Anyone make their own wood shakes?

[Isaac Carlson]

I have been wanting to make shakes for many years now, but have not had the time to do it. Does/has anyone here do/done it?

 

[kennyp2339]

I've seen some videos of it being done, it seems more tedious then difficult, white cedar, not the eastern red crap.

 

[Ashful]

I used to do summer camp as a kid and young teen, at a museum that focused primarily on trades, tools, and machinery of the 17th - 19th centuries. We would make them there each summer, it being just one of many things that seemed normal when I was a kid, but strange when I look back on it now. I can't imagine even talking my kids into an activity like that now.

We would split them with a froe and a mallet. They made us make our own mallets and toolboxes, now that I remember. Then we'd sit on a horse with a toggle clamp, with our feet applying pressure to the clamp, and bring each shake to final thickness and shape with a draw knife. I think they used the shakes in maintaining an old log cabin and several equipment sheds, that the museum had on its property.

I enjoyed the draw knife work much more than the splitting, maybe foreshadowing how much of my future life would be dedicated to splitting wood.

 

[SpaceBus]

I've considered making some out of clear sections of the softwoods we have on the property. I have a froe, but the splitter will be an easier choice. Home Despot in my area is selling a bundle of second clear "Bar Harbor" white cedar shingles for $75. I'm pretty sure we bought them for less than $25/bundle in 2019.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

We bought cedar shakes for the chicken coop and siding maybe 10 years ago for $5-7 a bundle. Now they are $100+. I used some for sidin on a friend's house and he loved them. He decided to cover the back wall with them as well, but hired another guy to do it. He did it in a few hours and left. I saw it when I visited again and it was not right. You could see the wall between the shakes, so it was really not right.

 

[Ashful]

We bought cedar shakes for the chicken coop and siding maybe 10 years ago for $5-7 a bundle. Now they are $100+.

I use them to make roofs for equipment I'm forced to leave outside. Light frame of 5/4x3 cedar rafters, 1x2 pine purlins, and cedar shakes. A 6' x 3' roof is light enough that I lift it off with on hand. A bungee can be added between rafters and equipment, if left in a high-wind area, but most of mine are just gravity-held. Frame has cleats added to hook onto or set upon equipment with which they're used.

Last one I built was probably 5+ years ago, shake price wasn't too bad then, but haven't checked since. Can try to find (or take) a photo later, if anyone is interested.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I use them to make roofs for equipment I'm forced to leave outside. Light frame of 5/4x3 cedar rafters, 1x2 pine purlins, and cedar shakes. A 6' x 3' roof is light enough that I lift it off with on hand. A bungee can be added between rafters and equipment, if left in a high-wind area, but most of mine are just gravity-held. Frame has cleats added to hook onto or set upon equipment with which they're used.

Last one I built was probably 5+ years ago, shake price wasn't too bad then, but haven't checked since. Can try to find (or take) a photo later, if anyone is interested.

Great idea

 

[Ashful]

Great idea

Thanks. Necessity is the mother of invention. I've found that equipment under a roof is nearly as good as equipment kept indoors. Having walls on a shed might be nice, but the roof is really doing 99% of what's' needed to keep sun, rain, and snow off the goods.

 

[Ashful]

Great idea

Took me awhile to remember, but here’s some photos of one I’ve had on my 60’ish inch aerator the last several years. Photos taken this morning.

 

[zmender]

Wood shake? This is first thing that came across my mind: