The quality of a packages plans is key as I so often harp on about – if you haven’t got a good set of drawings to work off and the correct materials to use, woodworking can fast become more of a frustrating chore than anything else and this is especially the case with larger projects such as sheds, garages and storage shelters. Henderson has obviously taken note of this with my shed plans elite, his wide range of carefully selected design blueprints and easy to follow step by step instructions ensure that your projects remain the fun, fulfilling activity they should be.

The package focuses on larger projects among which you’ll find plans for storage sheds, garages, Lawn Tool Storage Cabinets and even garden furniture such as a decorative windmill – there’s plenty of plans for the smaller woodworking project too. Plans include a instruction on how to build a fence, dog kennel, making an easy arbor, swing Pet, nursery wagon, feed cart… the list is almost endless!
Although these projects are amazingly fulfilling, the financial rewards are often just as good! Buying a poor quality ready made shed costs a lot in todays pre manufactured world so who wouldn’t want to put their own personal stamp on their garden and save a few bucks in the process!

In a market that is saturated with poor quality products with little substance and less credibility, I found Ryan Hendersons My Shed Plans Elite to be unique in its field. With bigger projects, trust me you simply do not want to be dealing with inferior plans and poorly referenced guides and My Shed Plans doesn’t let down. Such is his confidence in the package he’s recently announced a money back guarantee in case you’re unhappy with anything plus you get to keep the books that come as a bonus so it’s a no brainer.

I would say that there are products out there that have more variety and arguably better plans for smaller woodworking projects but for the larger shed and garden plans Henderson’s My Shed Plans Elite most certainly gets my vote.

Now I know what you’re thinking, why would this Parker cat give a negative review to a product if it meant folks wouldn’t buy it? Well quite simply, because I’m willing to put money where my mouth is. Having actually used the products that are reviewed on my site, I have been as fair as possible and laid my findings out as best I can, however I don’t feel that’s good enough so I have a cunning plan…

I want to pay you to help me build the reviews section of the website so it will become as unbiased and informative as possible. If you act now and pick up a copy of one of the reviewed packs through this site, I want you to stop back and leave an honest review of your own findings. This I hope, will finally put an end to the scams and dishonest reviews we’ve all been caught out on and for your help, I’ll gladly deposit 34% of the cost of your purchase right back into your pocket.

There’s a list of very useful images provided at the bottom of each section, you should check on them regularly to make sure things are going the way they should be. This project and a wheelbarrow load more are available from Ryan Henderson over at My Shed Plans, they’re the guys we have to thank for the resources in this tutorial so without further ado, let’s jump back in where we left off.

Installing the plywood sheathing

Step E: Install the Fascia, Sheathing & Roofing
1. Cut and install the 2 × 6 sub-fascia along the eaves (see the EAVE DETAIL). Keep the ends flush with the outsides of the overhang rafters, and the bottom edges flush with the bottom rafter edges; use 16d nails.
2. Install the 1 × 8 fascia along the gable overhangs, then along the eaves, holding it 1/2″ above the rafters so it will be flush with the sheathing; use 6d galv. finish nails.
3. Install the 1/2″ plywood sheathing, starting at a lower corner of the roof; use 8d box nails driven every 6″ along the edges and every 12″ in the field of the sheets.
4. Attach metal drip edge along the eaves, then apply 15# building paper over the sheathing. Add drip edge along the gable ends, over the paper.
5. Install the asphalt shingles, starting at the eave edge. If desired, install roof vents.

Install the plywood roof sheathing after installing the fascia. Nail every 6″ at the edges and every 12″ in the field.
Rip the soffit panels to fit between the wall plates and fascia. Fasten the panels to the nailers, rafters, and sub-fascia.

Fasten the panels to the nailers, rafters, and subfascia

Step F: Install the Soffits & Siding
1. Cut twelve 2 × 2 nailers to fit between the rafters, as shown in the EAVE DETAIL. Fasten the nailers between the rafters with 10d facenails or 8d toenails.
2. Rip the 3/8″ plywood soffit panels to fit between the wall framing and the fascia. Fasten the soffits to the rafters with 3d galv. box nails.
3. Cut holes for four soffit vents: locate one vent in each of the two outer rafter bays, along the eave, on both sides of the building. Install the soffit vents.
4. Install the plywood siding, using 8d galv. finish nails. Butt the top edges of the siding against the soffits. Don’t nail the siding to the rear-window and door headers in this step. At the gable ends, install Z-flashing along the top edge of siding, then continue the siding up to the soffits.
Note: Along the side walls, 8-ft. siding will cover the floor plywood by about 1/2″ (this is necessary); if you want the siding to cover the floor framing, use 4 × 9-ft. sheets.

