Wetherview DIY obsy build begins

[Daniel-K]

inspierd by your build after just under a year into astronmoy and a new house my build begins from now till september to do it bit by bit. i have just bought all my flags to make a 12x8 base and treating my wood in creocote (god that stuff stinks,how do you get rid of it?) tomorrow is selecting the area and prepping cant wait

[malc-c]

melibum, don't forget to start your own build thread with lots of pictures.

One thing, I've noted with my build is that even with two coats of creocote it doesn't repel water like some of the modern coatings (and nothing like the good old creosote my father used to use on his sheds !)

[Daniel-K]

i read somwere that the older stuff has been banned and that they water the new stuff down.

[pritc]

inspierd by your build after just under a year into astronmoy and a new house my build begins from now till september to do it bit by bit. i have just bought all my flags to make a 12x8 base and treating my wood in creocote (god that stuff stinks,how do you get rid of it?) tomorrow is selecting the area and prepping cant wait

Looking forward to your build Daniel-K

Any questions,do not be afraid to ask.

The strong smell of creosote does not last long.Only a couple of weeks.

As Malcolm said "pictures,pictures,pictures"

Pictures are always great in showing how a build progresses.

Wayne

[pritc]

i read somwere that the older stuff has been banned and that they water the new stuff down.

Creosote was banned.

It was determined that creosote is probably a carcinogenic to humans.

The stuff we buy now is creosote substitute.

Wayne

[Gina]

You can still get REAL creosote in 25 litre drums.

[pritc]

You can still get REAL creosote in 25 litre drums.

Gina, I thought the sale of real creosote was for trade and professionals only.And not Joe Bloggs public??

Wayne

[malc-c]

Wayne, this is the second time someone has read your build and posted that it has inspired them to follow suit.... can't for the life of me remember who the other one was

[Gina]

I bought a 25L drum online about a year ago.

[pritc]

Wayne, this is the second time someone has read your build and posted that it has inspired them to follow suit.... can't for the life of me remember who the other one was

[pritc]

I have heard it said

'Work out how many sockets you need for your obs build and DOUBLE it!!'

I thought a double socket on my pier would be enough...

But after just purchasing a HitecAstro dual-port Dew Controller and waiting on delivery of a Canon 1100D Mains adaptor

I have now had to add another double socket to accommodate all the plugs for the pier....

I now have:

240v-12v 5A DC power supply for my HEQ5

240v - 12v 2A DC power supply for my HitecAstro DC focus

240v - 12v 5A DC power supply for my HitecAstro Dew controller

And soon to have a Canon EOS 1100D power mains adaptor.

Wayne

[Starlight 1]

I allways use some old car sump oil in with the creosote .

[spaceboy]

Sorry to go off topic but I see both you and Malcolm have jubilee clips and something around the OTA. I take it this is for rotating the OTA to a comfortable position ? May I ask where you get these from, whats under the clip and how well do they work ???

[malc-c]

I purchased a kit which came with 3m of the banding and several clips (can't seem to find the link now) - and then used the top part from a length of trunking from B&Q.

Yes the idea is that it helps when rotating the tube, but can also be used as a marker for balance when changing between camera's.

[spaceboy]

Thanks Malcolm. I have also seen this done with some sort of ruler. Good idea for both balancing and making observing a little easier.

[pritc]

Sorry to go off topic but I see both you and Malcolm have jubilee clips and something around the OTA. I take it this is for rotating the OTA to a comfortable position ? May I ask where you get these from, whats under the clip and how well do they work ???

I copied mine from Malcolm...

The jubilee clip is from here:

Draper 12mm Wide Jubilee Hose Clip Set 3 Meters Long : Tooled-Up.com

The electrical trunking I got from Wickes ,15mm I think.

I took a small cut off from the jubilee clip to test fit inside.

I also purchased a A4 sheet of self-adhesive felt from Hobbycraft.

Cut this into strips and stuck it to the underside of the trunking to protect the scope.

Keeps the balance of the scope and makes rotating the OTA a breeze.

Wayne

[jon1000]

This is amazing, as a beginner it may be something to look at doing in the future, I like doing DIY and I like astronomy, it would be a dream challenge for me, you have done a great job here, well done.

[malc-c]

inspierd by your build after just under a year into astronmoy and a new house my build begins from now till september to do it bit by bit. i have just bought all my flags to make a 12x8 base and treating my wood in creocote (god that stuff stinks,how do you get rid of it?) tomorrow is selecting the area and prepping cant wait

Dan,

It was Waynes' build that inspired me to build my observatory

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-observatories/140015-observatory-build-underway.html

I've seen your build thread is underway - keep the updates coming and any issues or questions post them up, we're do our best to help

[spaceboy]

I copied mine from Malcolm...

The jubilee clip is from here:

Draper 12mm Wide Jubilee Hose Clip Set 3 Meters Long : Tooled-Up.com

The electrical trunking I got from Wickes ,15mm I think.

I took a small cut off from the jubilee clip to test fit inside.

I also purchased a A4 sheet of self-adhesive felt from Hobbycraft.

Cut this into strips and stuck it to the underside of the trunking to protect the scope.

Keeps the balance of the scope and makes rotating the OTA a breeze.

Wayne

Thanks also Wayne

[pritc]

I remember the days when my pier and scope was used mainly for visual and it was lovely and tidy!!

(Photo 1)

It soon changed when I got the AP bug!!

I think I am trying to copy Birmingham's landmark 'Spaghetti Junction'

How many cables?????

Wayne

[kiffy]

an outstanding job... obviously you went to much more effort than was needed, like preserving timbers that are hidden, but youll always have the satisfaction of knowing it'll last twice as long as others.. well done!

[nlondonlad]

I've been reading your Obsy build, and it looks absolutely awesome - inspired me to start my own.  Did you add electrics to move the roof?  If so, would you mind sharing what you used?  

Thanks a million!