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"Garden Project"; Are you Serious, an Outhouse?

Project by Mark A. DeCou posted 844 days ago 734 views 0 times favorited 16 comments Add to Favorites Watch

Well, I built this about three years ago on a “commission.” A friend of ours wanted to give her parents a unique gift, and so she decided to give them something they had always wanted…...an Outhouse.

For those that are too young to remember them, an Outhouse is a potty that is placed outside of the house. Down-Under, the Aussies call them a “dunny”. I have also heard the term “privy” used, but I think it is also used for indoor bathrooms as well. There are a few more names, but most are not too nice to type up for family to see. Military folks have various titles as well.

The family uses this Outhouse in the front yard in the middle of their circle drive as a decoration in the landscaping.

They love it so much, that I actually got a nice long letter from our friend’s Mother about how much they love it. I have thought a few times about driving a couple of hours to get a photo of the Outhouse in its natural habitat, but haven’t done that yet.

When I was first asked about making the Outhouse, I was a little put off. For six months I was actually a little frustrated and angry. The “commissioner” was a good friend of ours, so ultimately, I put my pride behind me and did it for her. As I was contemplating what to do, I kept asking myself, “what have I done wrong to have people think of me when they want an Outhouse built…” After thinking about the project request for the 6 months leading up to the gift deadline, I came to the conclusion that it was actually a compliment to be asked to build an Outhouse.

All of the materials for this were found around my little farm. The budget was so small on this job, I couldn’t afford to buy anything, so I scavenged around. I added two windows, and made the door hardware and locking mechanism out of some steel strap I had. The Family added lace curtains to the windows. Inside, there is a seat with a hole in it, with a cover. I think they use the interior as a storage compartment for outdoor gardening items.

So, to officially add this to the Summer Outdoor Challenge, and to show the world another entry into my weird, and unique woodworking projects….......I present the Outhouse.

I don’t have any good photos of it, heck, I didn’t want to build it, much less remember it. But, I shot a couple of quick shots as the customer was here to pick it up. She didn’t have a truck, so we ended up loading it into my pickup and she made the drive to her parent’s house to do the presentation. She reported that her brother said, “Hey, I want one of those too.”

Still laughing,
Mark

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com


16 comments so far

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

7297 posts in 1139 days


posted 844 days ago

Nice huh, out house? you don’t see many of those around anymore, actually Mark my family used one until I was about 11 or 12 years old. Then we got runnin water in the house. I tell you, I/we were never so happy to get anything than an inside john. mike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

View Joel Tille's profile

Joel Tille

214 posts in 1136 days


posted 844 days ago

Mark – nicely built outhouse, it must be a women thing. Susie has been asking to have one built and put in one of her flower gardens. One in the shop is not enoough for her. Now that she has seen this post and loves it , I am sure that she will be asking again.

Thanks for the post … I think

-- Joel Tille

View Don's profile

Don

2590 posts in 1069 days


posted 844 days ago

Great story, Mark. I snickered all the way through it. We all need something in life to keep us humble – but an outhouse? What a hoot. For your interest, in Australia this is known as a dunny.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

View VTWoody's profile

VTWoody

95 posts in 950 days


posted 844 days ago

I love weird things like that. My parents would probably ask you to build them one if they saw it. They would definitely get a kick out of it.

View scottb's profile

scottb

3403 posts in 1219 days


posted 844 days ago

That’s so great!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

View Karson's profile

Karson

25795 posts in 1293 days


posted 844 days ago

Great Mark. I gentleman just up the road from me has about 2-3 in front of his woodworking business. He sell them all the time. he uses palet lumber to make them. He told me that he had one customer order ten of them for resale in his garden center.

Maybe this is a Delaware thing.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View WayneC's profile

WayneC

5963 posts in 990 days


posted 844 days ago

Every month I go to the local Antique sale. There is a guy there that always has a couple for sale. So may be more widespread.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

View CedarFreakCarl's profile

CedarFreakCarl

565 posts in 946 days


posted 844 days ago

Karson:
We’ve got an actual one from the old railroad station that once stood in Lexington, SC. We use it for a pump house as we do not have city water here. I’ll have to post a picture.
Mark:
I don’t see these for sale at Harbor Freight or Walmart per your “Adirondack” project post. Could be a real money maker. Thanks for the great post.

-- Carl Rast, Pelion, SC

View PanamaJack's profile

PanamaJack

4447 posts in 970 days


posted 844 days ago

Mark, You even make an old fashion necessity look like I would want to own one. Nice job done.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

View robbi's profile

robbi

171 posts in 847 days


posted 844 days ago

We had one of these as a “back-up” many years ago. The only time it was necessary to use was when it was raining or snowing because the water table was to high and the indoor toilet wouldn’t work. Never enjoyed it very much…..a little cold. Yours looks much nicer than ours was. Nice job.

-- robbi-Yadahooty!

View mot's profile

mot

4902 posts in 929 days


posted 844 days ago

Great water closet!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

View Dick, & Barb Cain's profile

Dick, & Barb Cain

7034 posts in 1192 days


posted 844 days ago

We still have our outhouse at the cabin, but converted it into a garden tool shed. Of course I filled the hole first.
We went modern now, & have a composting toilet.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

View Buckskin's profile

Buckskin

484 posts in 880 days


posted 844 days ago

I have used them as late as a few years ago, when I had my remodeling business. I used to travel a lot and ended up working on a house out in the middle of No Place, Texas. The had running water to an older house but that was locked up when we where there, so they landowner kept the old outhouse clean and ready for us. It was a bit rough. I ended up hauling a seat with us, becuase the thing was built in the early 1900’s and it showed.

BTW, Great project! I am thinking of building one to house all my garden hand tools in so I can get them out of my shop.

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

14159 posts in 1053 days


posted 844 days ago

I remember my last trip to the outhouse when I was a wee little girl. We also had an outhouse out in the fields. It was a treasure – much better than going behind a bush.
See? An outhouse isn’t just an outhouse—it’s memories; it’s a tie to our pasts

Rick and I want to build one with our old barn boards that we have. We want to store rakes and shovels in it.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

4015 posts in 855 days


posted 844 days ago

Don’t be ashamed of the outhouse project, Mark. Back in the ‘60’s two of my uncles spent 6 months on the Navajo Res. building outhouses because the bottom dropped out of the houseing market in Phoenix. I’ve seen some neat ones. I think I was 14 before we ceased to have 8 rooms and a “path”. You did a great job.

-- Thos. Angle

View Jiri Parkman's profile

Jiri Parkman

604 posts in 705 days


posted 544 days ago

That is nice. And interesting comment.

-- Jiri

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