Chris's Obsy build

[malc-c]

I used 5"x2" joists at 16" centres in my floor as I recall - I think Malcolm used 6"x2" joists. Mine has 22mm thick T&G floorboards on top.

Gina, that's correct, with 18mm exterior ply flooring

[Whistlebare]

7x7 is the absolute minimum for an obsy I reckon, go as big as you can (10x10 is quite roomy, I have a desk and other gubbins in mine now). Anything that looks more 'shed like' than 'observatory like' is also going to be a bonus in an urban area. At least you have started with a level site - I spent months just breaking rocks before I could begin....have fun!

Man that looked like hard work...You should have got some convicts in to break the rocks

[Chris]

Went on a reckie today for pier materials, got some rebar from Wickes and I found a decent looking pier tube for 10 quid from a local Civil Engineering Merchant, its 170mm in diameter and about 7' long which I think should be long enough assuming that 2' will be in the ground and probably another 8-10" to the obsy floor there should be about 50" of pier plus about another 6" for the adaptor so 56"

[laser_jock99]

Man that looked like hard work...You should have got some convicts in to break the rocks

I tried an electric jack hammer, but that broke after a few hours. We went back to pick axes and levers. On the plus side we got plenty of rocks to make good infill for the terrace!

[Chris]

I read through Toothe DR's build the other day, Malc-c kindly gave me the link to it (p5 on this thread). This guy built an obsy plus warm room using a very budget wooden 10'x6' overlap shed, he had about 100-150 quid less than myself to spend on an obsy and came in under budget using some great ideas and inginuity:glasses1:, one of these ideas was to use a B-grade shed which means basically its got some wood knots in so they reduce the price big time!, the one he used was the cheapest 10'x6' shed you could imagine and even included the flooring all for 149 quid!!

It was my last day off from a long weekend today so I thought I'd do some research into B-grade sheds. I bit of investigoogling and some phone calls later I came across this and well bought it!, its being deilvered 21st of May so I've definately made my bed and I think I'm happy to lay in it after all the research I've done:D see what you think? 15mm T&G walls, T&G roof and floor, all pressure treated and tanalised, and all the frames use 28x44mm timbers which seems good for a commercial shed. I'll add some more bracing and hopefully it should do the job:)

Quality Heavy Duty Apex Tanalised Garden Shed 15mm Finish 10x6 £340.00 | eBay

I'd been going round in circles i.e. metal shed, wood shed, then self build then back to metal shed again and my head has been spinning, I have basically concluded that all type of builds and conversions have their pro's and con's, and its just a case of researching untill you find the right solution to your particular situation:icon_scratch: see below if you can bare it for a more thorough conclusion:D

Conclusion - converting a Metal sheds:

Pro's: cheap and strong and in my opinion they look good, plus you might already own a metal shed which you could convert.

Con's: The dimensions metal sheds are generally available in make splitting them into a telescope and warm room tricky, some complain about condensation and heat issues, and they are only strong because you brace the inside with plenty of timber, they are designed to be bolted and sealed to a concrete base which is not for me.

Conlusion - self build:

Pro's: you can have complete control over the size, shape, and engineering of your obsy along with the materials its made from. If you shop around the quality to cost ratio is very good, also you can have great pride in knowing you built your obsy from scratch.

con's: its a big commitment, its more daunting, and takes a lot of time to plan and undertake if inexperienced. Therefore it might be a bit to much for me with a young family and work commitments. Having the space to store and work with materials seems advantagious also.

Conclusion - converting a wooden shed:

Pro's: They are cheap, they come in all kinds of dimensions, you might already have a shed available to convert, they range from very cheap low quality to expensive high quality so they suit a wide range of budgets. They look like sheds which is good for disguising an obsy from the hoodies:D and they look natural so blend well into a garden. There are also plenty of obsy build threads to follow for wooden sheds.

Con's: depending on the quality of shed they might not have a lot of longevity. they require internal bracing like metal sheds, even very expensive wooden sheds would need some bracing. They require maintenance unless pressure treated and tanalised.

[samtheeagle]

Congrats on making a choice Chris A big decision! An excellent summary of some of the pros and cons too, a handy resource for anyone else planning their own obsy build. Best of luck, I look forward to following you progress.

[Chris]

Thanks samtheeagle:), how you getting on with your plans, any closer to a decision?

[Chris]

This is how I'm thinking of dividing the 10'x6' shed I have now bought, 6'x6'6" for the viewing area and 6'x3'6" for the warm room, give or take and inch:p

[malc-c]

Seems a good spec, 28mm x 44mm framing, and 12mm shiplap - you've certainly done your homework.

So, just over a month to sort any base out, dig the hole and concrete in the pipe. Now would also be a good time to think about any power requirements and laying in the cables for power and networking

Looking forward to following the build.

[samtheeagle]

Thanks samtheeagle:), how you getting on with your plans, any closer to a decision?

