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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 1
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Plans for Kiosk Revised, Sep-12, 2016
We have built three small kiosks for the Finger Lakes Land Trust in New York State. The kiosks are
designed to be low-cost, attractive (in a natural/rustic fashion), functional, long-lasting, and maintenance-
free. We also wanted to avoid the use of pressure-treated lumber and manufactured materials to the
greatest extent possible so that the kiosks would fit more comfortably in a natural setting. We believe that
we have accomplished most of these objectives; time will tell on the “long-lasting, and maintenance-
free.”
Figure 1. The kiosk on the FLT at Sweedler Preserve at Lick Brook
Figure 2. The kiosk at Kingsbury Woods Nature Preserve
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 2
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Figure 3. Kingsbury kiosk with trailhead register box
Figure 4. Kiosk at Bock-Harvey Nature Preserve
About these plans
These are use-at-your-own-risk plans. We cannot be responsible for your results when using
these plans.
Drawings are not intended to be scale drawings.
Quantities and descriptions in the bill of materials may be different for your project.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 3
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Rough-cut Black Locust?
We decided to build the kiosks using rough-cut black locust lumber. This helped us meet the
objectives of a natural, rustic appearance, and avoidance of pressure-treated lumber. Black locust
is naturally rot-resistant. (We still find split black locust fence posts from the late 19
th
century
along the Finger Lakes Trail! They are like iron!)
It may be difficult to find black locust cut to the dimensions you need. You will need to hand-
select virtually every piece since knots, cavities, and irregular dimensions are common. It is
fairly easy to work when it is not well seasoned, but once seasoned, it is extremely hard. You
must use carbide cutting tools. You must also pre-drill full length holes for your screws and use
soap on the threads to avoid breaking them off. Also, black locust is prone to warping and
splitting as it seasons, so it is important that you assemble a structurally sound kiosk with
accurate cuts so the pieces mate well. A final treat is that slivers from rough-cut black locust are
quite nasty, and some have reported allergic reaction to the fine sawdust. Not to sound too
negative, once you have gotten used to working with black locust, you will find it an extremely
strong and beautiful wood capable of giving very satisfying results.
Dimensional lumber
If you decide to use dimensional lumber, remember that a 2″×4″ measures only 1½″×3½″; you
will have to adjust some fastener lengths.
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 4
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
The project
There are three phases to the project.
Selecting the wood
Plan on spending several hours at the sawmill, and probably more than one trip. Make sure that
you have gloves, a measuring tape, these plans, and a notebook. Black locust is heavy so don’t
plan on using a roof rack for all of the lumber in one trip.
Pre-fabrication
This involves building the leg and and working rafter sub-assemblies, and cutting all of the
remaining pieces. You will want to do this in your shop and will need an accurate miter saw,
power drill and appropriate bits. Mark pieces that are fitted together so they can be matched up
during construction. Plan on spending 8-10 hours in the shop.
Construction
You will need at least one helper and preferably 2 or 3. Construction will probably take a full
day. If the holes and alignment go slowly, you may need part of a second day to finish.
Here is the general order of business:
1. Dig two holes. We try to keep the holes as small as possible using the undisturbed soil
around the holes for support and minimizing the amount of concrete or other fill. But
don’t have the holes so small that you have trouble with alignment. Remember that you
may have to move the bottom of the leg as well as the top.
2. Align the legs
3. Attach the ridge beam and the horizontal panel brackets to the legs
4. Fill in the holes
5. Lunch
6. Attach working rafter sub-assemblies to legs and ridge beam
7. Attach bottom roof boards front and back
8. Attach next two roof boards front and back
9. Attach the lazy rafters to the ridge beam and the two roof boards front and back
10. Attach the fourth roof boards front and back, then the ridge cap
11. Finish the panel
12. Finish the ground clean-up
Here is what you will need at the site:
Two six foot step ladders
5′ Rock bar
Wrecking bar or pry bar
Post-hole digger
Shovel
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 5
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Pulaski or similar for light landscaping
Loppers for cutting roots in the holes
Rake
4-foot carpenter’s level
Measuring tapes
Carpenter’s square or other squaring tool
Markers and pencils
Three or four 1″×3″×12′ furring strips for braces
Two 1″×3″×5′ furring strips for braces while aligning the legs
Several blocks, for example 1″×4″×6″
Four 24″ iron stakes
Hand sledgehammer, for driving stakes and nudging the alignment
Claw hammer or framing hammer
Clamps
More clamps
Strong battery powered drill, drill bits, screw driver bits, and extra batteries. You will
want two drills for doing the roof, one with a drill bit and one with a screwdriver bit. You
can pass them back and forth to two workers.
