Ray's Observatory Build

[nightfisher]

will there be a finished clad over the Tyvek?

[RayD]

Removed

[RayD]

1 hour ago, nightfisher said:

will there be a finished clad over the Tyvek?

Yes Jules there's 18mm shiplap cladding going over it (I did say 16mm earlier, but it is actually 18mm).

[newbie alert]

Just found this thread.really interested as I'm toying with doing one myself..any updates?

[RayD]

Just now, newbie alert said:

Just found this thread.really interested as I'm toying with doing one myself..any updates?

Good stuff you'll love it.  I'm just at the point of getting the front door on so will have a secure warm room, and will be doing that today, so thread will be updated later today 

[newbie alert]

Just now, RayD said:

Good stuff you'll love it.  I'm just at the point of getting the front door on so will have a secure warm room, and will be doing that today, so thread will be updated later today 

I just realized I was only on page 1!

[RayD]

Just now, newbie alert said:

I just realized I was only on page 1!

Lol 

[newbie alert]

Great read..

[RayD]

8 hours ago, newbie alert said:

Great read..

Thanks, much appreciated 

[RayD]

Well pretty much got the door done today.  Just need to get a little bit of insulation so I can screw the OSB to the outside and put the Tyvek on ready for cladding.

I wanted to have normal hinges on the door, and also wanted it so the cladding was set flush within a trim.  You can see from the pics below how I went about it.

Hinges are really good stainless steel ones with ball bearings and covered pins, so should be pretty secure.  I've even managed to put them in the right pace 

 Top Tip of the day...... Do not accidentally put your finger tip on a very sharp electric planer when it's spinning, especially if like me you use finger print recognition on your phone and computer.  Very ouch!!!

[newbie alert]

Coming along nicely..bet you can't wait to play..especially with astro toys

[RayD]

3 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

Coming along nicely..bet you can't wait to play..especially with astro toys

Cheers.  Yes getting really excited now as it's almost secure in the warm room so will be able to start getting bits in 

[MikeP]

I have followed this thread from day 1 and I have been very impressed with the design and the quality of your work.  

I'm about a month away from being able to make a start on my observatory and so far I see no reason to do other than copy what you have done.  I particularly like the 4x4 uprights which will conceal the end grain of your shiplap.

Mike

[RayD]

42 minutes ago, MikeP said:

I have followed this thread from day 1 and I have been very impressed with the design and the quality of your work.  

I'm about a month away from being able to make a start on my observatory and so far I see no reason to do other than copy what you have done.  I particularly like the 4x4 uprights which will conceal the end grain of your shiplap.

Mike

Thanks Mike that's really kind.

The main reason for the posts was to provide a nice finish to the cladding as you've rightly spotted, but to be honest they've turned out better than I expected in making things easy to put together and nice and sturdy.  Nice thing about them is they are only fence posts so actually not expensive at all.

[RayD]

We have a door 

Got the door lock (one of) fitted, insulation in, OSB on, Tyvek on and clad the door.  To be honest it has actually come out far better than I had even hoped for, so well pleased.  Lock and latch work perfectly, and it really feels quite substantial, but super smooth on the ball bearing hinges.

Put a couple of bits of scrap cladding in just to see how it sets up against the posts, and has worked out just about ideal.

Also had the delivery of the bottom trim, so started measuring and cutting that but not finished, that's a job for the weekend.

Feel happy now both doors are locked.

[RichLD]

What a great piece of work, you must be well pleased! Thanks for sharing your build, really enjoying the thread 

[RayD]

7 minutes ago, RichLD said:

What a great piece of work, you must be well pleased! Thanks for sharing your build, really enjoying the thread 

Thanks Rich much appreciated.  Yes I'm really happy with how it's coming out.  I think you have a vision at the beginning, but of course you can only hope it comes out as you had planned, particularly as this is a first for me, and I am certainly no carpenter.

