Here are some pictures of my greenhouse in various stages of construction. I laid out the design in Google SketchUp before starting. SketchUp is not as full featured as AutoCAD or SolidWorks but it was sufficient for this project. I will post the file after I fix up a few details. It is raining today so construction is on hold. :(
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I have started building my new greenhouse! My intention was to use the tools that I had available at the time: a cordless drill, miter box, and hammer. Unfortunately, the second battery for my 15 year old Craftsman drill finally died and it was not obvious were I could find a replacement. The two web sites that I found selling replacements looked sketchy to say the least. So, I bit the bullet and bought some new tools.
Of course, when I brought my new purchase into the apartment I received the prerequisite harassing. Many jokes ensued about "man tools" but I had to laugh when I opened the box and the teenager stopped in mid-jibe and said. "Oo, shiny!" Everybody likes new stuff and black and yellow is a pretty cool color scheme.
I planned to only buy a new drill but for some extra cash I picked up a cordless circular saw and reciprocating saw as well. (The light that came with the set seems lame but I will go with it for now.) Having the circular saw has been nice as I started with only a hand saw and that was a bit of a pain. I can tell that the reciprocating saw has a taste for blood (and bone) and I am very careful when I use it. I am a big fan of engineered safety barriers and the reciprocating saw leaves me a little uneasy. The 18V tools seem to have plenty of power. Neither of the saws has felt underpowered and the drill arguably has too much torque.
Safety First! Go Bears!