ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!!

[ASIGN_Baz]

Today I got an early mark from tech school, so I came home to work on the observatory.

I had another log to inspect and grade to see if it was good enough to support the stair stringers. This one had several layers of rot, but it was a beautiful piece of wood. I used a rotary chisel to rake back all the layers until I was happy with what was left. It turned out pretty darned good actually. So far I haven't yet oiled them, so their true colour is yet to come out, but I have left the borer insect marks on the wood as I just love the look.

1. Stairs marked out.

2. Log to strip back.

3. Scribbly little suckers. These patterns are gonna stay!

4. Three posts in position.

[Freff]

It's looking great Baz, can't wait to see the stairs evolve.

It beggars belief that people take out those lovely markings from the wood. A friend of mine makes cutting / serving boards and occasional tables from reclaimed timber and is overwhelmed with orders. They are also very expensive.

[ASIGN_Baz]

It's looking great Baz, can't wait to see the stairs evolve.

It beggars belief that people take out those lovely markings from the wood. A friend of mine makes cutting / serving boards and occasional tables from reclaimed timber and is overwhelmed with orders. They are also very expensive.

Too right Tony. Why hide nature's perfection?

[ASIGN_Baz]

Laying in the drainage pipe.

[Freff]

Yea..looks like you need it.

Love the new avatar.

[ASIGN_Baz]

Drainage in, shrubbery planted and garden mulched.

[ASIGN_Baz]

Progress on the stairs. Four stringers cut to the correct angle and calculated for the rise, tread and number of steps. Posts rebated to firmly seat and bolt in each stringer.

Making a massive mess of the space, but it will look a million bucks when I'm done!

[Tinker1947]

It will indeed.....

[Beulah]

Fabulous job!

It's going to look like a Hobbit hole when it's done.

[Gina]

Wonderful

[ASIGN_Baz]

Today was probably the most productive day I've had on the observatory in a long time. Not only did I get hours of precious time, but I also trialled a couple of new tools.

One was a flap disk to fit the angle grinder. It's a round disk covered in overlaying sections of very coarse abrasive. I used it to strip the bark off the wood I am using for the balusters.

The other is a rotary chisel. This is also a round blade for the angle grinder, but it has only three teeth in it. It takes of massive amounts of wood in a single pass and is also very dangerous.

Finally, instead of trying to manoeuvre the belt-sander all over the wood, I turned it upside down on the saw-horse and clamped it down. Now I can move the smaller and lighter pieces of wood over the belt sander with ease. The trick now is to watch the knuckles as I de-skinned two until I got a good technique.

I got the top of the stairs (top floor) cut to match the vertical line of the stringers, plus dressed the hole with some big pine. The stringers are all bolted in and I made a start on the hand-rails and balusters.

[emadmoussa]

Very cool indeed. Call me a newbie, but I have never seen the Southern night sky. What are your favourite targets?

[Freff]

Great work Bas, I'm beginning to see the effects now.

Those rotary chisel are really something, and as you say very dangerous. I watched a chap sculpture an intricate design onto a log with one....very impressive.

[Tinker1947]

Rotary chisels have been on my never to use list, just take a lot of care, the flap disks i have several, create a shed load of dust if no vacuum hose close to the disk, the obby is going along nicely .......

[ASIGN_Baz]

Very cool indeed. Call me a newbie, but I have never seen the Southern night sky. What are your favourite targets?

Probably M78, M83, The great Carina Nebula, M20 and Saturn.

Great work Bas, I'm beginning to see the effects now.

Those rotary chisel are really something, and as you say very dangerous. I watched a chap sculpture an intricate design onto a log with one....very impressive.

Rotary chisels have been on my never to use list, just take a lot of care, the flap disks i have several, create a shed load of dust if no vacuum hose close to the disk, the obby is going along nicely .......

Yeah, I've had mine for nearly 20 years and used it a few times. I've been hesitant to use it because of just how fast it removes material. I've got it's use down to a fine art, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't respect a tool that could bite me and take off some fingers in a heart-beat.

Finished the handrails and balusters and started making templates with cardboard for the treads. Each piece of wood will be traced onto cardboard, then placed in position and marked where to cut to shape. I'll then put the cardboard template back on the wood and trace it on for cutting. This is the very best way to do it because the wood is worth a fortune and I can't afford to make a cutting mistake.

1. Balusters finished.

2. Tracing the wood shape onto the cardboard ready to make a template.

[ASIGN_Baz]

WOOT WOOT!! YIPPYKAYAY!!

Finally I've made a start on the treads. The first one was the hardest, just working out how best to mark the template and deciding if I was going to go flush with the outer wall or take the tread right into the wall.

It worked out a lot more secure to go into the wall, fastening supporting timber inside the steel studs. Now I've got two treads in, custom cut to fit exactly. As I showed my wife and bragged about my superior craftsmanship, I jumped hard on both treads - SOLID AS A ROCK!

I'm well pleased. The second tread was a lot faster than the first, so now that I have a technique worked out, I should be able to get around three in every hour I get in there.

[Gina]

Wonderful!

[emadmoussa]

Very nice. We have to come for a visit

[ASIGN_Baz]

Wonderful!

Thanks Gina.

Very nice. We have to come for a visit

Please do!

[ASIGN_Baz]

Ready for oil!

Well.... nearly...

I have one tread at the top of the stairs left to cut and install. It's a bit tricky because it is surrounded on two sides by thick steel and some bolts, lips, edges etc - lots to custom-cut around to make it fit.

The insulation is back in the walls with every nook and cranny stuffed to keep the temperatures out/in and also a bit of soundproofing.

The bulk of the work is done but there are a couple of gaps that I want to fill and tidy up. Now the wall-panelling can be cut for the stairs and fitted on the walls.

Big hole!

As soon as the stairs are dressed, there's the issue of the long drop from the top floor. A bannister needs to be constructed with a gate at the top of the stairs.

Stay tuned for the updates as I get to the task.

[Freff]

Something to be very proud of Baz. It would be worth another visit to Oz just for a session or two in there.

[ASIGN_Baz]

Something to be very proud of Baz. It would be worth another visit to Oz just for a session or two in there.

Come on up Tony!

[Freff]

I was on my way until Gatland gave Shane Williams the nod at the last minute. I had to lend him my boots. When I get them back I'll be there.

[ASIGN_Baz]

Spent today building the upstairs banister out of steel. The thing is rock-steady. Soon I will bolt in some thick board behind it, which gives me three functions.... it blocks some light from below, (even though later there will be drop-hatches over the hole anyway).... it stops my young toddler from crawling through gaps when he's chillin' up there with me..... and finally, it gives me something to put some charts and space photos/posters on. There will be a gate on the end (left of photo) to stop folks from accidentally falling down the stairs.

Downstairs, I cut one more dead tree down to provide the final post on the far left. I also cut the wall-panelling for the stairs. The wall above the stairs is filled, now to put in the panelling for the wall underneath them.

[Beulah]

Brilliant work.