Astrokev's ROR - The Build

[Astrokev]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Looking good.
I would put a full length cover of baton or metal over that 6mm gap myself, security screws holding it on.
Don't forget to paint behind that keep and raw edge.
 

Thanks Alan. Yes, painting behind the keep is on the list. It was too cold to do it this afternoon. I've combined my replies on the 6mm issue further down the thread ? 

I'll give thought to the loo idea ?

[Yawning Angel]

Looks amazing!

The plate over the lock is called an ‘anti thrust plate’ if you want to look them up

[Astrokev]

3 hours ago, Gina said:

My thoughts were to make the observatory just a slightly tatty garden shed albeit with a strange roof.  Goes with the tatty appearance of my property generally ?

Yeah, that's a good approach!....and my observatory is currently smarter than my house due to neglect over the last several months!

[Astrokev]

3 hours ago, JamesF said:

Looks very good

Not sure about a drip bar, myself.  It will limit how far the door will open whereas at the moment you could have it wide open folded back against the wall.  I'd have thought a standard one would work if fixed all the way through the door though?  The gaps behind left by the cladding could probably be filled with some sealant to stop water running down the back.

An alternative might be to use a drip bar for a UPVC door.  They're usually quite small.

James

Thanks James. I need to research more on drip bars. I'll certainly check out ones for UPVC. The problem with size is exactly as you've suggested - the bottom "edge" of the door is about 20mm  from memory; if I can get one that fits that, happy days. But if it is higher ie. encroaches onto the cladding, it will create water traps which wouldn't be ideal. Using sealant is an option I guess but I'd rather avoid that if poss.

[Astrokev]

3 hours ago, RayD said:

I used a pretty slimline aluminium strip at the bottom of mine.  Been through a few downpours now and not let anything in. I don't have anything at the top, but it is under an overhang, so probably not going to be subject to the same battering as yours.

The gap at 6mm is a reasonable size, and I suspect a good tug with a crowbar would pop that in no time.  I'd go for the metal strip just to prevent that being an easy option.

 

Thanks Ray. The strip you've used looks ideal - is it a proper drip strip or something else that you've repurposed?

The top is less of a problem as there is some cover provided by the roof rails, but I'd just like to reduce likelihood of rain creeping behind the door. I'm not sure whether to use a weatherproof seal around the edges yet so water getting in at the top may end up running down the inside.

Regarding the gap cover, I'm torn. I agree that there's a risk that a determined person could try and jemmy the door open, using the gap to gain purchase. That said, if I put a metal strip to cover the gap, this may in itself present a solid edge that could be used to lever the door with a crowbar. So, it could be "six vs. half-dozen". I'll think the options over and try and come up with a decision. ? 

[RayD]

1 minute ago, Astrokev said:

Thanks Ray. The strip you've used looks ideal - is it a proper drip strip or something else that you've repurposed?

The top is less of a problem as there is some cover provided by the roof rails, but I'd just like to reduce likelihood of rain creeping behind the door. I'm not sure whether to use a weatherproof seal around the edges yet so water getting in at the top may end up running down the inside.

Regarding the gap cover, I'm torn. I agree that there's a risk that a determined person could try and jemmy the door open, using the gap to gain purchase. That said, if I put a metal strip to cover the gap, this may in itself present a solid edge that could be used to lever the door with a crowbar. So, it could be "six vs. half-dozen". I'll think the options over and try and come up with a decision. ? 

No problem, Kev.

Yes it's a proper drip strip.  Works a treat and as it is shallow I can open the door all the way on to the little catch.  I'll dig out where I got it and let you know.

Understood with the cover.  I don't have one, but then I have a door sensor connected to the main house alarm on the door.  I think there comes a point where you have to acknowledge that if someone really wants in, they're in!  Maybe just one of the internal shoot bolt type window locks discussed earlier in your thread sort of semi-covertly installed at the top or bottom just to prevent this being done.  Not particularly secure as such, but just that extra little bit to slow someone down if they are trying to pop the lock.

As you quite rightly say, it's tough to make a decision as how far do you go?

In any case, someone breaking in will probably just want to move in there, it looks superb 

[Astrokev]

Thanks @RayD

Checked on fleabay and found a few bars that may be slim enough, but if you do have the supplier of yours that may be helpful (but please don't put yourself out if it's not handy, it's not that important!). I ought to double check how much space I have to play with, which would help.

The shoot bolt idea is a thought.

Another point with a gap-cover. A sturdy metal cover may just serve to advertise that goodies reside within!

As for an alarm hooked up to the house alarm - well, I don't have a house alarm. But I have a dog. Perhaps I could tie a string from the door to his tail at night. That may work ?

Edited November 26, 2018 by Astrokev

[Astrokev]

5 hours ago, Yawning Angel said:

Looks amazing!

The plate over the lock is called an ‘anti thrust plate’ if you want to look them up

Thanks Alex, I'll take a look ? 

[RayD]

This is where I got mine, Kev.  If you prefer they also do them in black here, but these ones don't have the rubber strip.

