Astrokev's ROR - The Build

[Gina]

I used ordinary galvanised shed door hinges.

[Alan White]

Nice woodwork Kev, wish I was as capable.
My woodwork teacher at school suggested I should be kept from things wooden.

 

[Astrokev]

4 hours ago, RayD said:

Looking really good, Kev.  That door looks familiar ?

I used these hinges on mine and they have worked a treat.  Not cheap, but in the scheme of things..........

Agree with all of the above re. security.  I have a very good 7 lever lock on mine, a sensor connected to the main house alarm and internal and external CCTV.  In the warm room, under the rubber flooring I have a large pressure mat which arms when the roof is open (providing I'm not in there of course) and does the alarm and lights etc. if it goes off.  From the outside it looks pretty 'sheddy' so not glaringly containing expensive stuff.

You really are doing a super job, bravo Sir!

Thanks Ray for your kind words!

And yes, thanks also for your door design which I am happy to admit I blatantly pinched!  I think I made a reference to your design a few pages back!

Your security measures are certainly extensive. I'm not sure I'll go as far as copying your ideas on these though!

Thanks loads for the hinges link; I'll take a look. They certainly look the business in your thread pics. 

[Astrokev]

3 hours ago, Alan White said:

Nice woodwork Kev, wish I was as capable.
My woodwork teacher at school suggested I should be kept from things wooden.

 

Thanks Alan, that's very kind of you. 

Getting impatient with it now though; I'll be glad when it's finished and I can start using it!

[Astrokev]

Change of plan today. The weather is definitely warming up - it was 14/15 in the garden this afternoon, and the forecast for tomorrow is similar so, tempting fate, I'm considering sticking the EPDM down tomorrow! To give this a bit more chance of success, this evening I bought an inexpensive fan heater. I'll put this in the observatory first thing in the morning. If it only raises the temp by a few degrees it may make all the difference.

To make life easier later on, I thought it would be helpful to have the roof cladding painted before the EPDM is stuck down, so todays job was to do just that, and I postponed work on the door, apart from giving the outer frame another coat of preserver.

All was going well until nearing completion when I tripped whilst holding a full tin of paint.  The learning from today was that you have to scrub pretty hard to get Cuprinol Garden Shades paint off your face!

No picture of the roof (I'll post one tomorrow), but here's the damage to my favourite outdoor work jacket ? 

[Gina]

Well, you've well and truly christened that jacket Kev!!

[Astrokev]

Hmmm, well the weather isn't as bright as suggested by yesterdays forecast, so looking doubtful that I'll manage to get the rubber stuck down today after all ?

The fan heater is working a treat and after only 20 minutes, even with all the gaps and lack of a door, the temperature inside the scope room is already over 20 degrees. I'm hoping the heat will slowly penetrate the OSB and warm the rubber to make it more malleable. The problem is with the sky. The air is quite damp and todays forecast gives a possible shower around midday, so there's no way I want to start this morning with that threat looming. So, think I'll wait till lunch time and make a decision.

At least this is proving to be a good test of being able to heat the observatory and roof. If successful, I'll just need to wait for a guaranteed dry spell.

[Gina]

Tipping it down here but it's only supposed to be showers so hoping it will stop soon - want to do some shopping.

[Yawning Angel]

I've not worked with EPDM, but would warm water help drop the folds and creases out, then the heater should let the glue cure?

[Dr_Ju_ju]

When its used for pond liners, the simple act of just filling the pond will 'iron-out' any creases due to the sheer weight of the water, so maybe, in reverse(ish) hanging weights around the edge, thereby stretching the material should also remove any creases.... 

[Astrokev]

3 hours ago, Yawning Angel said:

I've not worked with EPDM, but would warm water help drop the folds and creases out, then the heater should let the glue cure?

Heat is not needed to cure the adhesive; it's only to improve the flexibility of the rubber, to hopefully get rid of folds and creases. Warm water would probably work, but then I've got to get rid of the water ?

[Astrokev]

45 minutes ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

When its used for pond liners, the simple act of just filling the pond will 'iron-out' any creases due to the sheer weight of the water, so maybe, in reverse(ish) hanging weights around the edge, thereby stretching the material should also remove any creases.... 

I see where you're coming from there Julian. In principle I guess this could help, but not sure it would work over the width of the roof. It would also stretch the rubber which would try and return to its original size when the weights were removed. Neat suggestion, but I think it would create more problems than it solves sadly. 