Use pairs of tapered shims to plumb and level the door frame in the rough opening.

Step G: Build & Install the Doors
1. Cut out the bottom plate from the door opening.
2. Cut the door frame pieces from 3/4″ × 4 1/2″ (actual dimension) cedar: cut the head jamb at 61 1/4″ and the side jambs at 81 7/8″. Assemble the frame by screwing through the head jamb and into the side jambs with 2 1/2″ deck screws.
3. Cut 1 × 2 stops and install them inside the jambs with 1 1/4″ deck screws or 3d galv. finish nails. If the doors will swing out, install the stops 2 1/4″ from the outside edges of the frame; if they’ll swing in, install the stops 2 1/4″ from the inside edges.
4. Install the door frame in the rough opening, using shims and 10d galv. casing nails. Make sure the frame is square and plumb.
5. Cut twelve pieces of 1 × 6 tongue-&-groove boards at 81 3/4″. For each door, fit together six boards with their ends flush, then mark the two end boards for trimming so that the total width is 30″. Trim the end boards.
6. Cut the Z-brace boards following the DOOR ELEVATIONS. Lay the doors on a flat surface and attach the brace boards using construction adhesive and l 1/4″ wood screws.
7. Install the hinges and hang the door, using shims to set the gaps at the bottom and top of each door.
8. Install flashing above the door, nail-off the siding, then install the 1 × 4 door trim, using 8d galv. finish nails.

Assemble the window frames with screws. Add a 2 × 4 mullion in the center of the side window frame.

Step H: Build & Install the Windows & Trim
Note: If you’ve bought prehung windows for the shed, install them following the manufacturer’s directions. To build homemade windows, use the following directions.
1. For each window, cut the 3/4″ × 4 1/4″ frame stock to form a rectangular frame with outer dimensions that are 1/2″ shorter and narrower than the rough opening. Assemble the frame with 2 1/2″ deck screws. Cut and install a 2 × 4 mullion in the center of the frame for the side-wall window.
2. Install each window frame in its rough opening, using shims and a level to make sure the frame is plumb and level and the jambs are straight. Fasten the frame with 10d galv. casing nails.
3. Cut the 1 × 2 stops. Bevel the outer sill stops as shown in the WINDOW JAMB DETAIL. Attach the inner stops with 6d galv. finish nails. Order the glass to fit.
4. Install the glass and outer stops, applying glazing tape to the stops on both sides of the glass. Install the 1 × 4 window trim.
5. Install the horizontal 1 × 4 trim as shown in the ELEVATIONS. Fasten the trim with 8d galv. finish nails.
6. Install the 1 × 4 corner trim so that it butts against the horizontal trim and extends to the bottom edges of the siding.
7. Caulk along all trim joints, where trim meets siding, and around the door and window trim.

Build the ramp with pressure-treated 2 × 8s and 2 × 4s, following the plan's size or building it to a custom size.

Step I: Build the Ramp (Optional)
Determining the width and length (and thus the slope) of the ramp is up to you, but here is the basic construction procedure:
1. Determine the best slope for the ramp using boards or plywood set on the ground and the shed floor. Mark the ground to represent the end of the ramp.
2. Cut two 2 × 8 pads to the full width of the ramp.
3. Measure the distance from the ground to the shed floor; subtract 2″ from that dimension to get the height of the tapered stringers.
4. Use the ground marking to determine the length of the stringers—be sure to account for the 1 1/2″ thickness of the decking. Cut the tapered stringers from 2 × 8 lumber: cut one for each end and one for every 16″ to 24″ in between.
5. Attach the pads to the stringers with 16d galv. nails driven through the bottom faces of the pads and into the stringers.
6. Cut 2 × 4s for the ramp decking—the number needed depends on the length of the sloping sides of the stringers. Allow for a 1/8″ gap between decking boards when calculating the number needed.
7. Attach the decking boards to the supports with 16d galv. nails or 3″ deck screws, maintaining a 1/8″ gap between boards.
8. Set the ramp in place against the shed and fasten it by toenailing through the end stringers and top decking board with 3 1/2″ deck screws.