I'm 99% certain I'm going with a metal shed approach. At the moment. I've got a couple of great resources, Bizibilders blog and the original source he worked from, to help guide me along the way, so that's worth a lot. The only real issue I have with the metal shed is the potential heat issue, and I guess I can overcome that, even if I have to put an aircon unit in the obsy during the summer!

[Chris]

Hey samtheeagle, I think the metal shed is a great option I also very nearly opted for one after reading Bizibilders and the Linnhe obs threads. unfortunately for me the largest tin shed I could squeeze into my plot didn't divide into a warm room and viewing area very well, plus I wasn't comfortable stearing away from the standard concrete base as used by the above threads, and I don't want to mix that much concrete ontop of that for the pier:D If you want someone to bounce ideas off just give me a nudge:)

[Chris]

Thanks Malc, I'm really pleased with the spec for the money, its 15mm not 12mm on the walls which is a bonus, plus the pressure treatment and tanalising should help it last:) The company's based up in Yorkshore so beyond 70 miles delivery isn't free, it will cost me 70 quid delivery but this includes installation, the guy said that if I can cut a hole in the base when they arrive they will install it over the pier for me so I'm now looking at the exact location the pier hole needs to be plus the quickest way to cut it out. If my pier is 170mm I guess a 200mm hole will do the job:D

I can't wait for a non work day with dry weather so I can get digging the hole for the pier:D I recken 24"x24" and 30" deep with plenty of rebar should do the trick.

[shellfish]

I can't wait for a non work day with dry weather so I can get digging the hole for the pier:D I recken 24"x24" and 30" deep with plenty of rebar should do the trick.

looking great so far but I think this may be a bit to much to hope for at the min.... Fingers crossed

[Gina]

It's beginning to look like ark building time again here!!

[Chris]

Rain, rain and more rain here as well:( I'm finding it more difficult to find spare time now my wifes back at work from maternity leave, I do 3-4 shifts a week and the other 3-4 days I'm looking after a 5 month old, I'm typing this with my left hand baby on the right:D I did find time over the weekend to do a nice little mod to a cheap 7 pound CMOS chip webcam from ASDA, hopefully I can use it to start guiding in the obsy plus do a bit of planetary imaging:)

[ccbmedic]

I cant believe I've missed this thread. You seem to have thought things through Chris and progressing well. Im sorry Im late joining the party but remember Im only down the road (Caravan) or up the road (Home) if you want a hand with anything and I do mean anything. Life of a retired army officer is getting a tad boring:mad: especially with all this damn weather. Drop me a line mate if you do need anything or call, providing you still have my number!!

Chris:icon_salut:

[Chris]

Hey Chris, Thanks mate I appreciate the offer:icon_salut:, if I get the pier and base down before they deliver the shed they'll install it over the pier once I've quickly made the hole. But if the base isn't down due to the weather, work, baby etc they will just drop of the panels in which case it would be amazing if you could give me a hand putting the shed up:) I'll PM you if I get stuck, payment will be as much tea and biscuits as you can handle:D

p.s. if your want a cool little mod to do check out this thread:)

http://stargazerslounge.com/discussions-cameras/185952-asda-2-93-webcam.html

Thanks Chris:icon_salut:

Chris

[Chris]

I found a gap in the rain yesterday evening so I eagerly set about digging a 24"x24"x30" hole for my pier:) The ground was pretty easy to dig so it only took 2-3 hours including a time team style escavation of some old war ammo, well I assume its from one of the wars?

[Bizibilder]

You MUST inform the local police immediately and they will deal with it. I am not a lawyer but I suspect you will be comitting an offence if you don't. Worth a non-emergency call to the local station right now.

[dtr42]

need to be careful with old bullet's we dug some up once laying a gas pipe in glasgow in the 90's [about 10 -12] and the army guys came and collected them [they were still live:eek:] bloke told us that if they fired accidently[due to corrosion/movement ] it could still do some damage [they took them away and blew them up ]

[Chris]

:eek:Bizibilder- I will give them a call luckily I think all but one or two have been hollowed out with being in the ground so long. but certainly the top two could be intact, I've put them back in the hole for now with some slabs ontop just in case:eek:

[Chris]

dtr42- wow thats like something out of a film, I'd better go and make a call!

[Chris]

I called the local police and they said that depending on how busy they are they can pick them up tonight or tomorrow, they guy sounded quite layed back about it once I said that most of them where corroded with holes in. It will be interesting for the neighbours to see the police standing around a deep hole in my garden tomorrow:D

[Viv]

Oh dear !!

Was just checking your location - not in Coventry are you !!

No i'm deading what's we'll dig up .............

[dtr42]

I called the local police and they said that depending on how busy they are they can pick them up tonight or tomorrow, they guy sounded quite layed back about it once I said that most of them where corroded with holes in. It will be interesting for the neighbours to see the police standing around a deep hole in my garden tomorrow:D

you should put a few sheep/pig/bone's in the hole as well[no maybe that's wrong lol:)]