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And finally..... my obs starts

Helen

By Helen
in DIY Astronomer

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Helen

Helen

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Well the slab is now finished :D

3377_normal.jpeg

(click to enlarge)

The shed man came to measure up today - and has gone away to have a think about the best way to build it, and cost it for me. He reckons lead time of a week or so.

I think I've sorted out all the trigonometry to work out pier height etc (that's been fun!), but am reconciled to having to lose a bit of my (not brilliant) southern horizon to ensure clearance for the scope (the roof has to roll roughly north-south unfortunately). I think I've got a local fabricator for the pier :D and again one with a relatively short lead time!

So quite good progress... maybe finished externally within a couple of weeks :lol:

Helen

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Stardust

Stardust

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coming along pretty quikly.

It is bliss indeed to wander out and be observing in a few mins.

I've just had a 3 hour stint and the best skies for ages and my first view of saturn this time around.

Keep us posted with progress

DAve

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Helen

Helen

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Thanks guys! Can't wait to get it up and running now - particularly for those short spells between clouds. My back can't wait (that NS8 is so close to my maximum lifting ability :shock:). And Mike is looking forward to reclaiming parts of the house currently full of telescopes!!

Off to discuss the pier construction tomorrow :D

Glad you had a good night Dave! (pictures of your obs have gone with the shed man today :salute: )

Helen

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barkis

barkis

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It's starting to shape up now Helen, and in a very professional way too.

You are really going to bless the day you decided to do this, you are going to love it to bits.

You need a nice piece of carpet around the pier, dont be standing on the paving unless you have a pair of moon boots on. :D

Looking forward to the progress in pictures.

Ron. :D

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Helen

Helen

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Thanks Ron. The plan is to put the floor bearers in a square around the 3x3 concrete, but then cut the floor to leave just a 1.5x1.5 hole. Given the floor height will be 4 inches that should minimise the risk of me falling in the hole :shock: but without allowing the floor to touch the base (I hope!!). I'm glad the ground work is finished though - the weather here is absolutely awful today, and they're forecasting snow for us from tonight onwards (and we live on top of a hill which is quite often above the snow line!)

Helen

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Helen

Helen

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An amazing thing just happened! I went to a local engineering shop to discuss my pier and the guy said 'my Dad's into all that, and he's building himself one of those roll off roof sheds' :shock: :shock: It also turns out he lives about half a mile from me!! So he's going to discuss the spec with his Dad before pricing it, and he's given me his Dad's number so that we can compare notes!

Great stuff :D

Helen

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centroid

centroid

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Well, there's 'a turn up for the book Helen', which could prove a very useful contact indeed.

At least he will understand exactly what you are trying to acheive..

BTW, the spacing between my pier, and the obs floor is about 3/4", and in this gap is foam 'pipe wrap, which seals the gap nicely against mice, and transmits no vibration from floor to pier..

You'll see a picture of it on my web-site.

Dave

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Helen

Helen

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Short progress report:

The shed is specced and will be built next Wed at the workshop for me to go and check over before it arrives for assembly on Thursday :D

I managed to pick up an off-cut of steel for the pier from a local supplier - its 200mm square by 8mm - and the pier fabricator has found some 16mm steel for the bottom and top plates. So that and the pier concrete base mean it'll bomb proof I reckon :shock: and certainly stronger than anything in our wimpy house :D

Just hope the weather is good at the end of next week as I may be doing the shingle roof myself :shock:

Helen (who's now going through the panic of 'have I got my measurements right')

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Helen

Helen

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Its about to happen..... :D

The pier is nearly finished - boy is it solid :shock: and I'm going to the shed workshop tomorrow to see the shed roll-off being tested. All on site on Thursday hopefully :D so that explains the weather going off from Thursday!!

Watch this space.....

Helen

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HDJ

HDJ

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The only thing missing is a nice patheay to your Obs, so in the winter months you don't walk dirt into the Obs and muddy up your grass :D

Maybe a summer add-on project there.. heh

Looking forward to seeing the shed.

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Helen

Helen

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Thanks guys. Yes, Phil, in front of the shed will be landscaped with gravel and some path slabs. And the side of the shed will have some trellis on it too :D

Off to see how the build is going now... :D

Helen

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Helen

Helen

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Some more progress, but not enough :lol:

The pier is fabricated :wink:

3760_normal.jpeg

(click to enlarge)

Large leveling bolts :shock:

3761_normal.jpeg

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Its being delivered later today!

I now need to work out how to paint it :D (subject of another thread I think!)

The shed is being constructed, but won't be ready in time for on site today :laugh: - so they are coming on Monday instead.

Here's progress though..

The front:

3762_normal.jpeg

(click to enlarge)

Inside - the back wall will hinge down as that faces my southern horizon :D

3763_normal.jpeg

(click to enlarge)

They are still working on the rolling mechanism and roof stability.

I'm like a kid waiting for a new toy!!

Helen

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Helen

Helen

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Inside - the back wall will hinge down as that faces my southern horizon

The whole south facing wall will hinge down? WOW! Cool...

No, not the whole thing Steve :shock: just the top bit above the window! its about 4 foot 6 (which is more than low enough given the back fence and some trees). I wasn't going to do it at this point (was going to wait and see how it went), but a slight problem with the measurement for the slab (6 inches out :shock:) and the fact the back wall would be higher anyway meant I was afraid I'd lose huge amounts of south :lol: so I thought best to do it now :D. It is actually really easy to do if you make it lower than the other walls, as that way it can just bolt back to the rigid frame.

I might pop across to the workshop later to see how its doing... :D

Helen

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centroid

centroid

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No, not the whole thing Steve :shock: just the top bit above the window! its about 4 foot 6 (which is more than low enough given the back

I might pop across to the workshop later to see how its doing... :lol:

Do I sense that your are getting a bit excited now Helen, just like a child who can't wait for Christmas day to come :D

Its been a while for it all to come together, but its almost in your back garden now. :laugh:

I had to laugh when I looked at the picture of the wedge/pier. In the background is a metal cupboard, and on it is written "DRILL CUPBOARD KEEP CLEAR", yet its 'boxed in' by what looks like a length of 'H' iron girder and all sorts of junk. :D

Roll on Monday then 8)

Dave

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Helen

Helen

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:laugh: Thanks guys! :wink:

The pier is now on site!

3782_normal.jpeg

(click to enlarge)

and the shed is in the workshop in pieces ready for delivery and erection on Monday :lol:

The shed will probably be treated with a light colour (warm oak or similar) Ron, but I'm undecided on the pier colour yet :D Probably black, but maybe blue, or I saw a rather nice copper colour... :D The pier guy actually gave me a couple of tins of black spray paint - but its too cold to use at the moment. Anyone know of a paint treatment that will work in the cold!! I'm tempted to just rub it down, and wait for the weather to warm up before painting it! I'm assuming that if I use a brush rather than spray then I can paint it in situ (having removed the scope of course!), because having to move it would be very difficult because its so heavy...

Helen

PS perhaps I'll hold an 'open shed' evening once its finished! friends welcome :lol:

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