Gina's Observatory

[Bizibilder]

Having an observatory construction "Fertilized by goats" somehow struck me as hilarious

[Gina]

[Gina]

I think I've worked out how I'm going to arrange the guttering. The gutter on the rolling part can go round the corner and drain onto the warm room gutter (or roof). About at that point on the warm room gutter I plan to have the outlet spout and down pipe. The down pipe will go down between the warm room wall and the running track, then a bend will take it out around the obsy and out along the south wall to the ditch.

[Gina]

The weather improved a lot this afternoon and I was able to cart more topsoil away from the obsy site. Here is a photo of using the rotovator to push soil (and grass) into the link box on the tractor before taking it away.

[Astrokev]

I think I've worked out how I'm going to arrange the guttering.

Took a few reads to understand what you meant, but I get it now. If you must have guttering, I think that'll work OK.

Another option would be to have the obs guttering open into a hopper and downpipe at the right-end corner on your drawing, thus averting the need to have the guttering going round the corner and dumping water onto your warm-room roof (the hopper and D-P would be fixed to the obs wall). Your design will work just as well, but may have a small risk of eroding the warm-room roof where the water drips constantly on the same spot.

[Gina]

Took a few reads to understand what you meant, but I get it now. If you must have guttering, I think that'll work OK.

It was a bit difficult to explain and ATM I'm running a 2D drawing program while trying to convert my 3D thoughts to 2D.

Another option would be to have the obs guttering open into a hopper and downpipe at the right-end corner on your drawing, thus averting the need to have the guttering going round the corner and dumping water onto your warm-room roof (the hopper and D-P would be fixed to the obs wall). Your design will work just as well, but may have a small risk of eroding the warm-room roof where the water drips constantly on the same spot.

Yes, good point. I'm not too happy running one gutter into another or onto a roof - it tends to cause splashing. Running a separate down pipe from the obsy roof would probably be better. I hadn't thought about wearing away of the warm room roofing where the obsy rainwater falls. Thank you

[Macavity]

I did invest in a couple of "hoppers" - They don't seem to be a standard in the (Polypipe etc.) "Mini-Gutter" range. For my setup, I may cut a slot in them, to allow a short downpipe to cross the one side, as the roof rolls. But 68-50mm reducers are available for downpipes. I eventually located a supplier of these...

[Gina]

You could use a stopend outlet. I might do that. I've gone off the idea of running the obsy rainwater onto warm room roof or gutter. The mini-fit gutter system doesn't seem to include a pipe junction (branch) either. I might go for the standard 4" gutter system instead of the mini. Cheaper, more choice, more fittings, no need for joins in the guttering, etc.

[Gina]

Current design of base frame and joists. Flooring will be 12mm plywood screwed to the joists. Obs floor 2440mm square (8ft) and warm room about 7ft x 6ft. Lower frame is 8" x 4" recycled barn roof beams, probably resting on 4 or 6 18" square concrete foundations (not shown), with damp course between.

[Astrokev]

Looking good to me.

[r3i]

Lower frame is 8" x 4" recycled barn roof beams, probably resting on 4 or 6 18" square concrete foundations (not shown), with damp course between.

Excellent thread, just one open question if I may: do you somehow anchor the structure to the concrete foundations or does it simply rest on the top? Presumably if the latter, it's overall weight is sufficient to prevent it from getting dislodged by any strong winds?

[Digz]

Gina - Re: the guttering - can you get the obsy roof guttering to discharge into the warm roof guttering? What Im thinking is that in the closed position the gutter can run into a small downpipe into the warm roof gutter (if it can be made to line up somehow). When open, assuming the obsy roof doesnt fully cover the warm room roof then the small downpipe can effectively slide along the warm room gutter. Alternatively the warm room gutter can extend out of the back slightly so it still captures the obsy gutter when open.

Hope that makes some sort of sense? If not I can do a sketch.

[Digz]

Excellent thread, just one open question if I may: do you somehow anchor the structure to the concrete foundations or does it simply rest on the top? Presumably if the latter, it's overall weight is sufficient to prevent it from getting dislodged by any strong winds?

It depends what the structure is. Masonry built off of concrete is usually bedded in mortar. This and the self weight of the masonry is then sufficient to prevent movement. If you were to build a timber structure off of a concrete footing then it should be anchored down somehow.

HTH

[Gina]

Excellent thread, just one open question if I may: do you somehow anchor the structure to the concrete foundations or does it simply rest on the top? Presumably if the latter, it's overall weight is sufficient to prevent it from getting dislodged by any strong winds?

I think the weight would probably be enough but I think I'll embed bolts into the concrete to make sure.

[Gina]

Gina - Re: the guttering - can you get the obsy roof guttering to discharge into the warm roof guttering? What Im thinking is that in the closed position the gutter can run into a small downpipe into the warm roof gutter (if it can be made to line up somehow).

Yes, I thought of that but the back end of the obsy roof does go further than the back end of the warm room roof.

[Digz]

Ah, thats a problem then, otherwise you would end up extending the gutter on the warm roof back which may cause other problems.

[Gina]

Just got our neighbour to get the baulks of timber out for me. It's not quite what I thought - some of the pieces are not good enough. 4 are 7x3 rather than 8x4 and about 3m long (excuse mixed units). There are two more pieces about 11x3 and similar length. So a bit of a redesign wanted

[Gina]

Ah, thats a problem then, otherwise you would end up extending the gutter on the warm roof back which may cause other problems.

Yes, I've pretty much decided to bring the obsy rainwater down separately.

[Astrokev]

Yes, I've pretty much decided to bring the obsy rainwater down separately.

That's exactly what I suggested in my earlier post (#155). Good to see it drafted out. Looks good Gina.

[Astrokev]

Alternatively the warm room gutter can extend out of the back slightly so it still captures the obsy gutter when open.

Hope that makes some sort of sense? If not I can do a sketch.

Just wondering why you would have the obsy open if it was raining?!

[Gina]

I wondered that too

[Gina]

Just ordered some 40x25mm steel angle to provide the running track. Since 4m lengths don't seem available I'll be using 2 2m lengths each side mounted on timber. I decided to use wood with a join between the bottom and side was asking for trouble from wet ingress. The steel angle I shall paint with Hammerite. The wheels are 30mm wide so should run nicely on 40mm wide angle. Drawing coming shortly

[Gina]

This shows detail of the running track at SW corner. The weight is taken by a post down to the main cross beam. And sideways movement is prevented by a threaded galvanised rod connecting the track to the warm room wall.

[Gina]

Revised floor construction. Beams are 7"x3", joists 100x47x2400mm treated sawn timber, flooring 2440x1220mm (8x4ft) x 12mm exterior plywood. Quite adequate according to the loading tables.

[malc-c]

Gina,

Not sure if they would deliver as far as Devon, but the 6"x2" joists I got from Lawsons ( Lawsons Timber & Fencing // Home ) worked out to £1.88 mtr and were very nicely finished, unlike Wickes and not as expensive as Wickes - It might be worth giving them a call, especially if you put together a large order and make the delivery worth while. If not then shop around, you should be paying more than £1.90 +VAT per mtr for C16 / C24 grade joists