Observatory build, final costing.

[ollypenrice]

Just for info, it looks like this observatory has cost about 1500 euros to build - say around £1300. It has a breeze block warm room with cement fibre panel roof and fibre board lining with exp. polystyrene insulation throughout. The floor is concrete but 2/3rds was there already and I have a mixer. The roof was fabricated using 2cm square section steel tubing but in parallel tubes separated by 2cm for strength. That was welded up with a machine mart welder costing £150 a few years ago. Roof panels are galavanized then insulated with exp. polystyrene again. It has a junk shop cut down table. The rolling sides are in 10mm ply, very costly here, and the wood treatment was a serious expense. The door is in pine using planks intended for the universal French shutters and has a proper lock. Wheels are just whatever the DIY shop had in their bins.

Footprint is 2.4 metres by 4.5. The 2.2 metre square telescope section would just house a 17 inch Plane Wave. (I've just been to visit one without taking my cheque book). It is plenty big enough for Yves' 14 inch ODK. Very comfortable fit for that.

So I'm pretty pleased with the value for money side and the whole thing is working beautifully. It has survived wind at least as bad as any I've ever seen here and it didn't move. In fact we imaged in it at 2.4 metres FL - just!

Still to come, either render (if I can master it) or paint and some tidying. As for how many hours it took me... don't ask. All day every day for about two months but I'm not a DIY natural by a long way and the days were short atthis time of year. Thanks to Bill Rigby and Dave_Galera for helping during thier visits and to Ray Giles for lending me a gigantic and muderous angle grinder. Thanks also to the many SGLers who contributed useful ideas and shedloads of encouragement.

Feel free to PM me for any extra info.

Olly

[Freff]

It looks good Olly, and at a reasonable cost considering the materials you used.

If you do consider rendering, (which may be awkward for a beginner around all that timber) use a measured amount of Unibond or similar on the walls AND in the mix.

It will help prevent the render falling off if the mix is not quite right or if frost gets behind it.

[ollypenrice]

It looks good Olly, and at a reasonable cost considering the materials you used.

If you do consider rendering, (which may be awkward for a beginner around all that timber) use a measured amount of Unibond or similar on the walls AND in the mix.

It will help prevent the render falling off if the mix is not quite right or if frost gets behind it.

Many thanks Tony. I have a mentor who has done quite a bit but I think it might end up with masonry paint after all!

Olly

[Jessun]

Looks great! Is that a temporary door there? I'd be nervous about unwanted visitors, but I don't know the area.

Well done!

[ollypenrice]

Looks great! Is that a temporary door there? I'd be nervous about unwanted visitors, but I don't know the area.

Well done!

It is a pretty solid pine door and mortice lock but there is other security. Also the neighbours all have boar rifles and a touch of the Harry Dean Stantons about them! One of the oldest, now deceased, was adamant that since his days in the temporary Police after the war he was allowed to shoot people. He really wasn't joking, though I prefer to believe he was mistaken. Mind you, this is France...

Olly

[Zul]

Great Job!

[Jessun]

there is other security

Haha can't beat that! Hope to see it soon.

[malc-c]

Olly, for that type of construction you came in at a good price. Trust me, masonry pain will be easier and less maintenance