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Well there you have it, by now you should know how to build a shed – and hopefully you’re reading this segment from the comfort of your own 10 x 12 garden shed – a shed you can proudly say you built yourself! I’ll admit that it’s a tough project to take on if you’ve never done any woodworking before but it’s far from impossible you absolutely can do this, that’s the beauty of this craft – with care and patience anybody can be self building in no time whatsoever.
I hope you found my instructions easy to follow, due to space restrictions here on the site I’ve obviously had to chop the finer details out but I do hope I left the essential elements intact – please leave a comment if you see any room for improvement!

And last of all, big thanks go out to Ryan Henderson and the guys over at My Shed Plans for sharing their resources and expertise with us on this project and remember you can grab a complete set of these and thousands of other plans for easy printing when you visit their site.

BUILDING THE BASIC SHED

Step A: Build the Foundation & Floor Frame
1. Excavate the building site and add a 4″ layer of compactible gravel. If desired, add an extension to the base for the optional wood ramp. Tamp the gravel thoroughly, making sure it is flat and level.
2. Cut three 4 × 4 treated timber skids at 144″. Arrange and level the skids on the gravel bed, following the FLOOR FRAMING PLAN.
3. Cut two 2 × 6 rim joists at 144″ and ten joists at 93″. Mark the joist layout onto the rim joists, following the plan. Assemble frame with 16d galv. common nails; be sure to check each joist for crowning and install it with the crowned edge up.
4. Set the floor frame on top of the skids and measure the diagonals to make sure it’s square. Install metal clip angles at each joist along the two outer skids, using 1 1/2″ joist hanger nails and 16d galv. common nails, and toenail each joist to the center skid with 16d galv. nails.
5. Install the tongue-and-groove floor sheathing, starting with a full sheet at one corner of the frame. Use 8d galv.

How to build a shed - securing the joists

Secure the joists to the outer skids with angles. Drive hanger nails into the joists and 16d nails into the skids.
Frame and raise the walls, then fasten adjacent walls together at the corner studs.

Step B: Frame the Walls
1. Snap chalk lines on the floor for the wall plates.
2. Cut the 2 × 4 wall plates: four at 144″ for the side walls and four at 89″ for the front and back walls.
3. Mark the stud layouts onto the plates following the FLOOR PLAN.
4. Cut twenty-seven studs at 92 5/8″, and cut six at 81 1/2″ to serve as jack studs.
5. Build three headers with 2 × 6s and 1/2″ plywood: one at 65″ for the door opening, one at 67″ for the right side window, and one at 35″ for the rear window.
6. Assemble, raise, and brace the walls one at a time, then add the double top plates.

Step C: Frame the Roof
1. Cut two pattern rafters, following the RAFTER TEMPLATE. Test-fit the rafters using a 2 × 8 spacer block, then cut the remaining twelve common rafters. Cut eight rafters for the gable end overhangs—these do not have bird’s mouth cuts.
2. Cut the 2 × 8 ridge board at 156″. Draw the rafter layout onto the top plates and ridge board, using 16″ on-center spacing. The outsides of the outer common rafters should be 6″ from the ends of the ridge board.
3. Install the rafters. Reinforce the rafter-wall connection with metal anchors—install them on all but the outer common rafters.

Fastening the bottom ends of the common rafters

4. Cut three 2 × 4 rafter ties at 96″, and clip the top outer corners so they won’t project above the rafters. Position each tie next to a pair of rafters as shown in the FRAMING ELEVATIONS. Facenail each tie end to the rafter with three 10d nails, then toenail each tie end to the top wall plate with two 8d nails.

5. Cut the gable-wall plates to reach from the ridge to the wall plates. Install the plates with their outside edges flush with the outer common rafters. Cut and install the gable studs, following the FRAMING ELEVATIONS.

Attach lookouts to four of the overhang rafters

Fasten the bottom ends of the common rafters to the wall plates with metal anchors.
Attach lookouts to four of the overhang rafters, then nail the overhang rafters to the outer common rafters.

