This is basically the same as my previous post on how to build a pig ark, but the ark is smaller, so easier to move around. I’ve made a separate post really to record the measurements I used. Several years ago I bought some curved corrugated tin roofing with a 6 foot span from Mole Valley farmers. The standard span is 8 foot, for pig arks, so I had to put in a special order, which meant a minimum order of 6 sheets. (I can’t remember how much it cost.) Because the order came with a cover sheet (basically another sheet the same) and Mole Valley didn’t want it, I got 7 sheets for the price of 6. I made a duck ark (using 2 sheets) and it has lasted for several years but is finally giving up the ghost. The tin is still fine, but the woodwork is now rotten and trying to move it about means putting it back together with a hammer, so the time finally came to make another one. I’ve noted down all the measurements I’ve used and at some point I can salvage the tin from the old one (which is still in good nick) and remake it. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos as I went along (I’ll try to remember to photograph the finished ark tomorrow), but the ones I took for the pig ark should do.
I bought two 8′ x 4′ sheets of 12mm ‘hardwood’ ply (one grade down from marine ply) and two 4.8m lengths of 2″x2″ timber. Approximate cost £80.
As per the instructions for making a pig ark, start by draw lines the short way across the ply sheets at 1′ intervals to help later on when cutting out doors etc. Draw all your markings on the inside faces of the ark to keep it looking a bit neater, but I doubt the ducks will complain if you don’t. Lay one of the roofing sheets on one sheet of ply, making sure it fits in your 6′ lines, and draw around the outside of it. Then cut it out with a jigsaw.
Position the cut sheet on top of the uncut sheet, draw around that, then cut it out again. Decide where you want the door(s) and what size. I put one door in the front big enough for me to get in to clean it out, and a small door in the back just big enough for the ducks to get through. (So the ducks can get out into their run through the back, and I can get in via the front.) I left a ‘cill’ of 3″ below the doors so that when you open the door, the bedding doesn’t immediately fall out. I also put a vent in the back which I covered on the inside with wire mesh. With hindsight I should have moved it further away from the door so it wasn’t in the way of the opening to their run. When cutting out the doors and vent I cut the hinge side first using a jigsaw at 90 degrees, then positioned the hinges and then cut round the rest of the door, angling the jigsaw at 45 degrees inwards (front of door bigger than back) so that the doors close against the walls without going through. I also positioned some scrap wood pieces behind the doors to screw the hinges into, as 12mm ply doesn’t give much of a fixing otherwise. I also positioned some wood to close the door against, though not strictly necessary, but it gave me something to screw a wooden toggle on to, to lock the door with.
Now for the frame. You need two lengths of 1815mm (which is 6′ minus 2 centimetres), 2 lengths of 950mm and 3 lengths of 1045mm, all from the 2″x2″. These lengths give a small overhang of the roof at the front, the back being flush. Position the 1815mm lengths along the inside bottom edge of the front and back. The ply should overlap at each end by 1cm to allow for the corrugations of the tin. I used 30mm screws for this. At this point I gave it a coat of preservative, especially the cut edges. I also used a marking gauge to mark 1cm in from the curved roof edge. Cut out some bits of ply, or whatever scrap board you have (I used chipboard), to use as supports for the 2x2s. (Pictures from pig ark blog.)
Stand the front and back upright and position the lengths of 950 between the ends of the 1815s, to form a rectangle. Screw through from the front (and back). I also added some corner brackets which I had.
Work out where you want the top supports to be. The 2x2s need to be 1cm down from the top of the front and back (hence the marking gauge) and level with the edge (as much as a straight edge can be level with a curved edge). The lines you drew at the start should help. I used a scrap bit of 2×2 and drew a square around it, then positioned the supports around the pencil mark. Screw and glue the supports to the front and back. You can then position the 3 top bars (1045mm) in the supports and screw them in place – I used 70mm screws.
You are now ready to put the roof on, but you might prefer to sort out the floor first, if you want one. First work out the largest width of floor that you can get through the door. Then cut out rectangles from the remaining plywood to suit. In my case I had one piece 103cm x 55cm, and 2 pieces 103cm x 62cm. I put the narrowest bit in the middle and screwed a couple of scrap bits of 2×2 to the bottom of it, wide enough to act as support for the middle of the floor and go slightly underneath the outside bits of floor. I then used the jigsaw to put a finger notch in the edge, so you can get it out easily for cleaning.
Then it’s just a case of screwing the roofing sheets in place. Position them first, then mark on them where the supporting battens are and fix them down with self tapping roofing bolts.
The Frantic Smallholder 