Hello Yellow

Every woodshed deserves a ramp.  Why not a yellow one?  So that's what I did.  Also that latch is a DIY too.  I did check what off the shelf latches were like and cost, and then searched for home made latches.  I was initially thinking to make one totally out of wood.  But this final version was a lower profile and turned out to be simpler and slicker.

I brought a little piece of our home into that door with that latch.  I totally McGyver'ed this latch mechanism.  It works great and looks almost medieval.  I love how it turned out.

I have to say.  The planer I bought sure came in handy to make the ramp flat.  The boards it is mounted to were warped and I was able to shave things down so it laid flat.  I wasn't sure how much use it would be when I found it as a clearance item on one of my morning coffee walks in the aisles of HomeDepot.  But it has been one of the most useful tools I've got in my toolbox.  Not all deals are found online.  The best are found walking around in a bricks and mortar shop.

The metal bar is a piece cut from our old banister.  I missed throwing it out and glad I still had it cause it was RE-used and RE-cycled - one less thing to go to land fill.  Same with the knob.  I cut a short piece from this old wooden closet hanger rod I had leftover from a reno.  I saved them in case I needed a large dowel for some project.  It's the Reinhold in me.  You just never know when it will be useful again.  But sooner or later you gotta just let it go, or you will quickly have a junk yard and then need to get a dog.

Before I started on this task, I asked Tresa's dad how he wanted the ramp to be built.  Actually before I did anything I asked him if we could build a ramp for the wood shed.

There's an 8inch drop from the door opening to the ground and there was an old stump in front of it making it awkward to get things in and out of there.  Especially the larger heavier things.  He said OK.  Actually he said it like this: "If you want to build a ramp, build a ramp. That will be good."

Then I got to work on sourcing materials.  Everything was re-used.  from the 2x6 boards to the yellow composite.  Everything.  It didn't cost me a dime.  Except for the physiotherapy for my aching back, hauling up a bag gravel and all the other materials and levelling the ground and prepping it.

It looks so much better now.  I like these little projects.  It is just a woodshed.  But everything is better with little TLC.