Tiny Cupola Roofs

I started the day a tad perplexed about how to proceed with the construction of the cupolas' roofs, so I spent some time making quarter-scale models. I think I pretty much figured out how I want to do it.



The framing structure will basically consist of 8 pressure-treated 2 x 4s which will all meet a central octagonal shaft. There will be all manner of bracing, as well, but the photo above shows just the bare-bones of my plan. I rarely take the time to make models, but they help me when I'm really confused. I saved myself a lot of grief by making this one. If I hadn't, I'd have forgotten that the thickness of the PVC sheathing is greater than 3/4" when on a bias. That would have been a BIG BUMMER as it would have resulted in the roofs overhanging more than they're supposed to.




Here's the model for the roofs' sheathing. You can see where I made notes all over it to correct problems. One major benefit of making this model was that it helped me to figure out the jigs I'll need to get the correct bevels in the right places. I haven't done a cone-shaped thing in a quite a while, so this was a helpful exercise.