Gina's Observatory - The Build

[earth titan]

Ouch.

Runs off to look for better securing methods for new roof....

[Peter Drew]

Gina.

Sorry to hear that you too have had some bad luck. The fact that your roof section is still intact is a testament to the build quality, with revised hold down facility I'm sure you will be fine in the future. Look forward to pics showing "business as usual".

[Gina]

Well. I was just going to post somewhere to proclaim my distaste at the clouds and implore the skies to clear... but now I'm feeling like I should quit moaning! I've been in Milton Keynes the last few days, obviously managed to avoid the 'excitement' down here.

Glad you're okay Gina

Thank you Kev We've certainly had some atrocious weather

[Gina]

You weren't hurt Gina, and that's the main thing. It looks like it should be an easy fix to sort it out, so that's another good thing.

True I don't think it will be too bad to fix - going to add some galvanised iron brackets.

In a way, it was fortunate to happen when it did. If it blew off at 3AM and all your kit was open to the rain for 6 hours then that would have been a disaster.

Yes, indeed, you're dead right there

I'm glad that you are OK and no-one else was hurt. Everything else is pretty minor after that, in the great scheme of things

Thank you and yes you're right - got off quite lightly really

[Gina]

Scopes, obsy's and the like can all be repaired or replaced. I'm just glad to see you and no-one else was hurt.

Thank you

[Gina]

Sorry to see your damaged Obby, what is requires is something to stop the winds sucking it up in the air, anyways your ok the roof doesn't look to damaged, just need to learn from what went wrong and make that part stronger. I'm sure your manage...

Thank you I shall be adding some strong fasteners to hold it down securely. Yes, lesson learnt

[Gina]

Maybe some type of baffle along the roof line might help disrupt the airflow and cancel out some of the lift, I'm thinking sort of a triangular length of baton, a piece of 2x2 split down the diagonal might work placed in the middle of the sloping panel.

Than you for the suggestion I think some strong fasteners should do the job though.

[Macavity]

Ooooh Dear.

Recently, I have been "critically appraising" the four shed-style hasps that (nominally!) hold down my Alexander's observatory roof. <G> The roof *frame* was lift-able by the TWO of us - But I wouldn't like to try it with the OSB cladding too! But you never know? Local winds have ripped screws from (soft)wood, bent STEEL U-Channel etc. etc. locally.

I am contemplating "Turn-Buckles", M8 bolts "right through" things. Though it is something of a compromise? Half an hour fixing / releasing the roof every time rather spoils the main purpose (fun)...

[Gina]

Ouch.

Runs off to look for better securing methods for new roof....

Yes indeed!

[Gina]

Gina.

Sorry to hear that you too have had some bad luck. The fact that your roof section is still intact is a testament to the build quality, with revised hold down facility I'm sure you will be fine in the future. Look forward to pics showing "business as usual".

Thank you I thought that too

[Gina]

Ooooh Dear.

Recently, I have been "critically appraising" the four shed-style hasps that (nominally!) hold down my Alexander's observatory roof. <G> The roof *frame* was lift-able by the TWO of us - But I wouldn't like to try it with the OSB cladding too! But you never know? Local winds have ripped screws from (soft)wood, bent STEEL U-Channel etc. etc. locally.

I am contemplating "Turn-Buckles", M8 bolts "right through" things. Though it is something of a compromise? Half an hour fixing / releasing the roof every time rather spoils the main purpose (fun)...

It's amazing how much power there is in the wind! As you say, it wants something that's fairly quick to do up and undo otherwise it won't get done

[pel]

Hope you get it sorted out soon and that it doesn't cost too much to fix.

[Gina]

Been out and bought some decent galvanised brackets but couldn't get what I really wanted for holding the roof down - ended up getting some heavy duty hasps. I'll have another look online and see what I can find.

Hoping to do a bit towards it this afternoon. The weather is much better - just a light breeze and sunny. Yes, that's right SUNNY!! Amazing huh?

[yesyes]

I was beginning to think that sun was a myth...

