the yesyes observatory - the build

[yesyes]

Today I built the frame and added some height to the building.

I used a bracket that is for attaching table legs to secure the uprights from the inside.

I also managed to get one floor joist in. These joist hangers are not as easy to use as I thought...

[yesyes]

lots more pictures of the whole build in my Picasa album here:

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

[Astrokev]

Superb.

[dmahon]

I'd put a weed membrane down before you put all the joists in. Cheap and stops stuff sprouting - just have to cut a hole in it for that huge stump (have you treated it to stop it re growing).

[Tinker1947]

Stopping weeds growing under the floor space, i would bung a couple of bags of rock salt down there 25Kg per bag and will kill every thing the tree stump drill into it with long ½ auger bit and get some Stump Tree Killer, pour it in neat this will stop and fungus type spawns forming as the sap comes to the surface.....

[yesyes]

The tree stump has been poisoned, so that should be fine...

I read your posts too late, now the joists are in. I wouldn't put salt under the obsy. We have a cat who will no doubt spend time under there and there are also many neighbour's cats.

I'm not too worried about weed growing under the obsy, it's too dark there for anything to grow. I might pour some weed killer around the edges though.

[yesyes]

I got quite a lot done today. I've been putting the floor joists and noggins together.

I've also screwed the frame to the strapping

[fwm891]

That's looking really good Chris. The internal brackets and the joist hangers seem a good choice - hope it stays fine for the rest of the build

[dmahon]

Like it all - except the way you've hung the noggins next to the pier with th 90 degree metal fasteners. Wouldn't matter, but you've then hung a joist off them. For the sake of another 4 jiffy hangers I'd have put them in instead.

Still, looks like it's massively over engineered as per the usual forum builds (as I hope will mine be) so it will have no adverse effect whatsoever.

[yesyes]

Yes, I was thinking about that. I was out of joist hangers. I have just ordered another 10 and will do this properly.

[Astrokev]

Hey Chris I'm sure you've listed this somewhere, but what size joists are you using? Cheers

[yesyes]

All floor joists are 6x2". The frame around is made of 2 6x22 glued and screwed together.

[yesyes]

Is it a big problem if the timber is getting wet in the rain at this stage? I have a big tarp but that is covering the OSB sheets at the moment...

[tony]

Is it a big problem if the timber is getting wet in the rain at this stage? I have a big tarp but that is covering the OSB sheets at the moment...

better to keep the osb dry, your timbers will be fine if they're tanalised.

[yesyes]

that's what I thought the priority should be.

Though I'm a bit worried about the endgrains of the noggins. I did not treat the cuts. In hindsight I should have... Or does the tanalising go all the way into the timber?

All the timber is tanalised, so is the OSB, they say. The called it OSB3.

[Astrokev]

I'd keep the OSB as far from the rain as possible, regardless of what grade they say it is! I would have thought that timber should be fine so long as it fully dries out.

[Astrokev]

All floor joists are 6x2". The frame around is made of 2 6x22 glued and screwed together.

Thanks Chris. I thought they were, but some of your photos made them look smaller, so I thought I'd check - obviously a trick of the light!

[yesyes]

It's hard to get a sense of scale as most of the images are taken downwards showing some detail.

It's not the joists that are small, it's the building that is so big.

It's a bit on the large side with 5.00m x 2.60m (16.5 x 8.5 foot) outer dimensions.

[Astrokev]

Yep, much bigger than what I'm proposing for mine. Haven't done anything since we got back from holiday and I'm now up to my eyes in decorating, so the planning has taken a back-seat at the moment

[yesyes]

I would normally have built it a bit smaller but like this it uses all the available space. It didn't make sense to leave any space as it would not have been enough for anything else, so I might as well use all of it.

Also, the warm room will double as my electronics tinkering workshop, so it's good to have this a bit bigger.

[yesyes]

Like it all - except the way you've hung the noggins next to the pier with th 90 degree metal fasteners. Wouldn't matter, but you've then hung a joist off them. For the sake of another 4 jiffy hangers I'd have put them in instead.

Better? Better! ;-)

[Astrokev]

Nice

[Earl]

Looking great Chris

[dmahon]

Much better

[yesyes]

Thanks for the suggestion, dmahon