like bring cool new decoration or furniture?
[QUOTE=Instant Mix;48188230]That's actually a good point. If over a period of like two weeks or whatever you guys just dug a fucking huge whole in the ground, you could genuinely make the thing underground. I mean it'd be creepy as fucking shit but [B]it'd be fucking awesome[/B].[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1453905"]Fucking awesome and fucking investigated by police for being a suspected domestic terrorism operation.[/URL]
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[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;48196007][URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1453905"]Fucking awesome and fucking investigated by police for being a suspected domestic terrorism operation.[/URL][/QUOTE]
point taken, maybe [i]not[/i] the best of ideas
holy shit how had i never seen this before? this shit is fucking amazing, this is one of those things where you sit there like "shit, i wish id thought of that"
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