Gina's Observatory - The Build

[Gina]

The drizzle is back! Wood preserver on a couple more floorboards. Not exactly an encouraging day for obsy building

[Gina]

Managed a bit more and now in for a warm up. Noggins screwed in place between warm room joists. It's just a little bit at a time

[Gina]

Rang Rubber4Roofs this afternoon and they recommended not using wood preserver - the adhesive is water based and dries better if the water can escape through the supporting wood. No need for any preservative under the rubber membrane as it totally protects the wood underneath. One less job to do Just need some decent weather and I can get the warm room roof covered.

[pritc]

You can also get USB to Serial adapters and I think, USB to Parallel, but not sure of the latter, I've never needed one. USB to serial is used with the "yesyes" Philips SPC900NC webcam LX mod, together with a USB hub to control the webcam using just the one USB cable.

I have serial and parallel port's on my PC tower.

Why not use them?

I use the parallel port for Parallel Autoguiding and my LX webcam:

Astronomiser - Automated Astronomy and AstroImaging Solutions

Wayne

[pritc]

Rang Rubber4Roofs this afternoon and they recommended not using wood preserver - the adhesive is water based and dries better if the water can escape through the supporting wood. No need for any preservative under the rubber membrane as it totally protects the wood underneath. One less job to do Just need some decent weather and I can get the warm room roof covered.

Gina,

Looking forward to seeing the results you get from using this method of roof material.

Wayne

[Gina]

Struggled to get much done today due to the weather Windy with occasional drizzle and cold with it! So it was a case of doing a bit then coming indoors to warm up. Finished for the day before tea time.

So here's today's progress :-

1. Obsy floorboards put in position, up to the pier.

2. More floorboards treated with wood preserver.

3. Last warm room joist screwed down and extra piece screwed on.

4. 4 of 5 noggins fixed between warm room joists.

5. Above noggins finished off with wood preserver.

6. Some more floorboards treated with wood preserver and laid on the joists (not fixed)

Here are today's photos showing floorboards in place and noggins etc. Two photos also show the 40mm plastic waste pipe and bends/elbows that I'm using to provide under floor cable ducting going between the pier and the warm room. The elbows bring the ducting up through the floors.

[pritc]

Struggled to get much done today due to the weather Windy with occasional drizzle and cold with it! So it was a case of doing a bit then coming indoors to warm up. Finished for the day before tea time.

Here are today's photos showing floorboards in place and noggins etc. Two photos also show the 40mm plastic waste pipe and bends/elbows that I'm using to provide under floor cable ducting going between the pier and the warm room. The elbows bring the ducting up through the floors.

Is your cable/waste pipe entering your warm room just inside the partition?

(Between the obs/warm room)

it does not look very long....

Wayne

[Freff]

The drizzle is back! Wood preserver on a couple more floorboards. Not exactly an encouraging day for obsy building

Hi Gina...I agree very miserable weather again today.

Sucking eggs comes to mind and I hope you don't mind me saying, but I would try and get the shiplap on as soon possible.

Even getting the windward side up first will give you a lot of protection from the wind. You will be surprised how quick this stuff goes up.

Once up all the inside work can be done in relative comfort, even if the roof is not on the tarp will protect you. You can do all the floor and joist in the dry.

I used a pneumatic nail gun and 2" staples to fix my shiplap. It allowed for a very strong rapid build.

[Gina]

Is your cable/waste pipe entering your warm room just inside the partition?

(Between the obs/warm room)

it does not look very long....

Wayne

Yes, that is correct It comes up under the work bench (when that's put in) and should be handy for a tower base unit. Having it come up here saved having a dogleg or bend in it and/or having to cut holes in joists (just a hole in a noggin).

[Gina]

Hi Gina...I agree very miserable weather again today.

Sucking eggs comes to mind and I hope you don't mind me saying,

No problem there

... but I would try and get the shiplap on as soon possible. Even getting the windward side up first will give you a lot of protection from the wind. You will be surprised how quick this stuff goes up.

Once up all the inside work can be done in relative comfort, even if the roof is not on the tarp will protect you. You can do all the floor and joist in the dry.

Sounds a very reasonable suggestion I think I'll ring the timber yard tomorrow morning and order the shiplap. I have a pretty good idea of how much I want but I will need to double check the dimensions to make sure.

I used a pneumatic nail gun and 2" staples to fix my shiplap. It allowed for a very strong rapid build.

Ah yes, ideal I have an electric, so called "nail gun" but I think calling those thin brads nails is using a fair bit of poetic license! It takes 2" ones though and I guess using several for each plank at each framework upright might be alright. I think that's what Malcolm did (is that right Malcolm?).

My new heavy duty tarp arrived this afternoon (their promise of next working day delivery was fulfilled). But I decided not to get myself cold and wet in the drizzle to put it on. The OSB warm room roof is already reasonably protected with a plastic sheet held down with 5x2 beams and clamps and the framework timbers are protected by the original pressure treatment and extra preserver I put on the cut ends.

[Freff]

No problem there

I have a pretty good idea of how much I want but I will need to double check the dimensions to make sure.

Ah yes, ideal I have an electric, so called "nail gun" but I think calling those thin brads nails is using a fair bit of poetic license! It takes 2" ones though and I guess using several for each plank at each framework upright might be alright. I think that's what Malcolm did (is that right Malcolm?).

Good Idea is to check with the supplier the coverage of the shiplap. I was told mine would cover 4" once joined. In fact it was 4 1/2" which resulted in an over estimate of 8 x 5.1m lengths, about £50 worth.