Step D: Build the Gable Overhangs
1. Cut twelve 2 × 6 lookouts at 3″. Endnail the lookouts to each of the inner overhang rafters, using 16″ on-center spacing (see the GABLE OVERHANG DETAIL).
2. Facenail the inner overhang rafters to the outer common rafters with 10d nails.
3. Fasten the outer overhang rafters to the ridge and lookouts, using 16d nails.

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Well that’s about it for part 2, by now your basic frame structure should be in place and things should definitely be starting to take shape for you. In part 3 we’ll start work on the roof and the gable overhangs, we’ll be tackling some of the finer detailed work also including door and window frames.
Tip of the hat once again to Ryan Henderson and the lads over at My Shed Plans for sharing their resources and expertise with us!

Ok, this 8 × 12-ft. shed features a simple gable roof, double doors, and side and rear windows for natural lighting. With full-height walls and doors, there’s ample room for storing large items or creating a comfortable work space. An optional wood ramp helps in moving lawn mowers and other heavy equipment.

The shed’s simple construction makes it especially adaptable for different uses. For example, you can easily frame in additional windows—to use the shed as a workshop or potting shed—or omit all of the windows and devote the space entirely to secure storage.

The finish materials for the basic shed also are true to its name: asphalt roof shingles, plywood siding, and simple trim details are appropriately practical for this classic outbuilding design. You can purchase pre-hung doors or build your own using the project plans.

Key for reading tables:

That should give you a good outline of the materials necessary to complete the job – I’ve also listed some helpful images below here too. Make sure to reference these as you go or better still print them off and have a copy beside you. Once you take a bit of time to look over them, the rest of the plans should fall into place and start to make a lot more sense!

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Well that’s about it for how to build a shed part 1, we’ll get stuck into the actual step by step construction of our shed in how to build a shed part 2.
Hat’s off once again to My Shed Plans for sharing their resources and expertise with us!

I recall standing in shop with 2 blocks of wood in either hand and being asked to make some useless shape out of them, and thinking to myself – why am I here again? All that changed however when, a few years later some kitchen shelving collapsed and I needed to get it repaired pronto. Now I don’t know if it’s just me, but if you’ve ever gone to the hardware store looking for some basic furniture – it is NOT cheap!! I about turned and walked right out of there partly because there was no way I was handing over my hard earned dollars for what looked like badly built flat pack, but also because I quite simply didn’t have the cash. We’ve all hit hard times and they were certainly not the easiest for me, but – I got home, went on-line to see what I could do and before long had a thought that for some reason hadn’t even entered my head up to that point – why don’t I build those shelves myself?

Well the rest, as they say is history, I struggled my way with that project but I got there eventually! Without being too dramatic, a flame had been lit, and over time I went searching out bigger projects – and with those I discovered greater people and resources which helped me to advance my skills and build some really heavy duty projects. I’ve travelled a long way since those days and occasionally I like to think back over how a seemingly bad turn of events actually, often leads to some of life’s greatest treasures. Woodworking is more than a hobby – it’s a craft, if you enjoy it as I do and you can persevere with the occasional setbacks, you will be rewarded 10 times over both financially and in personal fulfilment.

G. Parker

If you’re interested in starting a woodworking project, you’re going to need the necessary information and tools, including blueprints, schematics, dimensions, materials, lists etc. It’s essential that your plans are clearly drawn and that they’re step-by-step, easily read explanations of how the plan should be put together, and it’s here that Ted’s Woodworking comes in.

If you’ve been doing any serious looking around the web for woodworking plan packages you’ve probably noticed that they’re not always what they seem. A very common complaint is that of missing parts lists, material lists or the tools needed are overly expensive. Fortunately Ted’s Woodworking doesn’t suffer such problems, this is a big relief as the plans are largely useless otherwise.

Ted’s Woodworking features the following

• Detailed diagrams accompanied by a full set of dimensions.
• Logical and clearly labelled step by step instructions on how best to start your project.
• A clear list of materials necessary for that particular project.
• A catalogue of all the woodworking tools you will need to complete your projects.