Some way to keep the fasteners organized
⅜″ Drill bit or auger for the carriage bolts.
⅞″ Spade bit for countersinking the carriage bolts
Socket wrenches for carriage bolts
Water for the concrete
Gloves for all hands
Eye protection for all eyes
Hearing protection for all ears
Plans, notebook, camera
Optional: Two sawhorses and table top of some sort to keep tools and materials off the
ground
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 6
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
In the shop
The legs
The legs are made from girders fabricated (in your shop) from 2″×6″, and
5
/
16
″×5″ lag screws or
4½″ or 5″ structural screws. This construction will be almost as stiff as a 6 x 8 without the
additional weight or board foot cost. Also, the two pieces will work together to prevent warping
in the other piece. Finally, the cutouts for the ridge beam are much easier. (Note that these
cutouts are done before the pieces are screwed together.)
The holes for the screws need to be pre-drilled for lag or construction screws, especially if the
wood is seasoned. Measure and lay out the location of the screws carefully so that you end up
with a nice clean appearance. If using lag screws, first drill a 7/8″ diameter countersink hole
about the depth of the screw head. Then drill a pilot hole about 1/16 smaller than the screw. If
using structural screws, it may not be necessary to countersink the heads. You will probably have
to clamp the pieces together to get them to line up since the pieces will undoubtedly have some
curvature. Once clamped, drill all of the holes and put in the screws before loosening the clamps.
Figure 5. Leg sub-assembly
Make cutouts in the tops of the 2″×6″ side leg pieces to
receive the ridge beam. These are easy to make with two
cuts. The cutout should be 3″ deep with the width equal to
the thickness of the ridge beam (2″ if using rough-cut).
Measure the width carefully so that the ridge beam will fit
snugly, but not too tight that you will have trouble at
assembly time.
As you make the cutouts, remember that the left and right
legs are different. The drawing above shows both legs. Pick
the best sides (visually) of the leg pieces to face front and to
the sides.
2″× 6″ × 10′
4½″ structural
screws
(
6-8 needed
)
10′
2″× 6″ × 10′
Straight cutout for
ridge beam
Front
2″× 6″
2″× 6″
Cutout to receive
ridge beam
Front of kiosk
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 7
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
The rafters
Cut the four working rafters that will connect from the Ridge to the rafter supports. Start with a
24″ section of 2″ x 4″. Layout the angles and cut them with a miter saw. The miter cuts at the
bottom end of the rafter are mainly cosmetic.
The rafter supports
Cut the two rafter supports. Start with a 44″ section of 2 x 4 and miter both ends at 60˚. The 44”
is a rough measurement that may vary depending on the thickness of the ridge beam, miter
angles of the top of the rafters, and the vertical distance between the rafter support and the ridge
beam (see Figure 11 below). Make a rough layout of the rafters and the simulated ridge beam
before cutting the miters. If the rafter support is a bit short, simply raise it up slightly.
Figure 7. Rafter support
30˚
44″
4″
1″
30˚
30˚
Rafter
Rafter support
Figure 6. Relationship between rafter and rafter support
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 8
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Build the rafter sub-assemblies
In this step, you will build the two rafter sub-assemblies each consisting of two rafters and the
rafter support. If you have space in your shop, the best way to do this is with a trial assembly of
the kiosk frame. Otherwise you can lay out the sub-assemblies on a piece of scrap plywood as
explained in the next section.
