Astrokev's ROR - The Build

[Astrokev]

Made a start on the garden side of the roof this afternoon. Spent most of the time figuring out how to do it. I knew this would be fiddly when I designed the roof in SketchUp (see screenshot below), but thought I could figure it out. The difficulty is that to screw the horizontal beam (that will sit under the roof rail) to the vertical support timber requires me to take the structure off the roof (as I want to screw it from the inner face and not the outer face), but it's then difficult to know exactly where to drill to get it accurate. Finally managed it. Then, trying to re-attach the vertical support to the end of the roof beam without someone holding the other end of the 2.5m length of timber was also tricky. A few more hands would have been useful! Finally managed it by using wire loops hanging off the roof to temporarily support one end while I attached the other, and going up and down step ladders a gazillion times. Got there in the end but I'm sure there must be an easier way. I may rethink the approach before I do the opposite side.

Anyway, just a few pics showing the basic arrangement before I attached the horizontal beam to the vertical supports. Assuming I can get this side finished tomorrow, I'll post more pics then.

EDIT - to try and correlate the pics with the SketchUp model more clearly, I changed the design during the build and decided to put the end vertical supports on the inner side of the roof beams rather than on the outer side of the beams. The vertical supports are also much longer than shown in the model; I'll trim them to the correct length later on.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Astrokev

[Gina]

Can't remember how I did mine now but it will be in one of my observatory building threads - go back around 6 years or so...

[wimvb]

On 06/10/2018 at 11:41, Astrokev said:

If the temp gets too warm inside during the day then I may add some additional ventilation

Why not just open the roof then? That's the best and cheapest ventilation you can get. A warm day is most likely a sunny summerday anyway.

[Astrokev]

22 hours ago, Gina said:

Can't remember how I did mine now but it will be in one of my observatory building threads - go back around 6 years or so...

Thanks Gina. I know what the finished build will look like and in this sense I know what to do. I've just been struggling to know how to construct it - it's been a bit like a Chinese puzzle, trying to figure out which bit to do first!

[Astrokev]

Well, perhaps predictably, I didn't get as much done today as I'd hoped. Doing the weekly food shop this morning didn't help!

Anyways, this afternoon I managed to more or less complete the east roof gable end. This is currently drying off after a liberal coating of preservative, before I screw it into final position.

Pictures show the horizontal beam in-situ before I trimmed down the vertical supports, and shows the gap between roof-rail / wall, which is approx 1cm, and the final assembly on the grass after applying preservative. I'll attach the gable-end to the roof tomorrow, and then start playing with cladding. If it all fits without me having to trim the odd bit of timber I'll be amazed!

 

[Astrokev]

21 hours ago, wimvb said:

Why not just open the roof then? That's the best and cheapest ventilation you can get. A warm day is most likely a sunny summerday anyway.

Thanks Wim. Yes, that would make sense !

[Gina]

I like your anti-lift system Kev.  I would have done the same when I built mine if I'd thought of it!  Would have saved retrieving the roof from the fence 20 yards away and getting my neighbours to put it back on the main body of the observatory after I had repaired it.  Three strong young men did the job.

[Astrokev]

5 minutes ago, Gina said:

I like your anti-lift system Kev.  I would have done the same when I built mine if I'd thought of it!  Would have saved retrieving the roof from the fence 20 yards away and getting my neighbours to put it back on the main body of the observatory after I had repaired it.  Three strong young men did the job.

Thanks Gina. Yes I remember your "roof incident". Traumatic at the time but thankfully distant memories now I imagine.

[Gina]

Absolutely Kev.  Roof is now equipped with super-strong lockdown hasps which are engaged whenever I close the roof.  They stop the roof being blown open or closed when engaged too.  The roof runs well and just a strong breeze is enough to propel the roof on its tracks.

[Astrokev]

Yes, I still need to think of how to bolt the roof down when it's closed. For me the anti-lift system is more to keep wind, rain and some wildlife out of the obsy. In the strongest gales I would worry that this wouldn't stop the roof lifting and being damaged, so I need some lock-down mechanism. I guess I'm getting close to needing this pretty soon now so need to get thinking of what to get!