I've absolutely loved every second of the build so far, and have a little sulk when the boss calls me indoors and insists I stop working to eat.  I won't know what to do with myself when it's all done.  Oh yes, use my kit and get star gazing 

[RayD]

A little bit done today.

Got the soffit boards fitted and drilled and installed the vents.  I think these are necessary with the rubber roofing as the roof no longer becomes breathable.

Applied a couple of coats of preservative to the soffit before fitting it as the top side won't Abe accessible after it's installed.

Trimmed out the edges of the roof and cut the required size of EPDM for final fitting tomorrow.

[Davey-T]

Hi Ray, have you considered something similar to this to stop rain blowing under the door ?

Dave

http://www.screwfix.com/p/stormguard-2-part-trimline-threshold-polished-aluminium-914mm/53202

[RayD]

9 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Hi Ray, have you considered something similar to this to stop rain blowing under the door ?

Dave

http://www.screwfix.com/p/stormguard-2-part-trimline-threshold-polished-aluminium-914mm/53202

Thanks for that Dave.  Yes I knew I had to use something, and do have a water ledge in the tred, but obviously that was never going to be enough.

I like that and have to go to Screwfix (my Mecca) tomorrow, so will grab one and have a look.

Cheers 

[SonnyE]

So very nice!

Beautiful Ray! Is the pier inside? Or separate from the warm room.

Sorry, I'm a bit dense about things over where you are. Here, I would have to have screen over the soffit vents to stop hornet and meat bees (Yellow jackets) from taking up house.

[RayD]

3 hours ago, SonnyE said:

So very nice!

Beautiful Ray! Is the pier inside? Or separate from the warm room.

Sorry, I'm a bit dense about things over where you are. Here, I would have to have screen over the soffit vents to stop hornet and meat bees (Yellow jackets) from taking up house.

Thanks Sonny really appreciated.

I am having a custom pier made by a local engineering firm, and I am hoping that will be ready within the next week or so.  That will sit in the scope room, which is separate to the warm room.  I'll take some wider field shots this weekend so people can get a better perspective of how things are laid out.

It probably isn't clear in the pictures, but in the holes are plastic grilles made specifically for soffit venting, which have slots that are not wide enough for larger insects like bees and wasps to get in, so hopefully it should be fine (fingers firmly crossed).  If this transpires to be a problem in the future, then they can be pulled out as the are push fit from the front, and can have some screen mesh fitted to the back of them.

[RayD]

Well I'm now officially a EPDM convert. That stuff is great, and really easy to install.

Got the roof covering on the warm room done today, and got it trimmed out and some guttering on.  Couldn't finish the guttering as I couldn't get the down pipe outlet, but going to try to get the tomorrow.

Managed to get hold of some half decent cladding so set about getting the front wall finished.  Took a while but really happy with the result.

[RayD]

Right only a small update as I've not been able to get time to do much work on the obsy, but it is coming along a bit.

Obviously got the guttering done and got all the gravel round the outside etc. and have been frantically trying to get some decent cladding to finish it off, but it seems I was just lucky to get the decent stuff I did last time, so will be patient.

Got a couple of coats of timber preservative on which really only helps to prevent rot and boring insects etc. and then managed to get the first coat of clear satin varnish on for weather and water protection. Like the way it's kept the natural look but brought out some grain.

Most of the change has been inside the warm room where I've knocked up a bit of a workbench using the top of an old desk I had in my office, and made a couple of shelves for my 2 power supplies.

The trunking I'm using is by Univolt and not only is it really well priced, the clip in socket backs make it easy to place power points wherever you want them, and it has dividers to segregate my power and data.

I've also managed to salvage an old piece of wardrobe to make an upright for shelving, and using upside down scraps of guttering to create a gentle hanger to prevent kinking I made a little cable wardrobe, with the higher one for long cables and the lower one for the shorter ones.  I'll make the shelves for the other side when I get chance.

Saw the mount last week and that should be ready next week, so will need to start concentrating on the ROR next.

[Shibby]

Looking fantastic! (*ideas stolen*)