So you want to try using steel framing but have never done it before, right? Hey, no problem. If you have a dog, build a doghouse. If you need a pumphouse for your well system, steel framing is a good choice. If you’ve never used steel framing before, you’ll need some special hand tools. Get a pair of aviation snips(get the yellow-handled ones). You’ll also need at least one pair of c-clamp style Vise-Grips. You need a drill or screwgun to drive the screws into the steel. You’ll also need a magic marker to make the lay-out marks on the steel track.

Next, go to your larger building material supply houses and find a source for your metal studs and track. When you make a drawing of your project, you can estimate how many studs and track to buy. You’ll also need screws. To use them, you should have a magnetic screw holder to reduce the cursing that happens when you drop screws often.

Now let’s make a doghouse. We’ll make it 30 ” wide and 36″long. It will look like a little house, so the walls will be 24″ high. To begin, we make a floor for the doghouse. To make it, cut 2 track pieces 36″ long. The track is the piece of steel that looks like a U that has a wide bottom. The studs look like a C because they have an extra bend on the edge. That extra bend makes the stud stiffer and resistant to bending under a load. Now where were we? Oh yeah, when you have the 2 track pieces 36″ long cut, set them aside and cut 4 pieces of stud 30″ long. Now take the two pieces of track and make a mark every 12″. You should make two marks on each one. Now take the 4 studs and put them in the track where one stud is placed at the beginning and end and 2 in the middle of the track pieces. Screw them in place on both sides. When you’re done, you’ll have a metal frame 30″x36″ with studs every 12″. Now cut a piece of 1/2″ plywood to the same dimension. Place it on top of the metal frame and screw it into place. When done, you’ll have a floor for the doghouse.

Now you’ll need to make four walls for the house. Two will be 24″x36″ and two will be made to fit the gap between the first two walls or 24″x 22and3/4″. Make the larger walls first, using the 12″ on center arrangement used for the floor. when complete, screw them onto the floor piece. Next, make one of the smaller walls and put it in place between the first two walls. Screw it down and screw it to the other walls. For the purpose of simplicity, I will omit the front wall and leave the hole open. Now cover the walls with 1/2″ plywood all around. When done, measure and mark along the top of the walls every 12″ for the rafters. When you have decided what angle to use for your roof, cut 8 pieces of stud for the rafters. It’s probably best to use a simple angle like 90 degrees. That way, the bottom angle will be 45 degrees and the top angle will be square or 90 degrees. Cut each rafter about an inch longer and cut one side of four of the rafters at the top to fit the opposite rafter into. Mark the angle on the bottoms of all rafter and add an inch. Cut the outer edges of the rafter studs off and bend the middle part over to give you something to screw down on the walls. When you have made all the pieces, put on the front two rafters first then do the back ones. When complete, install the middle ones using a straight edge to line them up before screwing them down on your marks. Cut a piece of track to fit under the peak of the roof at the frony and back. That way you’ll have something to screw to when you put the triangular pieces on. When you’re finished, your frame for the roof should be covered next. Cut the plywood and cover it up. There are two triangular areas under the roof at the front and back. cut and fit those in place and install them. Except for painting and covering the roof with shingles, you’re done. By leaving the front wall out, you won’t need to have a ventilation hole and the dog will be able to go in and out with ease. Later on, if you like, you can add a front wall and cut a door in it, if you can get the dog out of it, that is!

Well, now you know the secret. If you did OK with the doghouse, you might try something larger, like say, a storage building. It works the same way, just larger. Good luck and watch out for the sharp edges that are made when you cut those metal studs and track.