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New Observatory preps and build


fwm891

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Thanks Astrokev, I hope you're looking at the right thread :eek:

Fair bit done today - DPC and floor plates fixed to the blockwork plus the basic framework for the south wall and two corner posts.... Hoping for another clear day tomorrow.

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Inside of the frame will be covered with OSB, there will be 25 mm thick Cellotex between the frame and stuck to the OSB. On the outside of the frame will be a vapour barrier and shiplap boarding (one day)

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Well after a shaky start the weather improved dramatically :laugh: So there's more framework gone up today. I will leave the west wall frame out for now so I have open access to bring in sheeting to line the obsy.

Changed my plan in that I was going to run the east wall right through into the computer bay but decided instead to put the computer bay on separately. This is because I can't make my mind up about the storage space under the computer shelf. At first (see animation earlier) it was just going to be the housing for the computer with no storage underneath, then it went to ground level to maximise storage, now I'm hovering in between....

Raising the bottom of the storage space will make weather proofing easier as everything will be well above ground :smiley: but then I lose storage space :mad: ....

This view is looking almost south and shows the north wall, door frame minus the righthand jamb. The top opening to the left of the door is the computer bay and the cross rail will support the front edge of the shelf.

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Next three views just show the framework from much the same direction as the other progress shots....

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Thanks Sam,

Quite pleased with todays slog. Completed the west wall frame, installed the linings on 3 walls, insulation and vapour barrier to the west wall and then added shiplap to the west wall. Light drizzle at times today but not enough to worry about (not even enough to stop for a coffee :eek: )

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Another good slog today. Visually little change as all the work has gone on round the back on the south and east walls. These have had their insulation, vapour barrier and shiplap cladding put in/on. So I now need to make decisions over the computer bay and its storage compartment underneath.

I didn't feel it needed its own foundations as it is not part of the load bearing structure (to any great extent) and all I was intending was to lay a few paving slabs under the computer bay and fix it to the slabs with DPC and vapour barrier etc to keep things dry.

Then with all the rain lately I thought it might be best to raise the floor a few inches to allow ventilation....

And that's where I am at the moment trying to decide which way to jump!

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Weds: Not a great deal of progress today. Decided to raise the computer bay by one width of the shiplap boarding and I've assembled the basic framework for the bay and attached that to the obsy building.

Also put the mount and scope on the pier to confirm internal height requirements and I find I need to raise the roof a couple of cm's to make sure of clearance. That or I may reduce the length of the tilt adjustment bolts on the pier top plate as they are longer than needed.

Weather has also turned very damp at the moment so I've just coated all the new timbers with preserver and called it a day....

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Thurs: better progress today, vapour barrier and most of the shiplap cladding on the computer bay area. Rain has stopped play right at the moment which is a pain as I want to get a roof of sorts on the computer bay. At the moment its just the vapour barrier which is keeping things dry but water will run down between it and the cladding. Although the amount of preservative in the cladding there won't be any harm done. Photos to follow.

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I might have missed it glazing through your thread, but to stiffen up the walls i would take a piece of timber from the South-West bottom corner to the middle top on the South wall with a half lap glued and screwed joint in the up right, then the same from the other side South-East bottom corner so the 2 pieces of timber butt up in the middle at the top, do this for all 4 walls, the half lap joints are not hard to do and being covered you get away with some errors in cutting....the Glue will fill the gaps...Polyuathane Glue, wet both joints first....This is a very fine build in deed, well done..

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Good :)

Thanks Gina - weather deteriorated further so I've covered the computer bay with polythene and added a few staples.... :grin:

I might have missed it glazing through your thread, but to stiffen up the walls i would take a piece of timber from the South-West bottom corner to the middle top on the South wall with a half lap glued and screwed joint in the up right, then the same from the other side South-East bottom corner so the 2 pieces of timber butt up in the middle at the top, do this for all 4 walls, the half lap joints are not hard to do and being covered you get away with some errors in cutting....the Glue will fill the gaps...Polyuathane Glue, wet both joints first....This is a very fine build in deed, well done..

Hi Tinker 1947 - I see where you're coming from with the suggestions but I'm long passed that stage. Linings have been glued -n-screwed, cladding has been screwed on. Stainless steel screws used throughout build. Voids in the wall space between the cladding and lining has been filled with Cellotex rigid foam insulation.

Each of the wall frames have been screwed into 100x100 mm corner posts locking everything up very rigidly. Used poly glue and titebond depending on the application.

More photos from todays slog....

All the corner joints in the computer bay have been mitred to avoid the strip of wood (which usually rots and decays leaving timber ends open).

DPC has been wrapped around the base of the bay to take away any water from the walls and prevent it going in the computer bay.

I still have to insulate and add a lining to the comp bay.

So next is a drawing session to finalise the RoR...

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Hi Astrokev,

Have a look at this http://stargazerslou...20#entry1582180 (post #35) there are a couple of animations there that show how the RoR is sheduled to operate. The front flap has change (or will) as I've built much closer to the boundary fence which makes it impossible to fold the top of the south wall down, it will now drop down the side of the south wall instead.

A little further on in the earlier thread (post #39) there are some photos of a model I built to 1/10th scale to make sure things were OK and get a better visualisation of the project.

I have no real view to the north due to the house being there so there was no need to try and get a view any lower than a small area around the pole. Hence why I only have a small amount of movement in the RoR. The 30° angle at the front matches the angle on the walls. Had I used a vertical front to the south wall I would have had to roll the roof back another 12-18 inches approx.

Day off today - weather is fowl

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Hi Astrokev,

Have a look at this http://stargazerslou...20#entry1582180 (post #35) there are a couple of animations there that show how the RoR is sheduled to operate. The front flap has change (or will) as I've built much closer to the boundary fence which makes it impossible to fold the top of the south wall down, it will now drop down the side of the south wall instead.

A little further on in the earlier thread (post #39) there are some photos of a model I built to 1/10th scale to make sure things were OK and get a better visualisation of the project.

I have no real view to the north due to the house being there so there was no need to try and get a view any lower than a small area around the pole. Hence why I only have a small amount of movement in the RoR. The 30° angle at the front matches the angle on the walls. Had I used a vertical front to the south wall I would have had to roll the roof back another 12-18 inches approx.

Day off today - weather is fowl

Excellent. I bet you had as much fun building the model as the full scale observatory! Great job.

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