[Gina]

I'll see if I can find the latches I used.  Think I got them from Amazon.  They were like these but much heavier duty.

[Gina]

I think these were the ones.

Large Heavy Duty Over Centre Catch Toggle Clamp Latch Trailer Door Lock

Here'a a photo from my backup drive.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Gina

[Gina]

Photos of the latches on the observatory.

[Astrokev]

13 minutes ago, Gina said:

Photos of the latches on the observatory.

 

Thanks Gina, that's very helpful. I'll do a search!

[Astrokev]

I managed to complete the eastern gable-end today as hoped. Actually went better than I thought, with no further cutting of the timbers proving necessary!

Also started on the western gable-end, which is about half finished. Time tomorrow will be short as I'm on grandson-sitting duty, but I'll try and make some progress.

Here are a bunch of pictures, some in-progress shots and a few of the completed gable-end. I'll put the cladding up when I've finished the other gable-end, but before I put the main roof sheets on.

[Astrokev]

I finished the west gable timber frame this evening (sorry no pics, but looks like the east gable frame, surprisingly!). This will go up tomorrow, and if time permits I'll start cutting the cladding.

I need to get the tarps on the roof again though - Friday and Saturday don't look too favourable weather-wise ? 

[Astrokev]

The western gable-end was fitted as planned today. Bit tricky getting decent images when your head is stuck in a hedge!

Also sorted through the remaining cladding to decide which bits to use for the roof and the main door; starting to scrape the barrel a bit now I'm down to the last few lengths. Then, hatches battened down for tomorrow - strong wind and rain in the forecast (which probably means it'll be a beautiful day).

I'm off to the International Astronomy Show tomorrow, so the tarp will have to look after itself for a day.

[Alan White]

That colour looks nice Kev.
The roof is all coming together well too.
 

[Astrokev]

12 hours ago, Alan White said:

That colour looks nice Kev.
The roof is all coming together well too.
 

Thanks Alan. 

Eager to crack on, but the darned weather is holding me back for the next few days. Hoping to get the roof boards and EPDM on this week if the rain lets up. 

[Alan White]

Kev

The weather is holding many of us up now, cannot moan though its been so good for so long.
I was in the garden digging yesterday in a tee shirt and felt too warm, so cannot complain.

Digging for a long hedge to screen some lights that still shine in from next door over my observing pad.

 

[Astrokev]

11 hours ago, Alan White said:

Kev

Digging for a long hedge to screen some lights that still shine in from next door over my observing pad.

 

I hope it's a quick growing hedge! Good luck. 

[Astrokev]

Thought I'd give some thought to the next steps of the build while the rain whips around the observatory, and am suddenly struck with a little anxiety.

The roof sheets I'm using are OSB3. My design has overhanging eaves to try and give a little more protection to the gap between the roll off roof and the walls. 

This means the underside of the eaves, and the OSB3, will be exposed to the outside air. Rain cannot fall directly on the OSB, but should I be concerned with the OSB being exposed to the outside, or should I cover or paint it?

For the inside of the scope room the plan is to leave the OSB au naturel. 

Thanks

[Stargazer33]

Just found this on Jewsons website:

Tough, consistent and great value, Sterling OSB3 is a precision-engineered structural board for use in load bearing humid conditions.

• Stronger than most softwood plywood
• Can perform even when wet
• FSC certified
• Made from timber grown in the UK
• BBA approved and conforms to Eurocodes
• Simple to saw, drill, nail, plane, file or sand

So I wouldn't worry!

[Astrokev]

Well the sun finally came out today, but I was too busy, enjoying babysitting my grandson. By the time I got home I was too shattered to think about sawing wood!

Still, tomorrow looks hopeful weather wise......once I've got back from the vet with my poorly dog ?

[Gina]

No sun here today - mainly cloud with some rain.  Should be better tomorrow.