Anyways, the big news is that I decided to throw caution to the wind and went for it this afternoon. I now have EPDM stuck to the roof! ??

I'll post a few pics this evening. 

[Astrokev]

5 hours ago, Gina said:

Tipping it down here but it's only supposed to be showers so hoping it will stop soon - want to do some shopping.

Sorry to hear that Gina. My daughter in Falmouth said earlier it's stormy today down in the West Country. Hope it clears up before the weekend as me and her twin are visiting for a long weekend ?

Hope you managed to get your shopping done ?

[Gina]

Yes, there was about a half hour break around lunchtime so I took the opportunity to pop out.  It had started raining again when I got back so left most of the shopping in the car.  Got the rest in in another break mid afternoon.  Raining heavily again now.

[JamesF]

Well done on getting the EPDM on.  It's not looking great down here this week.  "Yellow warnings" for rain and wind later this week, so not much doing until the weekend at the earliest, I reckon.

James

[Gina]

Wet and windy here!

[Astrokev]

Pleased to say that I managed to get the EPDM stuck down this afternoon. Although it's technically not the most demanding of chores, or indeed the most exciting, I have to say that with the weather working increasingly against us, it feels like a huge achievement. I was beginning to wonder whether I wouldn't be able to get it down before Spring!

After the midday shower scare, I have to say that it stayed dry, although got pretty dark, before brightening up again with the sun finally showing it's face. So, all systems go!

I don't actually enjoy laying EPDM. I always feel like I'm battling with the material to try and get it absolutely flat, and today was no different. Using the fan heater inside the scope room may have helped a little. I could certainly feel the warmth coming through the roof OSB as I clambered all over it. That said, the toughest creases still didn't flatten out, and there are places where the EPDM refused to stay stuck down along the line of the worst creases. It was perhaps folded too tightly whilst it was being stored. Anyways, it's down now, so not a lot I can do about it. Overall I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

As recommended, I left a ~4" border unstuck around the edges of the OSB. I'll stick the edges and sides down with contact adhesive the next chance I get - probably Thursday. This is less dependant on the weather so shouldn't present a problem. Until then, the clamps, boards and bricks will hopefully stop the sides lifting should we have a gale.

Here are a few obligatory pictures, which also show the painted cladding. Once the rubber is fully stuck around the edges, I intend to put barge boards up, which I'm thinking of painting a different colour to the main observatory.

[Alan White]

Well after your paint mishap things are looking better.

Note you have twins, something we have in common, we have identical girls.

This observatory is looking smarter by the minute, you must be pleased with how it’s looking.

[Astrokev]

6 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Well after your paint mishap things are looking better.

Note you have twins, something we have in common, we have identical girls.

This observatory is looking smarter by the minute, you must be pleased with how it’s looking.

Yes, mine are supposed to be identical (common placenta and all that) but they're not. The younger is actually the spitting image of her non-twin elder sibling. (I have 4 altogether ?).

Yes, pleased with how the shed is coming along. Over working and over engineering most of it, but it's been a very therapeutic project! Still a bit of a way to go but feel I'm approaching the home stretch, and not before time!

Edited November 6, 2018 by Astrokev

[Gina]

Beginning to look very nice

[Astrokev]

8 hours ago, Gina said:

Beginning to look very nice

Thanks Gina ??

[Guest]

Very smart ? it looks like a professional build Kev, am sure there is still a ton of work to do but a light at the end of the tunnel  grows ever nearer. I'm finding all the smaller finishing jobs take longer then the frame work etc ? looking forward to some internals as your progress. Now there's a statement......internals lol nice one. 

[Bizibilder]

Those creases will go og their own accord after a few warm/cold cycles over winter and spring.  Looking good now!!!

[Astrokev]

2 hours ago, Bizibilder said:

Those creases will go og their own accord after a few warm/cold cycles over winter and spring.  Looking good now!!!

Thanks. Now that the roof has been rained on, and dried off, it doesn't look too bad today!

If time allows tomorrow I'll try and stick the edges down, or at lest make a start. 

[Yawning Angel]

On 06/11/2018 at 23:17, Astrokev said:

Yes, mine are supposed to be identical (common placenta and all that) but they're not. The younger is actually the spitting image of her non-twin elder sibling. (I have 4 altogether ?).

Are twins driving us all outside?! I’ve identical twin boys. Just started school ?