Considerable effort seems to have been made to ensure the package is accessible by those with beginner or intermediate level woodworking skills, with woodworking plans that are easily interpreted but not overly simple. This easy-to-follow layout alone sets Ted’s above most others and will realistically allow you to master many woodworking techniques. Also included among the woodworking plans are videos to guide you in how to build home furniture, benches, bird feeders, dog houses, sheds and other useful items.

Ted’s woodworking has over 16,000 woodworking plans and with this large volume it’s possible that disorganization could be a problem – and in fact in places it is. Not all of the plans are well categorized this can be corrected with a little effort on your part though. Also, with so much information in the package downloading from a slow connection can be a bit of a pain.

This has been overcome somewhat by the introduction of a members area upgrade where a handy DVD hard copy is available and with lifetime member access included in the package at no extra cost you, you can enjoy this product for years with no additional charges to worry about.

The bottom line:

Ted Mcgrath is a highly dedicated woodworker with many years of experienced and it’s very clear knows what he is talking about when it comes to woodworking and DIY projects.

If you are planning to start on your woodworking project, Ted’s Woodworking isn’t something you SHOULD use, it’s something that you would be mad not to use.

As you’re probably already aware, a common complaint about woodworking kits is that they cannot be completed by beginner or inexperienced woodworkers. The reasons from this are usually centred on poorly drafted plans where the directions, measurements and diagrams are a inaccurate. There’s nothing more frustrating than this when you’re mid project and it often causes people to become frustrated and give up or move onto another project.

Personally, I would take a small number of well produced plans over 1000 sub standard ones any day – accurate plans really do make that much of a difference! Thankfully John’s 6 years of work have paid off in this regard which means you don’t have to worry about problems like this and you can concentrate on getting busy with the projects! Overall, we found the plans inside to be very detailed and well suited for people who wish to improve their woodworking knowledge but could still do with some hands on practice. Well written plans, in simple to understand English which may be printed out as a manual are one of the small details that makes this product a step above.

The Good:

• All the necessary materials for the particular woodwork design are labelled and identified.
• Clear, beginner readable, detailed diagrams with the right set of dimensions.
• Logical step by step instructions guide you from the very start to the finished product.
• The required woodworking tools are catalogued for each project. John has made significant efforts to keep away from complexity here making his plans even more accessible.

The not so good:

• John’s site has feature’s for members which has huge potential, sadly it doesn’t quite match up to the standards seen in his woodworking kit. We believe this is being worked on however which is a positive move.
• The package itself doesn’t contain quite as many plans as some other packages we’ve used, this is a minor concern however it’s worth noting.

So is woodworking4home a worthy investment? The quality of the plans are probably among the best that we’ve seen, hands down. John Metz’s woodworking skills are undeniable, and the variety will keep you busy for a long time to come at a price that’s well within affordable range.

The quality of a packages plans is key as I so often harp on about – if you haven’t got a good set of drawings to work off and the correct materials to use, woodworking can fast become more of a frustrating chore than anything else and this is especially the case with larger projects such as sheds, garages and storage shelters. Henderson has obviously taken note of this with my shed plans elite, his wide range of carefully selected design blueprints and easy to follow step by step instructions ensure that your projects remain the fun, fulfilling activity they should be.

The package focuses on larger projects among which you’ll find plans for storage sheds, garages, Lawn Tool Storage Cabinets and even garden furniture such as a decorative windmill – there’s plenty of plans for the smaller woodworking project too. Plans include a instruction on how to build a fence, dog kennel, making an easy arbor, swing Pet, nursery wagon, feed cart… the list is almost endless!
Although these projects are amazingly fulfilling, the financial rewards are often just as good! Buying a poor quality ready made shed costs a lot in todays pre manufactured world so who wouldn’t want to put their own personal stamp on their garden and save a few bucks in the process!

In a market that is saturated with poor quality products with little substance and less credibility, I found Ryan Hendersons My Shed Plans Elite to be unique in its field. With bigger projects, trust me you simply do not want to be dealing with inferior plans and poorly referenced guides and My Shed Plans doesn’t let down. Such is his confidence in the package he’s recently announced a money back guarantee in case you’re unhappy with anything plus you get to keep the books that come as a bonus so it’s a no brainer.

I would say that there are products out there that have more variety and arguably better plans for smaller woodworking projects but for the larger shed and garden plans Henderson’s My Shed Plans Elite most certainly gets my vote.