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Bizibilder's (New) Roll off roof Observatory build


Bizibilder

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Have to disagree somewhat. Due to the nature that the roof is mobile and not fixed to the framework the structure needs to be well braced. This is the mistake people make when purchasing a commercial shed and then try and convert it. You also need to take into consideration the weather. It needs to withstand wind up to 50 mph, and take the weight of a good half a ton of snow (or more).

I'd much rather "over engineer" a build than "under engineer" one. The last thing you want to do is to have to remove cladding etc to fit more bracing at a later date as you find the structure moves in high winds !

OK will bow to the experience on these points, as I've yet to build any roll of roof observatories. I'm generally a firm believer in a 'belt and braces' approach, though there has to come a point where cost and benefit are balanced.

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Thanks all - I think that the plated screws will do. My curent Obsy is fully "stainless" in the screw department and this is probably overkill (and expensive!). I may well add some diagonal bracing as well.

One thing I intended to do (but it's not on my model) is to put four short 45° braces in the top corners to try and resist any twisting of the whole structure (twist in "plan view" - if that makes sense! - the bottoms of the walls will be bolted down, hopefully using the holes already there for the tin shed).

Glad to say the roof rubber, cladding nails and new drill arrived today!

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Good luck with the build from me too...

One piece of advice regarding screws. The best suggestion I have received so far regarding my build came from a friend who suggested to use Torx screws. Having used a few now on the shed and the shuttering I'm beginning to wonder why people still manufacture any other screws. Not a single slipped drill bit or stripped screw head at all. I have reused many of the screws I used for shuttering and they are still as new. Couldn't have done that with cross headed screws.

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Thanks all - I think that the plated screws will do. My curent Obsy is fully "stainless" in the screw department and this is probably overkill (and expensive!). I may well add some diagonal bracing as well.

One thing I intended to do (but it's not on my model) is to put four short 45° braces in the top corners to try and resist any twisting of the whole structure (twist in "plan view" - if that makes sense! - the bottoms of the walls will be bolted down, hopefully using the holes already there for the tin shed).

Glad to say the roof rubber, cladding nails and new drill arrived today!

4x4 timber posts and plenty of diagonal bracing in my design. I used a lot of stainless fittings but only on the outside. Inside it's a bit pointless.

Dscf1794.jpg

Dscf1790.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I went to the timber yard this morning to check up on prices and sizes and ended up putting in an order for all the timber!!

The "push" was that the "shiplap" I wanted was actually on "special offer" at 65p per Meter - too good a price to miss and it was dissapearing fast! It isn't even shiplap - its proper tongue and groove. The price was due to it being "seconds" as someone had assembled several pallets of the stuff with steel strapping and had not put the timber on the right way round, so all the pieces down one side of the pallet load had their "tongues" chipped out every half meter or so! I needed roughly 165 meters of the stuff but the offer price dropped further if you ordered over 250m - so thats what I ordered - I just need to be selective about where I cut it and the pieces I use. - 95% of it will be "perfect" anyway.

The main frames will now be 3 x 2 rather than 3 x 1 1/2 as that is all they had in stock. The floor will be 18mm OSB and the roof 12mm ply on 3 x 1 supports. The walls will be lined with 4mm ply. The ply is all exterior "shuttering" grade but will eventually be painted so it should be perfectly OK.

A large parcel of plated screws has arrived - so I should be able to get going soon..

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Sounds like you're gonna be busy over the next few weeks :)

Nice result on the timber, someone was looking after you being in the right place at the right time :) I'm just wondering where you are going to store all that timber... I had to schedule delivery as the only place was the hall way in the house.... 60 lengths of 5.4m shiplap stacked in the hall way... things were fine for the first day or so... then the wife was on my back to get it fixed in place and clear the hall way so she could get to things.....

Looking forward to seeing the build - lots of photos please

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Its all going in the garage. I intend making the frames (ie the four wall frames), along with the basic roof framework, flat on the garage floor and then assembling them outside onto the concrete base. Once they are assembled and levelled all I will have to do is clad everything "in situ". Well that's the plan....................

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I got my timber in two lots (of just over £300 each). For two reasons - storage space was one of them and I needed to stagger the cost whilst I saved up.

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I will need to cut quite a few lengths of framing to exactly the same dimension so I've spent a while making this jig. The timber will be clamped in place and the stop block also clamped. Should be good to keep every piece within +- 1mm I hope. Its just an eight foot length of chipboard with a piece of 3x2 screwed on underneath with the saw bolted to it.

post-4502-0-80409200-1374597608_thumb.jp

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Real progress today - I finally started cutting up bits of wood! The jig above has prooved its worth with 20 pieces cut to the same length - They all fit neatly and without play, between two blocks clamped to the bench. I have included a pic showing the overall height compared to the current Observatory - walls about 2" higher but also 2-3" further away from the pier (The new observatory frame will be built right to the edge of the concrete base with the cladding outside the base) - so there should be almost no difference as seen from the mount.

The jig in action:

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Lots of bits of timber all exactly the same length!

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Showing the slight increase in wall height:

post-4502-0-59464800-1374857676_thumb.jp

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Well - The "SuperGlue" that was suggested really does seem to work! I've only made a test piece so far and it seems to really do what it claims to do.

A butt joined piece with end grain glued to a piece of long grain, the long grain piece being wiped with a damp cloth first: (The timber is 75mm x 45mm or nominal 3" x 1.5")

post-4502-0-49239200-1375113086_thumb.jp

Allowed to cure for an hour (5 mins with a clamp on it, which seems essential) and then a simple test. Clamp the piece to the nearest door and stand on it!!

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I was somewhat worried at this point but it took my full near 16 stone with no problem at all.

This is the stuff:

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It reaches full strength after 24 hours. Apparently it is fully waterproof. One happy customer!! (Usual disclaimer).

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It reaches full strength after 24 hours. Apparently it is fully waterproof. One happy customer!! (Usual disclaimer).

C'mon Roger that's hardly fair - it definitely shows a mortise and tennon joint on the tube!

Good test though and glad to hear it held up.

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I was seriously impressed with it holding up under my weight! Especially with a butt joint. Standard PVA type wood glue won't do that. It does cost a bit - I bought six "tubes" online for £35 and now intend to make a screwed and glued observatory. Should last a while!

I think it may have been you Jake that put me on to this stuff? Whoever it was, thank you!

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great test, thanks. I'm now more confident about my glued joists. ;-)

I'll probably order a few more cartridges for the rest of my build. I used up almost all of my 2 just for those joists...

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First glue! After the test above I have decided to build my main frame using glued blocks at the joints of the framework. There will also be a couple of long screws angled through the joints just to be sure! I intend to make the four basic side frames in my garage and assemble them "on site", this way I can make the sides and ends as matched pairs so I can ensure they are square and identical (he said hopefully). The big yellow trug has around 50 glue blocks in it - 5m of 2 by 2 cut into little pieces :eek: !!

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I intend to do a "test to destruction" of the test joint tomorrow - should be fun!

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I intend to do a "test to destruction" of the test joint tomorrow - should be fun!

It will break, but a pint of good beer says the wood will split out along the grain rather than the glue joint! If I'm wrong the beers waiting down south, or possibly @ SGL9 ;)

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