Single brads wont be up to the task, the shiplap can pull off. It has to be staples unless you have a "proper" nail gun that fires flat heads.

I didn't fancy knocking in nails especially as I was painting it. That's a lot of hammering and potentially a lot of hammer rash in the timber. They also look ugly.

[Gina]

Good Idea is to check with the supplier the coverage of the shiplap. I was told mine would cover 4" once joined. In fact it was 4 1/2" which resulted in an over estimate of 8 x 5.1m lengths, about £50 worth.

That was very annoying then!!

Single brads wont be up to the task, the shiplap can pull off. It has to be staples unless you have a "proper" nail gun that fires flat heads.

The nail gun I bought is this one :- Tacwise 0664 500EL 230V Nailer: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Here's a picture of it :- http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/816zAO9YtRL._AA1500_.jpg

The brads have a small "head" on them - a small piece sticking out at the side at the top. Must admit I bought this nail gun with the idea of using it for the shiplap though it has proved invaluable for a large number of other uses in the meantime.

I didn't fancy knocking in nails especially as I was painting it. That's a lot of hammering and potentially a lot of hammer rash in the timber. They also look ugly.

Absolutely!

[Freff]

That was very annoying then!!

The nail gun I bought is this one :- Tacwise 0664 500EL 230V Nailer: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Here's a picture of it :- http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/816zAO9YtRL._AA1500_.jpg

The brads have a small "head" on them - a small piece sticking out at the side at the top. Must admit I bought this nail gun with the idea of using it for the shiplap though it has proved invaluable for a large number of other uses in the meantime.

Absolutely!

The nailer has good reviews and should be fine. I used the Tacwise 40mm staples from Screwfix.

I think they were about £14 for 5000, very reasonable. I wouldn't trust the small head of a brad.

[Gina]

The nailer has good reviews and should be fine. I used the Tacwise 40mm staples from Screwfix.

I think they were about £14 for 5000, very reasonable. I wouldn't trust the small head of a brad.

The nailer doesn't take staples!

The best electric stapler I can find only takes 30mm staples

[Gina]

Which nail gun did you use Tony?

[Freff]

It's just a cheap Power Craft gun I think I bought from Aldi's years ago. It has worked faultlessly with the small 25ltr compressor I got.

[Gina]

It's just a cheap Power Craft gun I think I bought from Aldi's years ago. It has worked faultlessly with the small 25ltr compressor I got.

Hmm... looks like air powered guns are better. So I'm wondering about getting a compressor and pneumatic nailer/stapler. I guess a compressor would be useful for other jobs/tools too. But I thought I had it cracked with a top quality electric nailer!

[Gina]

I don't know..... The weather is horrible, the job is grinding on very slowly, the cost seems to be escalating and it's more difficult than I expected... Of course, I'm getting older and can't do as much as I used to... I'm thinking I might have been better buying an expensive garden shed (or two - one for obsy and the other for the warm room, giving two separate roofs etc.) and modifying them.

[Stu]

Hi Gina

This is my first post on this thread but have been following it for quite a while. Having spent the weekend putting up fence posts and panels, I am walking around aching like an old man, so I can very much relate to how you must be feeling.

Should I have done the easy thing and paid for it to be put up? Of course I should, but being just over half way through (about another ten panels to go!) there's no way I am giving up now.

You've been at this for a long time so it may be worth having a complete break from it for a day and come back to it afresh.

You know why you didn't buy two sheds....because you wanted to build an observatory to your own design and it will be fabulous when it's done.

Keep at it, you'll get there, and I know that there is an avalanche of supportive posts coming your way.

Good luck

Stu

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

[Gina]

Thank you Stu You are right, of course

[yesyes]

Gina! I totally agree with Stu. Don't even think about giving up now. You've come so far and all on your own. Just look at the webcam image... YOU have made this on your own!!

So get out there and finish it! ;-)

And don't be afraid of calling on that help that has been offered here recently. I'm sure most of us were serious about that, including myself. We should arrange a day out at Gina's once you have got all the remaining materials.

[Gina]

Gina! I totally agree with Stu. Don't even think about giving up now. You've come so far and all on your own. Just look at the webcam image... YOU have made this on your own!!

Oh, I'm not giving up! I'm just fed up with the weather. Needed to have a grumble And yes, I agree it is pretty good really - I have the webcam live on another monitor and glancing at it now.

So get out there and finish it! ;-)

I will, but I think Stu may be right - I may need a break. Been hard at it for several days in a row now.

And don't be afraid of calling on that help that has been offered here recently. I'm sure most of us were serious about that, including myself. We should arrange a day out at Gina's once you have got all the remaining materials.

Yes, I will, thank you again

[fwm891]

Hi Gina - take a break, then send a request for the cavalry, won't need many, an extra 3 or 4 pairs of hands is all that's needed otherwise people will be getting in each others way!

Just shout...

(Anything to get me from sorting out the loft !!!)

[yesyes]

Francis, I see you are not far from me.. We could go in one car.. ;-)

[Gina]

Hi Gina - take a break, then send a request for the cavalry, won't need many, an extra 3 or 4 pairs of hands is all that's needed otherwise people will be getting in each others way!

Just shout...

Yes, I'm taking a break today - it's raining anyway! I'm hoping to have the rest of the materials next week sometime, so we may be able to sort something out then Be lovely to see you all and put faces to names :) You know what I look like (poor you ) but I don't know what you look like. The help will be much appreciated too Of course, I won't be able to say it's ALL my own work then but I think getting it finished is more important

(Anything to get me from sorting out the loft !!!)

he he