Gina's Observatory - The Build

[Gina]

There then followed what must have been about the most exhausting day of my life! Pouring the concrete for the pier and base. At least I had the use of a cement mixer to actually mix the concrete and tractor and link box to transport the ballast from a big bag by the gates and bags of concrete from the shed to the site. This next photo shows the setup.

I was able to back the tractor and link box down to the edge of the site and use a three-quarter piece of plywood to go across to the edge of the shuttering, supported on concrete blocks, to support the mixer. The raw materials were put in the link box and shovelled into a galvanised bucket to carry to the mixer. Water was put in a plastic dustbin with a garden hose and scooped out to put in the mixer.

[Gina]

The following set of photos show the filling of the base of the pier.

[Gina]

After this I screwed the top shuttering on, complete with plant pots attached. Then the pots section of the pier was filled with concrete using a garden trowel.

Here we see the plant pots filled with concrete. The concrete was poked into all the corners as it was poured - or at this stage trowelled into the pots.

[Gina]

Next stage was to place the cardboard tube on top of the plant pot, line it up and fill it with concrete with the trowel, tamping it down around the rods as it was filled.

Here are a couple of photos of the pier filled to the top. The concrete part of the pier was then complete. Phew!! Got it done just as it was getting dark. These photos were actually taken the following day.

[singlespeedman]

being new to all of this I am really caught up in pictures of peoples gear and observatory builds but the problem I have with this thread is what the photos do not say. You seem to live in the countryside with really good views and I cannot help but be green with envy for your location as well as your excellent observatory threads. Maybe one day I will manage my house buried away in the purbecks and get the countryside life back.

Excellent thread though - do you have a blog where this all resides too?

[Gina]

being new to all of this I am really caught up in pictures of peoples gear and observatory builds but the problem I have with this thread is what the photos do not say. You seem to live in the countryside with really good views and I cannot help but be green with envy for your location as well as your excellent observatory threads. Maybe one day I will manage my house buried away in the purbecks and get the countryside life back.

Yes, we do live in the countryside and have a smallholding with a few goats, a couple of ducks and a hen plus a dog and two cats. Yes, we have a great view and the sky is pretty clear of light pollution

Excellent thread though - do you have a blog where this all resides too?

No, no blog - almost all my astronomy info is on here. I have a website for my weather station and am starting an astronomy section on that.

[Gina]

After letting the concrete set and harden for a week it was time for the "unveiling" - removing the shuttering etc.

Firstly, unscrew and lift off the top shuttering.

Then the side shuttering...

[JamesF]

Hope the weather is better for construction tomorrow. It's been horrible here today.

James

[onlyme]

following this thread beats following coronation street and eastenders combined, go gina go

[Gina]

Hope the weather is better for construction tomorrow. It's been horrible here today.

James

Same here! Today has started off even worse with torrential rain. A lot overnight too. It's just about stopped now I think and the sky's beginning to look a bit brighter. It's supposed to get much better this afternoon so fingers crossed. I can saw up timber in the big shed but it helps to have fairly bright weather because the lights aren't that good (though I do have a 500W work light I could use).

Anyway, I shall be catching up with housework and other indoor jobs today. Mustn't let the obsy take over tooo much

[Gina]

following this thread beats following coronation street and eastenders combined, go gina go

Thank you :)

I'm hoping I might get up-to-date today

[Gina]

Hmmpfff.... The last few photos I thought I'd posted last night aren't there I guess I must have forgotten to actually post them after checking the Preview - probably tired. Oh well... try again

The unveiling of the pier :-

Firstly the cardboard tube, having served it's purpose of containing the concrete while it set and hardened.

Later on I decided that the plant pots should go too. They didn't look right and had served their main purpose of retaining the concrete while it set and hardened.

Firstly the top pot...

Then the bottom one.

Finally for the pier, levelling the pier adapter ready to take the mount. I'll start another thread for the construction of the pier adapter as I think it warrants a thread of it's own, and carry on here with the actual observatory build.

[laser_jock99]

Good idea on this build thread- I will post a concise build thread myself when I'm finished.

[Gina]

Good idea on this build thread- I will post a concise build thread myself when I'm finished.

Thank you

[Gina]

With the concreting all done, the next stage was to creosote the floor beams and set them in place, with damp-proof course between them and the foundation blocks.

Here we see the beams set up off the ground ready for creosoting.

Creosoting finished on one beam - two to go...

[Gina]

Having creosoted the beams and let them dry they were ready to be laid on damp-proof course on top of the concrete foundation blocks.

So suitable lengths of DPC were cut from the roll and set in position between beams and concrete as each beam was put in place.

From a different angle also showing the mount on the pier adapter.

Here is a close-up of one of the bases with the DPC. The wall ties set into the concrete to fasten down the beams

(in preparation for any hurricane that might come along) can also be seen more clearly.

nnn

[Vic&Al]

Looking good keep up the good work!

[Gina]

Thank you

[Gina]

I had four 3" square by about 6' long pieces of second hand timber so I'm using them for the corner posts of the observatory.

In fact the two at the east end are corner posts but the two at the west end (nearest the camera in the photo) are supports for the roll off rail.

The white thing is a 2m length of 40mm waste pipe I'm using as a cable conduit between obsy and warm room.

12 September 2011 - Timber delivered.

The next two photos show the timber I bought in, stacked in several piles after bringing it in from the yard

- plus the saw bench with electric mitre saw on it. Bench is rather an exaggeration - it's a folding table and just strong enough.

[Gina]

13 September 2011

1. Joists cut to length and placed roughly in position.

2. Top and bottom obsy east wall frame pieces also cut and bottom piece placed in position.

3. 40mm plastic pipe cut to length and connected up to elbows to provide cable conduit.

1. Rest of obsy east wall frame pieces cut and edge pieces fitted in place.

2. Some of the floorboards cut to length.

[glowjet]

Gina, I applaud your handywork, that is some lovely countryside you are in there, with some nice dark skies to go with it I don`t doubt.

[Gina]

Gina, I applaud your handywork, that is some lovely countryside you are in there, with some nice dark skies to go with it I don`t doubt.

Thank you Yes, the sky's pretty dark though there are light sources a few miles away. Like the town of Honiton to the south-west.

[Gina]

14 September 2011

1. Obsy east wall frame fastened in place. (Struts yet to added)

2. Floorboards cut out to clear the pier and cable duct.

[Gina]

15 September 2011

Wood cut for obsy south wall frame, screwed together and fitted in position.

The brown and white "object" with four legs, is one of our young goats trying to eat the floor joists

[Gina]

16 September 2011

1. Joist cross piece to support floorboards around pier base.

2. Hole cut in cross piece for cable duct.

The other side of the pier base.