Make a Combat Worthy Fort

Everybody has always wanted to build a fort to make the neighbors very mad or to wage war on them. Now you can do both...

Steps

  1. Find a relatively open area, but preferably by an existing structure such as a garage, shed, or in a trench of some sort. Location is everything, if you build your fort out in the middle of your yard, you will be vulnerable from all sides; if no existing structure is in a sensible location, try to build off of the landscape as much as possible.
  2. Make a plan or blueprint for the layout of your fort, what you want to build it out of, and whether it will be a permanent structure or something mobile. You must also acquire all tools and materials you need before you can actually start building.
  3. Dig a small trench from your nearest electrically equipped building so you can bury an electrical line, after all, what is a fort without lights, a microwave, and a television?
  4. Take out your plans and make braces (preferably out of 2x4s) to drive into the ground and act as a stabilizer for the fort. Obviously if you are building a mobile fort, you cannot do this. We will talk later about how to make a mobile fort after a permanent one has been explained.
  5. Make sure your flooring will work so that it is completely flat and not misshapen because of landscaping limitations. To do this, determine where in the flooring supports must be placed to maintain it's stability. Measure from the corresponding spots on the ground to where the floor will be elevated to at each support. carefully cut your supports and cross brace them with 1x4. Make sure all braces and supports are firmly in the ground, pack dirt around all braces as tightly as possible. Finally, do the jump test to make sure of its stability.
  6. Make the walls! Most forts will have a short or slanted wall. The latter of the two will require extra work with 2x4 and to be honest, it usually isn't very safe unless you really know your stuff, so we'll be working with a normal wall. Make sure you have all windows and doors cut out before you start to construct your walls and erect them using 2x4. Save the pieces of wood you cut out from the walls, you will use it later. Make a frame with 2x4 around the edge of the wall. From the top to bottom, place another 2x4 about every {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Make sure they don't go across your windows or door. Now, lift the walls so that they are in their permanent position(one at a time) and nail or screw them into the floor at the braces.
  7. Once all walls are up, attach those extra pieces you cut out of the walls to their corresponding hole with hinges so they open easily. A latch is a nice little feature that prevents enemies from penetrating through the windows.
  8. Create the roofing. Use a piece of sheet metal and bolt it into the top of each of the walls. Some people actually go the extra step and put shingles on it.
  9. Paint it to your liking and furnish it as much as needed.
  10. For a mobile fort, you will need to follow steps 5 through 9 with some slight differences. On the bottom, you must place at least 4 large pivoting wheels probably one at each corner. Then you need a bracing system, usually step clamps will work just fine.
  11. Finally, you are finished with your fort! Your last step is to boast to your neighbors and conquer your enemies once and for all.

Tips

  • If you don't have plywood, you can alternately use steel.
  • You may like to add defensive systems to add to the fun and reality.

Warnings

  • Make sure your fort is sturdy before you start placing heavy furniture and people in it.
  • Don't let any enemies into your fort.

Things You'll Need

  • Wood sheeting for walls
  • steel for the floor
  • 2x4s and 1x4s for support
  • Extension cord for electricity
  • Screws or nails for construction
  • electric drill if using screws
  • metal sheeting for roof
  • hinges for windows
  • hammer or screwdriver

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