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A quart out of a pint pot?

Bizibilder

By Bizibilder
in DIY Observatories

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

Posted
Posted

Bizibilder has an observatory built from a converted nominal (6'6" x 6'6" metal shed. it works very well hand has been in use for about three years now. The only problem is I could always do with a bit more room! (Mrs Bizibilder claims I have expanded :p - the cheek of it!!!). With that in mind I've spent the Xmas hols doodling on sketchup to try and find a solution. I decided that I had to use the same base as "making the concrete bigger" is not an option. The current observatory has around 4" of base "outside" the walls (the base being built to the size & spec that came with the shed) so by utilising that extra few inches and making the "work surfaces" as extensions to the upper walls on two sides (the third side is very close to my boundary fence and the fourth is the door) I can fit the computer and accessory cases in without sacrificing floor area.

The general construction anticipated at the moment is a lightweight timber frame with a double skin of plywood. All painted to keep out the elements. The roof may well be rubber (due to Gina's success with this material). Quite a bit of the bought in hardware of my original observatory will be recycled.

No pier is shown - the current pier and fittings are staying.

I suspect that there is nothing new in these ideas (I borrowed the principle from some of the commercial observatories that have add-on "cubby holes" that you can buy) but it may be a project that sees progress over this spring and summer - I've got to the point where I'm starting to think about saving up some pennies.

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Any thoughts on these ideas and any suggestions or obvious mistakes?

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spaceboy

spaceboy

Posted
Posted

Looking good Bizi but I thought you were a dab hand at imaging ?? If there is one thing I wish I had done when building an obsy and that was build a warm room. Even though I was only visual at the time of design the benefits looking back would have been some where to get away from the wife LOL and also some where to escape the cold when cloud came over. I could have had a laptop and been on SGL or set up for imaging or just some where to store scopes to cool etc. I would definitely give it some though if you have the space to build one ;)

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Astrokev

Astrokev

Posted
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Hi Roger

Only mistake I can see is that your door handle isn't actually attached to the door :grin:

On a more serious note - looks good to me. Isn't SketchUp great for visualising these things!

As a possible alternative, you could support the extensions with 45' angled bracing, which would remove the need to put these in/on the ground, thus reducing risk of rot etc?

Kevin

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fwm891

fwm891

Posted
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Roger, That seems like a lot of work on your original shed (sorry obsy!). If you built a small room within the runnoff roof area supported by the ror support posts andf back to your shed foundation slabs you could put a small desk and chair in there....

When you move it would only leave your shed base and post holes....

Just a thought:

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Gina

Gina

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Good idea Roger :) I also agree that you could put your extra support posts at an angle down onto the concrete base. And with Francis that you could make yourself a warm room if you wanted without adding any more concrete, though that would be more work. I find a warm room a great asset, not just for keeping warm but for storing things and somewhere my computers can stay out of the damp/dew.

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Astrokev

Astrokev

Posted
Posted
I agree. Getting started with SketchUp is pretty straight forward and once you get the hang of it it's addictive. I've recently completed a dimensioned model of both the interior and exterior of my house to help design a major 2 storey building project. Go for it!
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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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I think you could make the roof roll over a 'baseless' warm room quite easily if you felt like it. You don't need full standing height and could run joists between the 'back legs' of the rails and the concrete to carry a suspended wooden floor.

I have one large observatory with a roof and upper sides rolling over the warm room and another with a computer pod and no warm room. This allowed me to have a smaller footprint (less excavating of a rocky slope!) and a narrower, lighter roof. It has worked our superbly. The pod is just as good as a desk standing on a larger floor. It was easy to make in ply and I now have a curtain to close off the PC light.

Olly

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JamesF

JamesF

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One of the reasons for going "pod" rather than warm room is a "no new concrete" restriction that I have imposed on myself.

And of course it disguises the fact that there's expensive astronomy kit inside by looking like a chicken house :)

James

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