Trial Assembly
1. Support the two leg assemblies on saw horses parallel and 4 feet apart. The front side of
the legs should face the floor. Support the plywood display panel on clamped cleats (inset
below) between the two legs to align the legs as they will be in the final assembly. Use 6-
foot pipe clamps (partially visible below) to clamp the assembly together.
Figure 8. Trial assembly
2. Insert the ridge beam into the cutouts in
the top of the legs and center it across
the width of the kiosk.
3. Insert a 6″ construction screw through
the side leg 2″6″ into the ridge beam
(shown at right). This is temporary to
keep the trial assembly aligned. It will
be replaced in the field during
installation.
Figure 9. Trial assembly detail
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 9
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Figure 10. Build rafter sub-assemblies from trial assembly
4. Carefully align the rafters to the ridge beam and leg sub-assembly and clamp in place.
5. Clamp a 4-foot piece of scrap (not shown) between the ends of the rafters to form a rigid
triangle.
6. Fit the rafter support between the rafter ends making sure the support is perpendicular to
the leg.
7. Clamp the rafter support to the leg.
8. When everything is aligned correctly, drill pilot holes and then drive 4½″ construction
screws to attach the rafter support and the top of the rafters to the legs. This should now
hold the rafters and the rafter support in alignment.
9. Now working from the bottom of the rafter support, drill four countersink and pilot holes
at an angle perpendicular to the rafters as shown in Figure 11.
10. Drive the 4½″ and 6″ construction screws into each end of the rafter support to complete
the rafter sub-assembly.
11. Mark the location of the legs on the ridge beam to be used to align the structure in the
field. Also mark the top of the leg to be removed as shown in Figure 9.
12. When finished, the screws holding the rafter sub-assembly to the legs and ridge beam can
be removed. They will be replaced in the field during installation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 10
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
“Breadboard” layout
If you do not use the trial assembly of the kiosk frame in the previous section, you can lay out the
rafter sub-assemblies on a small sheet of scrap plywood and do the build there.
1. Lay the two rafters and the rafter support flat as shown below.
2. Lay a short piece 2″×4″ standing on edge between them (green below) to simulate the
ridge beam. This 2″×4″ should be the same thickness (2″) as the actual ridge beam.
Measure this carefully so that the ridge beam will fit snugly, but not too tight, during
installation. Use clamps or screws to anchor the 2″×4″ to the plywood.
3. Align the rafters so they fit against the simulated ridge beam as shown. Use screws at the
upper end of the rafters to anchor the rafters firmly against the simulated ridge beam.
These screw holes will be used to attach the rafter sub-assembly to the leg during
installation.
4. Use clamps or temporary blocks (orange) at the lower ends of the rafters to prevent any
movement.
5. Then lay the rafter support across as shown below in red. The 44″ width of the rafter
support was based on the ridge beam being exactly 2″ thick. If you have a different
thickness, or much variation in your rafters or your angles, you may have to trim the
angled ends of the rafter support slightly.
6. After checking that the rafter support is perpendicular to the simulated ridge beam and
aligned with the rafters, use clamps or screws to anchor the rafter support to the plywood.
The screw holes shown below are used to anchor the rafter support to the leg during
installation.
7. Once the sub assembly is aligned, attach the rafter support to the bottom of both rafters
using 4½″ and 6″ construction screws.
Figure 11. Working rafters sub-assembly
8. Repeat this process for the other end of the kiosk. Remember to match the thickness of
the other end of the ridge beam. If there is much variation in your rafters, mark them and
the ridge beam once you have them fitted so you can match them up during assembly.
Temporary gauge for
thickness of ridge beam
Rafter support
Rafter
Temporary
alignment block
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 11
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
“Lazy” rafters
Cut the remaining six “lazy” rafters in the same way that you cut the 4 working ones. The only
difference is that you might consider using lighter weight 2″×4″ stock. For example, if you find
some that are closer to 1½″×3″, they will work just fine. Their only purpose is to hold the roof
boards together; they are not supporting any weight. In fact, they are adding to the weight being
supported by the roof boards. Also, the spacers are not needed.
Roof cap
Use the best of the roof boards for the roof cap (¾″×8″×8′). Consider cutting drain grooves the
length of the roof cap as shown to prevent rain water from siphoning back under the roof cap.
