Pier and roll off cover, mostly pics

[Petrol]

Looking forward to the video.

I still don't want to take over the garden & this is an idea compromise .........

The roll off will be heated to prevent condensation. I will fit a wireless RH & temp gauge and use this website for optimum / least cost setting.

http://www.dpcalc.org/

I'm guessing around 10C should do it. The better the insulation, the less it will cost to heat. Another good reason for a small unit

This is the insulation I have chosen for the roof and walls.

It's higher density than the stuff I used under the floor and less likely to be damaged. It can also be cut with a jigsaw.

Best bet is not to force the saw. Let the blade cut and this is the result

About half done with the insulation

Thanks for looking

Pete

[badgerchap]

That's lovely insulation, looks like it's cut like a charm

[spaceboy]

Will heating it not increase cool down times though ??

[Petrol]

Will heating it not increase cool down times though ??

It will but I can always switch it off the day before if there’s even a hint of clear skies. I have also thought of opening the door and using a fan to reduce cool down times. The only reason I’m heating it to prevent any damp or condensation forming on the kit.

[Petrol]

The door is quite wide - 1.2M which was creating an awful lot of leverage on the hinge side of the roll off. As a result the whole frame was twisting so I had to beef things up a bit

Double thickness brace here

Also tied into the roof purlins (I think that's what they are called but I know little about roofing)

This made the frame rigid so on went the door. Note the 60 X 40mm thick timber for support at the hinge end, and the lightweight roofing battens at the other to reduce the load

Roof insulation fitted

Pic inside

Thanks for looking

Pete

[Chris]

Looks awesome so far, not seen anything else quite like it:)

[spaceboy]

Just a thought but would some thing similar to a gate hinge maybe help take the strain off a little ??

[yesyes]

Or make a double door instead of one large one?

[Auntystatic]

Looking at these pictures what I want to know is how did you attach your guide scope to you big telescope?

[Petrol]

Door had to be in one, double doors were not an option. It's sorted now. I'll post a vid up when I get chance. The guidescope is just attached to the bottom of the 200P scope rings. I can post a pic up if you want.

The roof covering on any roll off is a difficult choice. It has to be lightweight, capable of withstanding flexture, last and look good. Roof tiles are probably the longest lasting roofing solution but they don't interlock properly. This would result in tiles moving. They are also very heavy, typically 50kg / Sq M. Think I have found the ideal solution. These are Envirotile interlocking roof tiles. They weigh in at 9Kg / Sq M

They lock together like this

The rows also lock together offering a maximum strength. The result is that they won't move with vibration

First job was to cover the roof with breathable under felt

Then lay the tiles. Since they lock together it's easy. I have never tiled a roof before

The result

[dtr42]

excellent build and the tile's are a great idea, light enough but look very strong with the interlocking system

[Gina]

Very nice I used special rubber roofing for mine from "Rubber4Roofs" - lightweight very strong, long lasting (they say 50yrs), and very easy to fit. It's also flexible and won't crack unlike roofing felt. But your tiles look like a good solution too

[spaceboy]

I am sure you know what you are doing Petrol and it is always hard to get a feel for things in pictures but are you sure that roof is at a sufficient pitch that the water will disperse correctly ?

[Gina]

That's a good point. There is a minimum slope required. One advantage of the rubber sheeting is that it's suitable for flat roofs. My warm room roof has a slope of just two degrees (effectively a flat roof) - the roll off section has an apex roof of 10 degrees.slope.

[rfdesigner]

Just picking up on your efforts to prevent condensation by heating.

You could go an awful long way by fitting a bathroom humidity controlled fan.

Derek

[Auntystatic]

The guidescope is just attached to the bottom of the 200P scope rings. I can post a pic up if you want

If its not too much trouble a photo would be great, I don't like the idea of using the mounts opposite the dovetail as it shifts the center of gravity further from the mount head. I am looking for other ways of mounting guiders etc.

[Petrol]

Yes Spaceboy, 10 degrees

Thanks rfdesigner, I will look into a humidity controlled fan

Hope this helps Auntystatic. I did this to lower the c of g and reduce the height of the roll off

[Auntystatic]

Yes thank you, I see that you drilled extra holes in the scope rings to take the extra mounting plate, now I get it. Thanks.

[Petrol]

Your welcome Auntystatic.

I have a vid of the roll off but can't seem to embed it.

Linkerty linkson

Pete

[Viv]

Pete - that is just brilliant !

Thank you for the video.

[spaceboy]

One word "BUTTER"

How smooth is that! Will you be protecting the runners from the elements in any way ?

[Tinker1947]

Very impressive...

[JamesF]

That does look very neat and tidy, I have to say.

James

[Petrol]

Thanks for the feedback, looks like I am on the right track (no pun intended) with it then but it's not been the easiest thing I've ever built. I guess the fully hinged door made it more of a challenge. To be honest, I thought I would have to get some steel in there to make it rigid enough. Steel is heavy though and would put extra load on the rollers. The timber diagonal braces to the roof sorted it though.

I'm not the best with words so here are some more pics

All wired up and fitted the scope for a trial run

Connector panel

Thanks for looking and much more to follow

Pete

[Chris]

I'm not a fashionista or anything but the red of the pier really brings out the red in the Atik:D seriously though, one word, Cool!