About Me

We are a small family run business located on the Powis Shropshire border. We have been building 'stuff' for over 20 years. Builds range from narrow boats to our family home. We can build great garden structures, including Shepherds huts, Showmans wagons and Caravans, that make great alternatives to the traditional shed. They can be an alternative office, a spare bedroom, an adult wendy house, a potting shed, a bird hide, an attractive addition to a campsite for the new glamping craze, an alternative workshop a home cinema, or even a roadside tea wagon. Will consider building anything really, so ask away! Email davestilthouse@googlemail.com Phone: 01588 620132

Friday 10 April 2020

Thinking about Boats again


A long while ago, before we were building shepherds huts, Dave built a few small wooden sailing and rowing boats. These boats were built mainly for the fun of it. However they were mostly quite good little boats and in the main quite successful and satisfying builds.

Late in 2019 Dave got the boat building bug again and started a strip planked boat, the frames for which were done on the CNC machine while the rest of the planks would be hand machined. This boat is slowly coming together.




This strip planked boat is from a set of purchased plans that we've had for a while.
The frames were cut out on the CNC machine, the cedar strips were then processed on site.


Which brings us to this year, and we've got an idea to offer plywood boat kits for sale. The great thing about plywood boats is that they look like boats faster than strip planking. The hard part is marking out the plywood and cutting all the parts just right so that the stitch and glue construction works.

Our idea is to take the hard part away from the build.

We supply all the plywood parts already cut out using our CNC machine and a set of instructions.

The customer can then have all the fun and satisfaction of building their boat, without the worse bit.

A good project for kids and parents to do together?

That's the plan. We are working on a couple of prototypes at the moment and as soon as we are happy with the concept we'll get them out there.

The prototypes are being put together in the new shed, a new project suits a new shed, which keeps them out of our way while we work on other things.


Pieces being cut out

The pieces for this test build

Gluing and taping the first pieces together

Starting to look a bit boat shaped.
Plans for this mini one sheet boat are from:
http://flo-mo.weebly.com/one-sheet-boats.html



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Prices and info

Shepherds Huts

There is a 6 to 8 week turnaround on the huts. Each Hut is individual to you, built to your requirements using locally sourced timber. They are fully insulated with recycled glass rock wool with a breathable membrane on the outside. As standard in all huts are the following:
  • Small wood stove 4kw fitted
  • Double bed
  • Electrics, 240v. 12v alternative available
  • 2 double sockets
  • 4 Recessed Low energy LED lights
  • Consumer unit
  • External hook up point
  • Table: free standing or fold down
  • Shelves
  • Fully painted, choice of colours
  • Double Glazing
  • Fully insulated all round with 100mm glass wool (made from recycled glass bottles)
  • Stable door
  • Solid steel 40 mil axle
  • Painted Steel rim wheels made locally by Cambrian Foundry
  • Turning axle
  • Draw bar
  • Steps
  • Solid treated timber chassis
  • Clad in Western Red Cedar
  • Up to five opening windows
  • Solid Oak Floor
  • Exterior Carriage style outside light
  • New galvanised corrugated iron roof, plastic coated
  • Traditional forged window and door furniture.


From £12,450 for 12ft Huts.

Prices start from £8,250 for standard unpainted huts,

Delivery is now charged at £1.50 per mile.

Internal furnishings can be altered to suit, beds replaced with a desk for an office space, less windows to create a unique home cinema.

If required hut can be built on a steel road going chassis, with pneumatic tyres, brakes etc, price on application.

You can even hire a hut for your event!

Coming soon:
Half sized huts for the smaller garden!


Can Export to Europe, and will consider further afield!