Roof cap
Roof board
Ridge board
Ridge beam
Figure 12 . Roof cap
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 12
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
The display panel
The display panel has overall dimensions of 48″ wide and 36″ high. It is made from a sandwich
of ½″ MDO plywood, ½″ Homosote Corkboard, and ⅛″ clear Lexan.
Both the MDO and the Corkboard are a full 48″×36″ inches and can be cut from a 4′×8′ sheet.
Since both are rather expensive, cut carefully. This will give you material for two kiosks with
factory cut sides and leave enough left over for a display panel of 4′ by slightly less than 2′. The
factory cut sides on the 48″×36″ are very useful for squaring up the legs and the panel brackets.
The Lexan should be ordered cut to size and will be approximately 45½″×33½″ to allow a 1¼″
margin on all four sides for the frame. It is best to build the frame first and then measure the
exact dimensions for the Lexan. Remember that you need allow a bit more than ⅛″ for
horizontal and vertical expansion. So for example, if your frame measures exactly 45½″ wide,
order the Lexan 45⅜″ wide.
Figure 13. Display panel
Display panel frame
Make the display panel frame from nice
straight pieces of 1″ x 2″ black locust. You
will need two 36″ pieces and two 48″ pieces.
Rip both sides to get a width of 1½″. Then
resaw the top and bottom to get a thickness
of ¾″.
Cut rabbet groves along one side of the
pieces ½″ wide and ¼″ deep as shown
below. Cut 45˚ miters on the corners to fit to
a frame measuring 36″×48″.
Lexan
Homosote
corkboard
MDO
plywood
2″ × 4″ Display brace
(top and bottom)
or
1″ × 3″ Display backing
(left and right)
36″
48″
Frame
2½″ trim
screws
1½″
½″
¼″
¾″
Figure 14. Frame detail
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 13
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Display panel brackets
There are horizontal brackets at the top and bottom of the display. These are made from two
2″×4″×56″ pieces. They should be fairly straight, but can have imperfections on the back side or
edges. Cut them a bit long and then trim to exact fit during construction.
You will attach the horizontal brackets to the back of the legs inside the 2″×6″ side members of
the legs. Use four 3½″ deck screws. Use the MDO Plywood panel as a square to make sure that
the legs are parallel, vertical, and exactly four feet apart measured from the inside edges of the
2″×6″ members. Then trim the horizontal brackets to length and clamp along the top and bottom
of the MDO panel. Then drive the screws in the four corners from the back of the kiosk. Note
that the horizontal brackets are somewhat structural in addition to supporting the display panel.
The vertical brackets serve only to provide an attachment point for the sides of the display panel.
These are made from 1″×6″×28″ boards. Cut the boards a bit long and then trim to exact fit
during construction.
You will attach the vertical brackets to the back of the legs between the two horizontal brackets.
Use 4 or more 2½″ deck screws driving them from the back of the kiosk.
Figure 15. Installing the display panel
1″ × 6″ × 28″
Display side bracket
(2 needed)
2″× 4″× 56″
Display bracket
(
2 needed
)
3½″ deck screws
(from back)
2½″ deck screws
(from back)
36″
48″
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 14
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
On the site
Aligning the structure
The main challenge in building the kiosk is getting the two legs vertical, parallel, and exactly 4′
apart as measured from the inside edges of the legs. Additional complications are that the tops of
both legs need to be at the same level, and the fronts of the two legs need to be in the same plane
(in other words, not twisted with respect to each other).
We have had the best luck with the following
sequence:
1. First, try to get bottom of both holes at
approximately the same level. Do this by
leveling a board between the two holes and
then measuring from the board to the bottom
of each hole. If you find a slight difference,
work with the less deep hole since the other
one can be filled in slightly. This will be the
first leg. If there is a difference of more than a
few inches (for example, you hit bedrock),
then work with the deeper hole, planning to
cut the bottom off of the other leg. (If you
can’t get both legs at least 24″ into the ground,
consider moving to another location.)
