the yesyes observatory - the build

[yesyes]

progress today...

I installed a barrier between the first 2 foundations so I can go a little higher with the ground. I'll need that for the soil that will be dug out the hole for the pier base.

Then I build the last shuttering for that foundation next to the tree stump. I decided to make that one straight, not T shaped as planned. This way it will be further away from the stump and there will still be 15cm for the middle beam to rest on (foundation is 25cm wide minus 10cm width of the long joist along the back.

Pictures:

1 - Barrier installed

2 - some rocks leaning against the barrier

3 - filled up with soil

4 - I made the hole next to the stump a bit wider towards the fence. The foundation will now also have to support that fence post foundation.

5 - shuttering built

6 - from the other side, that one was really fiddly to close all the holes where concrete could leak out

7 - overview of the site

[Astrokev]

Good progress there Chris. I bet you'll be glad to see the back of the foundations! Really great work, well done!

[yesyes]

I just uploaded a lot more pictures from the build so far to an album here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/117034922665750406576/albums/5885303805195657217?authkey=CKWtq6v_3Jr48AE

[Astrokev]

If the rest of your build is up to the same standard as your shuttering, the finished observatory promises to be great!

[yesyes]

Today I got another pallet (49 bags) of ballast delivered.

I couldn't stop myself from trying it out so I poured another 2 foundations after work.

Only one to go plus the pier...

a few pictures:

1 - new bags of ballast (and our cat Kinya)

2 - the 2 newly poured foundations

3 - I had to buy another mixer paddle. these things don't seem to last very long...

[nightvision]

That's a lot of ballast! Is that mainly for the pier?

[yesyes]

There's already 38 bags in the foundations with one still to go (that's a big one, I estimate another 12 bags). I'm beginning to think I might have slightly exaggerated with the foundations.

Thing is, they need to be so high to clear the tree stump and there is a slight slope. I used 16 of these 49 new bags today, another 12 or so for the last foundation, that leaves 21 bags for the pier.

[fwm891]

I don't think that's going anywhere Chris

[yesyes]

Today I poured the last of the footings. 12 bags of ballast, exactly as I estimated.

That's a total of 50 bags of ballast, a bit over 2 bags of sand (I used sand for the top if I needed just a little more to fill to the top) and 6.5 bags of cement.

The plan for this weekend is to dig the hole for the pier base and maybe start with the shuttering. Then I'll be almost done with concrete. I do want to extent the crazy paving patio a little up to the front middle footing and a bit to the right where the external obsy door will be. I will probably also need a step or 2 there.

Only one picture today showing the last footing filled.

[Astrokev]

Well done Chris. Bet you're glad that's over with!

[Gina]

Yes indeed. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I'd finished my concreting. The pier and base was the biggest job in my case - I only needed to go down 15" to reach the solid clay "bedrock" for the six foundation pads.

[Armsoft]

Looking Very impressive Chris

[yesyes]

Not much progress this last weekend. Apparently, there are other things to do occasionally...

The only thing I did on the obsy this weekend was to remove the shuttering on the small footing on top of the concrete slab.

Now I just came back inside from removing the shuttering from another 2 foundations; the ones I poured last Wednesday. Only one is still inside its shuttering. That's the one I poured last Friday, so I better wait a few more days.

Pictures:

1 - small footing with shuttering removed

2 - view from the back

3 and 4 - measuring, target was 5000mm, it's actually 4995mm, so that's good. better a bit too short than too long as I want to overhang the cladding

5 - shuttering removed from middle footing, excuse the mess, I made some firewood of one of the pallets to test my new circular saw... ;-)

6 - from another angle

7 - 2nd foundation with shuttering removed getting inspected by our cat

8 - from another side, one of the shuttering boards got a little stuck there in the concrete. It can't be deep in there, so I hope that's not a problem.

9 - from yet another side, there's a small crack on the top. Did that dry too quickly? Is there something I should do about that?

10 - overview

[Astrokev]

Excellent stuff.

I think I'd better get a move on. At this rate, you'll have finished your build before I've started mine

[r3i]

The foundations looks great Chris, keep up the good work. By current standards the end result is going to be terrific.

[Gina]

Agreed

[yesyes]

Thanks for the comments and encouragement. I hope you're right... ;-)

Kev, the race was your idea... :D

[Astrokev]

Thanks for the comments and encouragement. I hope you're right... ;-)

Kev, the race was your idea... :D

Mmm, seem to recall you're right there! Said of course in jest. So long as we both end up with observatories we're proud of, does it really matter who reaches the finish line first? Furthermore, are obsy's ever truly finished?? As the forum proves, there's always ongoing mods and improvements to make!

[yesyes]

Of course! I wouldn't want to cut any corners just to finish first.

This is not a competition...

My goal is to be ready (not finished, as you say ) for comet ISON this autumn / winter.

I still have some issues with the design above the foundations that I need to work out before ordering any timber. Currently the design is too high for permitted development because I had to make the foundations so high. But I will better discuss that in the planning thread.

[Astrokev]

Of course! I wouldn't want to cut any corners just to finish first.

This is not a competition...

Absolutely agree.

I'm also finding it tight to keep the height within the planning guidelines, whilst keeping enough room to walk around. Now if I could only lose a few inches in height....

[yesyes]

A bit more progress...

I have just freed the last of the footings from its shuttering. This one was rather fiddly to get off. Note to self: put screws in shuttering only from the outside and only in places that you can still reach with a screwdriver when the shuttering is in place.

So this is the one right next to the tree stump. It's not leaning on the stump and not standing on roots, so I hope this will be ok. It also seems to have gabbed onto the fence post foundation nicely. The fence seems a bit more stable now.

The edge to edge measurements are also fine; just a bit under 2.60m.

[Astrokev]

I have to say Chris that I'm seriously impressed with your work so far. A huge well done.

So much so, in fact, that I'm beginning to consider rethinking the approach I'd planned to use for my foundations. I was intending making a small wall similar to Malc-c's build, but now wonder whether something similiar to you may be more effective or less work overall.

Looking forward to seeing the support beams go down.

Kev

[yesyes]

Thanks Kev. Looking forward to seeing your build progressing as well.

I have to say that, under different circumstances, I would not have made so much effort with the foundations. The way I built them is a result of a few "issues" with my site. The main problem is that tree stump. I had to make sure that the bottom of the floor joists is above the stump. Then I had so many stones left from removing that wall. My garden has very limited access and a skip it absolutely out of the question. So I was looking for ways to use/hide them around the garden. A lot of them have been used for the path (seen in my planning thread), some are in the shed base. The rest will go under the observatory under the warm room.

I didn't really want to build a whole wall around it as a foundation, mainly because there would be much less ventilation.

[ASIGN_Baz]

Foundations are without a doubt, THE MOST IMPORTANT part of building. Get them right, the rest of the build will flow. Get it wrong, you will have problems all the way. Looks like you are putting in the effort mate. Keep going. Watching this with interest!

Baz.

[yesyes]

Thanks Baz. That means a lot coming from you. ;-)

I'm watching your amazing build as well. You're doing a brilliant job.

Today I'm building the pier shuttering. The pier shuttering is done already, now a bite to eat, then onto the pier base shuttering.