Easy level cubby house

[Hunters_project]

I’m really after advise. I have very little experience with building frames, timber etc. 

In this moment of time I would like to build a cubby house for my 6 yo daughter out of recycled pallets. Nothing crazy big. Just simple. I have basic tools. But if need be I can borrow electric tools here and there. 
I have done little side projects here and there doing up furniture. From different woods to cast iron. I’m not afraid to give it a shot. 
where do I start?

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Workshop community @Hunters_project. I'm sure you'll find our talented members have plenty of inspirational projects to share and are more than happy to assist you in where to start. 

A good place to begin would be to decide what scale and design you would like to build. There's a fantastic post on D.I.Y. cubby houses started by Marty (@Yorky88) who specialises in pallet projects and did an amazing job on his own cubby.

There are also plenty of other great examples shared by Workshop members, such as: 

• Kids cubby house by @ProjectPete 
• Kids Christmas present D.I.Y. cubby house by @Tara86 
• Pallet playhouse by @HansoloNZ 

On a personal project, I started with a crate pallet for the base then built the walls and roof around it. I found it was a simple method which allowed me to use the base as a solid starting point. I would advise a similar method if you did not wish to build a standalone frame. It will save you time and the need to purchase additional timber.

Here's an example of the base and method I am referring to:

I found with my project, it was best to have an understanding of what I wanted to build, but not be constrained by that plan. When using recycled pallet timber, you may need to adapt your design or change direction depending on what size of timber you can acquire.

The tools I used and found helpful in my build were:

• Ryobi 18v Drill Driver 
• Ryobi 18v Cordless Brad Nail Gun 
• Ryobi 18v 165mm Circular Saw 

The project is really quite modular. I decided to put the window in the front, but you may decide the side is a better option. You could add another pallet at the front to create a veranda or perhaps another room to make the interior more spacious.

I would advise you head down to your local Bunnings store and see what free pallets they have. Once you have picked up a few pallets, you can then decide how their size influences your project plan.

Here’s my finished project:

We are looking forward to seeing how your project progresses. Please feel free to ask if there is anything further you would like to know. I'd be pleased to share more details on my construction method or answer any questions you have. 

Mitchell

[Yorky88]

@Hunters_project  Yep so as @MitchellMc  has suggested, work out what dimensions you want the cubby house to be and then you can work out how big your walls need to be and how many studs per wall you need. 

There are plenty of free pallets out there with different sized barers that are perfect for building your stud wall frames and the slats are perfect for cladding so you can keep your material costs down. 

If you have specific questions about certain parts or tools or anything feel free to ask I’ll be happy to help out where I can.