1
st
law of kiosk building: The huge
boulder or bedrock will always be
found 20″ into the second hole.
2. Put both legs in their holes.
3. Clamp one end of a 5′ furring strip to the front
face of the first leg. Then, with both legs approximately vertical, clamp the other end of
the furring strip to the other leg. This will make sure that the fronts of both legs remain in
the same plane as you align the first leg.
4. Make the first leg accurately vertical using a good carpenter’s level. The leg needs to be
vertical left and right as well as front to back. Then use 1″×3″×12′ furring strips as braces
to hold the leg in position. One brace should be anchored well to the side and the other
well to the back of the kiosk. Make sure that the side brace is in the plane of the front of
the legs and that the back brace is 90˚ from that.
5. Fit the ridge beam in place between the two legs and use it to level the tops of the legs.
Measure any difference and then correct the second leg by filling in its hole or cutting off
the bottom of the leg (or deepening the hole) to brings the tops level.
6. Check that the first leg is vertical and aligned in the plane of the front of the legs.
Figure 16.
A
ligning the legs
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Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 15
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
7. Decide on the height of the display panel. Normally bottom of the panel is 3′ above the
ground. Clamp a block of wood at this height to the inside of the first leg to support the
bottom corner of the MDO panel.
8. Clamp a temporary support to the bottom edge of the MDO panel on the other side to
hold the weight and keep it horizontal. Use a clamp on the first leg at the top of the MDO
panel to keep the panel vertical.
9. With the MDO panel snugly against the first leg (and the first leg well aligned vertically)
adjust the second leg using the MDO panel as a guide. This will make the second leg
vertical left to right. Use your carpenter’s level to get the second leg vertical front to
back. You may need to move the bottom or the top to prevent twisting the legs out of the
desired plane.
Figure 17. Aligning the tops of the legs (left) and squaring the legs using the MDO panel (right)
10. At this point, the legs should be aligned. Clamp the second leg to braces or to the first leg
and MDO panel.
11. Then with the legs aligned, adjust the left to right position of the ridge beam and attach it.
Then trim the length of the horizontal panel brackets to actual measurement and attach
them. Clamp the horizontal panel brackets to the MDO panel to align them.
12. Finally, fill the holes with concrete mix and water. Give the concrete a few minutes to set
up before you begin working on the roof, and work carefully so as not to disturb the
alignment until the concrete is well set.
Some people like to pre-mix the concrete and pour it wet into the holes, while others pour
the concrete mix in dry and then add water into the hole. Others pour water into the
bottom of the hole and then add dry concrete mix. Check out the quick-set concrete mix
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 16
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
that is formulated for this technique; but be aware that it does set very quickly and you
will not have much time to correct any alignment problems.
Some people prefer rocks, gravel, tightly packed soil, or rock dust rather than concrete to
anchor the legs.
The Roof
Position the ridge beam in place and secure
with 4″ deck screws through the front
member of the leg assembly.
Fit the rafter sub-assembly into position on
the outside of the leg assembly. Align the
tops of the rafters with the ridge beam and
make the rafter support level. Clamp the
rafter support to the leg. Repeat for the other
rafter subassembly.
When rafter subassemblies are aligned, tighten the clamps and insert 3½″ deck screws through
the top of the rafters into the legs. Drill the holes for the two carriage bolts. Countersink the nuts.
Insert and tighten the carriage bolts. Finally, put two 4″ deck screws through the top of the rafters
into the ridge beam. Note where these screws are so you don’t hit them when attaching the roof
and the ridge cap.
Figure 19. Install the rafter sub-assemblies
Attach the ridge board to the ridge beam using two 4″ deck screws. Drive the screws between the
rafter locations so they don’t interfere with the other screws.
⅜ × 4″
carriage bolt
4″ deck
screws
3½″ deck
screws
2″× 6″
2″× 6″
FRONT
¾″ × 4″ × 8′
ridge board
2″× 6″
2″× 6″
FRONT
4″ deck
screw
Ridge beam
Leg
assembly
Figure 18. Install the ridge beam
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 17
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Figure 20. Roof construction
Start the roof at the bottom by clamping the #1 roof board (Figure 21) to the two front rafters.