[Gina]

Yes, me too

[Peter Drew]

A simple method we've used in the past is to have a pair of eyebolts each side of the walls and fasten some poly rope over the top of the run off during severe weather.

[nytecam]

It could have been very much worse! I feel a bit better now and can "see the light at the end of the tunnel"

Hi Gina -sorry to hear your news but the main thing is that nobody was hurt I think your incident will have all SGL obsy users thinking ... and as the sun's shining I go now to improve things on mine beyond the current ties eg drill a few holes to insert quick release pins between fixed and moving parts

[Aoraki]

Hi Gina, glad you're ok! Here's my automatic hold down for the rear of the roof. When closed, the 25mm pin is located into the main roof timbers. At the moment, I have just been relying ont the weight of the roof to keep it in position, off now to get ratchet strap from the van to hold the front edge down!

[Gina]

A simple method we've used in the past is to have a pair of eyebolts each side of the walls and fasten some poly rope over the top of the run off during severe weather.

That's one way certainly but I'm fussy and want something a bit more sophisticated

[Gina]

Hi Gina -sorry to hear your news but the main thing is that nobody was hurt I think your incident will have all SGL obsy users thinking ... and as the sun's shining I go now to improve things on mine beyond the current ties eg drill a few holes to insert quick release pins between fixed and moving parts

Thank you - I think you're right

[Gina]

Hi Gina, glad you're ok! Here's my automatic hold down for the rear of the roof. When closed, the 25mm pin is located into the main roof timbers. At the moment, I have just been relying ont the weight of the roof to keep it in position, off now to get ratchet strap from the van to hold the front edge down!

Ah now that's just the sort of thing I was thinking of. Engages when the roof is closed to hold it down. It could be held closed with a bolt or two. Now if I could arrange two pins to go into two holes at each end of the roof...

Thank you

[Gina]

The roof is now a bit nearer where it belongs thanks to two separate helpers - one to turn the roof over and the other to help move it nearer the obsy. He also suggested a better way of getting it up on the top than I had thought of. I'll probably have to wait for the weekend to get two more neighbours to help lift the roof up onto the warm room roof and the north side running track, from where I can move it over the scope room and onto the roll off side wall.

I was able to check the rubber roofing and apart from a nick on the edge by the gutter, it's intact

[Freff]

Hi Gina, glad you're ok! Here's my automatic hold down for the rear of the roof. When closed, the 25mm pin is located into the main roof timbers. At the moment, I have just been relying ont the weight of the roof to keep it in position, off now to get ratchet strap from the van to hold the front edge down!

Good idea with the straps. I have had 3 heavy duty straps off a lorry holding my roof on during the bad period.

Regardless off the weight of the roof, if the angle of attack is such.. which most of our roofs are, the wind is going to lift it.

If the front of yours had lifted Aoraki, the weight alone would have torn out those fixings.

I have 4 ground anchor stakes driven into the ground at each corner. These are the type that have a barb effect that when the stake is pulled they open out underground.

The only way to remove them is by unscrewing them.

My roof is over 350lbs and I could see the castors rising in the tracks about 1/2"...scary.

[laser_jock99]

To hold my roof down on an exposed Welsh mountain (1500 feet up) I have steel cables (6mm thick) in each corner. These are fixed to heavy duty braked screwed to the main joists with 4x four inch screws. Additionally there are ropes at the apexes tying the roof down, these are made fast to M10 eyebolts going right through the main joists. Finally I throw a rope over the roof joists and tie that to the steel pier!

We've had a few gales but the roof hasn't shifted far. The main weather damage has come from walnut sized hail which smashed the plastic bbq are roof and snow sagging.

[Gina]

I have the main design of my roof holding system thought out now. It is based on Aoraki's system of spikes and holes then with two Brenton bolts on the partition wall going into holes in the wheel assemblies to prevent rolling. I've worked out how to do 3 of the 4 corners with the spikes. One corner is proving difficult - the north-west corner, where the gap between the roll off section and the warm room wall and partition is quite small. The Brenton bolt might be sufficient if well secured to the partition wall by bolting through.