The Hermit Crab

I'm very happy about how the Hermit Crab turned out, and I'm amazed that it actually keeps me dry. I'm also amazed that someone with no skill can build his own home so simply. The biggest mistake I made was to make things too complex: simplicity is the key to having a good time building it, and having something you can easily maintain, rebuild, and spread.

 

Below are the mistakes I made and how to avoid them. This will be very helpful for building future versions of the Crab.

 

#1 Mistake: Not thinking about rain

As I was building, I thought "I'll just make it without thinking and seal everything up with silicone later on...". It worked, but it was a realy hassle getting silicone all over the spaces, and silicone is less durable than wood or aluminum. So here's my advice: since the very beginning, always ask yourself: where will the water drip? With this principle you'll build something with a structure that only allows the water to drip outside, like the tiles on a roof. Than, if you like, you can still apply some silicone, but your construction should keep the water out without it.

 

#2 Mistake: Rustable materials

I used copper quite a lot on the outside, as well as galvanised steel. They're supposed to be rustproof, but here's the deal: as soon as galvanised steel is scratched or damaged, it's not galvanised anymore! And it'll rust. As for the copper, it reacted with the other metals, making something very similair to rust. So my advice is making everything that's going to be exposed to rain out of aluminum or stainless steel, which don't react at all. Rust isn't really a problem, until you have moving parts or things to unscrew which get clogged up.

 

#3 Mistake: Lighting

I should have thought about lights since the construction: inside lights as well as the outside red backlight. I would have made better attache points.

 

#4 Mistake: Mosquitoe net

I should have thought about how to keep bugs out since the beginning, it would have made things easier in the end.

 

#5 Mistake: Too complicated pegs

I put two aluminum bars against the inside wall behind each adjustable pegs: the reinforcement bar and the aluminum channel which prevent the bolt from turning. I could have made things simpler and combined these two bars into one.

 

#6 Mistake: Too complicated window

I made a window that could open halfway, or completely open up. I should have settled for only halfway: it's not that great being able to open it completely compared to the problems it brings when it comes to rainproofability. Also, I need to loosen the tarp in order to open the window. It would have been more convenient to make a window that could open without modifying the tarp.

 

#7 Mistake: Cheap Silicone

I used the cheapest bathroom silicone I could find instead of using contruction grade silicone, which is silicone mixed with glue and holds on really well.

 

#8 Mistake: Not treating the inside of the walls

I didn't treat the inside of the walls, thinking they wouldn't need it. I now realize should have treated them with linseed oil, just to make them a tad more waterproof.

 

#9 Mistake: Not thinking about the tarp

I should have drilled loops into the supporting frame since the beginning to allow the tarp-supporting cable through.