Then drive a 4″ deck screw through the roof board into the rafter. Attach the #1 board to the back
rafters in the same way. This will prevent the ends from twisting as you build the roof.
Then do a rough layout of the next three roof boards in the front and back. You want the overlaps
to be about the same and the top roof board snug up against the ridge board. Mark the position of
the boards and then work from the bottom up by clamping the #2 board to the two end rafters,
and then securing with a 4″ deck screw. Do only #2 board front and back now; you will do the #3
and #4 boards front and back after the lazy rafters are in place. IMPORTANT: Drill pilot holes
for all roof board screws and drive the screws for boards #2, #3, and #4 near the contact point
with the board below and the rafter (screw locations shown in red below will cause the roof
boards to split).
Figure 21. Attaching roof boards
4″ deck
screws
¾″ × 8″ × 8′
roof board
¾″ × 8″ × 8′
roof cap
¾″ × 4″ × 8′
ridge board
2″× 6″
2″× 6″
FRONT
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 18
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shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Clamp the lazy rafters to the #1 roof board and align the upper end with the ridge beam. Secure
the lazy rafter to the ridge beam with a 4″ deck screw (see Figure 19 for screw location). Then
with the clamp still in place, drive the 4″ deck screws through the #1 and #2 roof boards into the
lazy rafter. Repeat for the all of the lazy rafters.
Figure 22. Attaching “lazy” rafters
To complete the roof, attach the third and fourth roof boards front and back, and then screw the
ridge cap down through the ridge board into the ridge beam. Use five 4″ deck screws along the
length of the ridge, offset slightly from the rafters to avoid interfering with the other screws
already in place.
Attach the ¾″×4″×8′ roof cap by driving several 4″ deck screws down into the ridge beam.
Roof tips
Before attaching the roof cap, consider cutting drip grooves as shown in Figure 12. On one kiosk
we had a slight problem with water siphoning back under the roof cap that this should prevent.
If there are gaps between the roof cap and the #4 roof board or any other potential leak spots, you
can also use some high quality silicone caulking.
Several kiosks have been built with this plan with a more conventional roof of flat boards,
membrane, and cedar shingles. This adds a bit to the cost and gives the kiosk a somewhat less
rustic look. The roof cap is not used.
“Lazy” rafters
“Working” rafters
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© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 19
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Maintaining the Display panel
You will need to instruct the person responsible for the content of the display panel, and provide
them with the proper driver for the trim screws. Here is how to remove the Lexan: Remove all of
the screws from the vertical frame piece on the right side of the panel. Remove the frame piece
and set it aside. Slide the Lexan sheet slightly to the right so that it is free from the left side frame
piece. Then lift the horizontal center of the Lexan away from the corkboard to buckle the sheet
enough to free it from the top frame piece. You can then remove the Lexan sheet and carefully
set it aside. Reverse the process after changing the content. An office stapler is probably the best
way to attach paper to the cork board. Hopefully, it should not be necessary to laminate the
content.
Kadillac Kiosk
The kiosk shown below was professionally designed and was constructed and installed using
similar techniques to those described above. The kiosk features two professionally printed panels
and a bulletin board display panel (not completed in this photo) for display of changing content.
The roof is flat boards, membrane, and cedar shakes. The vertical posts are 6″ x 6″ black locust.
Figure 23. Kadillac Kiosk at Roy H. Park Nature Preserve South Parking Area
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 20
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Hemlock Kiosk
This kiosk was built using 6″×6″ Black Locust for the six posts that are in contact with the
ground. The remainder of the structure was made using rough cut Hemlock.
Figure 24. Hemlock Kiosk at the Roy H. Park Preserve North Parking Area
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 21
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Bill of materials
The following is an approximate list of materials needed for this project. You may adjust
quantities and dimensions as needed. Also, use your own judgement and preference for quantity
and style of fasteners.
Quantity Item Description
4 2″×6″×10′ Leg fronts and sides. Should be full 2″×6″. Should be as
straight as possible with 3 good edges for 7½ feet of length. The
end to be buried can have defects.
1 2″×4″×8′ Ridge beam. This should be straight with square edges.
4 2″×4″×24″ Working rafters. Should be full 2″×4″. Plan on cutting from 8-
footers if you can get 3 or 4 good pieces. It helps if these are
fairly similar and consistent in width and thickness, with
straight, square edges.
6 2″×4″×24″ Lazy rafters. Can be same as above, but lighter weight (for
example, 1½″×3½″)and some variation is OK. Cut from 8-
footers.
1 1″×4″×8′ Ridge board. This should be straight with square edges.
9 ¾″×8″×8′ Roof boards. If possible, get these cut to order rather than using
full one-inch thick rough cut. This will reduce the weight of the
roof. There can be some imperfections on the edges since there
is 1½″ - 2″ of overlap. But there should be no holes in the
middle. Some warp is OK since these will be screwed down,
but the edges should be fairly straight. There can also be some
variation in width as long as you plan for it. Save the best ones
for the ridge cap and the bottom front.
2 2″×4″×5′ Horizontal display brackets. These are out of sight in the back
and can have some imperfection. Square one end in the shop
and then cut to exact length during assembly.
2 1″×6″×30″ Vertical display brackets. These are out of sight in the back and
can have some imperfection. Square one end in the shop and
then cut to exact length during assembly.
2 1″×2″×8′ Display frame. You will rip these to 1½″ and resaw to ¾″ thick
and then cut 48″ and 36″ pieces. These want to be straight and
uniform so you end up with a nice looking frame to hold the
Lexan. If you find a single nice 1″×4″×8′ you could use that
instead.
1 48″×36″ MDO
Plywood
This is waterproof, but it wouldn’t hurt to paint the back side.
1 48″×36″
corkboard
Homosote
Keep this protected until final assembly.
1 45½″×33½″×⅛″
Lexan
There are two inferior grades between Lexan and “plexigrass”
which might work, but Lexan is preferred for strength (pretty
much unbreakable) and no discoloration.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright, 2016, Roger A. Hopkins
Revised Sep-12. 2016 Page 22
These plans may be used for non-commercial projects only. No guarantees are included or implied. Include complete document if these plans are
shared or copied. Please let me know about your project if you use these plans.
Quantity Item Description
12
5
/
16
″×5″
galvanized lag
screw
For attaching the front and side members of the leg sub-
assemblies. Comparable structural screws could be used, for
example, 4½″ Headlok screws.
4 ⅜×4″
galvanized
carriage bolt
Attach rafter support to legs, two at each end.
8 2½″ deck
screws
Attach vertical panel brackets from back into 2 x 6 leg fronts. 8
are needed.
20 3½″ deck
screws
Attach top of rafters to leg assemblies, one through front rafter
into 2 x 6 and one through back rafter into 2 x 4. 4 needed
Attach horizontal panel brackets from back into 2 x 6 leg fronts.
16 are needed.
59 4″ deck screws Attach ridge beam to leg assemblies, one through 2 x 6 into
front of ridge beam and one through 2 x 4 into back of ridge
beam. 4 needed.
Attach ridge board to ridge beam. 2 needed.
Attach roof boards to rafters. 50 are needed.
Attach ridge cap through ridge board into ridge beam. 5 are
needed
22 2½″ stainless
trim screws
Attach frame though Homosote and MDO plywood to 1 x 6
vertical bracket on sides and 2 x 4 horizontal brackets top and
bottom.
3-4 40 lb. concrete
mix
Consider the quick-setting mix.
Roger Hopkins
Ithaca, NY
Sweedler: Thanks to Betsy Darlington (inspiration), Tom Brown (black locust), Dave Schurman
(clamps, garage, and advice), Gary Mallow (encouragement & sweat), Will Hopkins (concrete
& counsel), Carl Leopold (appreciation)
Kingsbury: Thanks to Chris Olney (make it happen), Sheila Kingsbury (site), Tom Brown (black
locust), Dennis Baldwin (Eagle Scout in waiting) and comrades, Baldwin/Costich family (pizza,
transportation, impossibly tall and heavy step ladder, immeasurable help)