I got this one specifically because it was only 17mm deep

[Moonshane]

If someone really wants to get in, they would cut a hole in the side more quickly than cut the bolt I'd suspect. Fantastic build.

[Astrokev]

1 hour ago, Moonshane said:

If someone really wants to get in, they would cut a hole in the side more quickly than cut the bolt I'd suspect. Fantastic build.

Thanks Moonshane. Yes, you're probably right there. Although the cladding is 1" thick and held in place with ring-shank nails (and damned difficult to get out as I discovered), nothing is impregnable.

[Astrokev]

6 hours ago, RayD said:

This is where I got mine, Kev.  If you prefer they also do them in black here, but these ones don't have the rubber strip.

I got this one specifically because it was only 17mm deep

Thanks Ray. I note the height of this is 38mm, excluding the rubber strip. This is really bigger than I'm looking for, but I could probably modify it to fit if I can't find something that fits the edge of the door without encroaching onto the cladding ?.

The depth is attractive though ? to reduce the risk of it hitting the wall when its opened - a good point made by James.

Life's a compromise!

Edited November 27, 2018 by Astrokev

[Alan White]

4 hours ago, Astrokev said:

Life's a compromise!

Oh my oh my, such true words indeed Kev.

[Dave]

Looking fantastic Kev. Can't wait to see it for real this afternoon. See you later.

[Astrokev]

On baby-sitting duty today so nothing done on the obsy. However, I have ordered a couple of drip bars and EPDM weather excluder which should be here this week. Finishing touches to the door  - a bit of modification may be required on the drip bar to make it fit!

On another front, bit of a blow on the cladding next to the door - literally. I foolishly left the heavy-duty lean-to wooden cover (that I've been using to keep rain out of the door opening) against my tool shed once the door went on. This blew over in a strong gust of wind yesterday and gouged a chunk out of the cladding ?. No serious damage done, and I can obviously clean up and repaint the area, but it will leave a small gouged hole. Ah well, worse things happen at sea! Another thing on the endless list of things to do.

[Stargazer33]

Kev, if you're worried about the anti-thrust plate being an advertisement for valuables inside; could you not paint it to match the door? If you use a thin steel bar then it probably wouldn't even show from a distance.

On the cladding damage, wood filler would hide the hole before you repaint. Or are you intending to 'distress' the whole obsy to camouflage it as in Gina's post!??

[Astrokev]

1 hour ago, Stargazer33 said:

Kev, if you're worried about the anti-thrust plate being an advertisement for valuables inside; could you not paint it to match the door? If you use a thin steel bar then it probably wouldn't even show from a distance.

On the cladding damage, wood filler would hide the hole before you repaint. Or are you intending to 'distress' the whole obsy to camouflage it as in Gina's post!??

Hey Bryan. I've decided to use a timber cover for the gap, and actually bought this this afternoon, 'though your suggestion makes sense. This will serve to cover the gap to reduce water ingress rather than acting as a thief deterrent.

Regarding the damage, this is actually quite small and is on the upper edge of the cladding where it curves in to slot under the piece above it, so would be difficult to effectively repair with filler. I'm not worried about it; there are enough other dents and missing bits due to knot holes etc, - I can round the edges so it should blend in quite well.

[Gina]

Ah so it's already looking like a Gina rough old shed!! ?

[Astrokev]

A while since I've posted any images, so thought I'd rectify that tonight.

After a few days of 'orrid weather, today was rather pleasant, allowing me to plod on with the build. Bought a few more bits of timber this morning to make stops for the door. These are cut to length and are drying after being doused with preserver. Not sure when these will go up; there's no great rush, and I'm mainly now trying to crack on with the floor to allow me to get the scope set up within the next few weeks, so I can image comet Wirtanen. Well, that's the plan anyway.

So, to that end, this afternoon I finished putting wire mesh around the edges, to block the gaps between the foundation blocks to keep wildlife out. Then put down weed control membrane. Not sure whether I needed to do this or not, but I've seen other builders use it so I thought why not. If nothing more, it makes the under floor space (that no one will ever see) nice and tidy!

Before packing up, I put a couple of coats of paint on the hole behind the door keep, partly to help keep rain out of the timber, but mainly because I'm geeky like that, and it would niggle me knowing that there was bare wood lurking behind the nice shiny keep!

Just about to order ply boarding for the floor. Quite excited that this will soon be down - hopefully ? .

So, here are a collection of pics. There seems to be an inverse relationship between the inside and outside. As the inside gets neater and tidier, the outside continues to descend into a bombsite.

 

[Guest]

Looking fabulous Kev. Been waiting for a pic update ? 

[Gina]

After 7 years there's nothing growing under my observatory.  I know because i have a small hatch in the floor to get at the sump pump that removes water that collects underneath in heavy rain.

[Astrokev]

4 minutes ago, LeeRich said:

Looking fabulous Kev. Been waiting for a pic update ? 

Thanks Lee. Yes, a friend mentioned to me last night that they were looking forward to seeing more pics but, to be honest, I haven't done much in the last week worth photographing!

[JamesF]

8 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

So, here are a collection of pics. There seems to be an inverse relationship between the inside and outside. As the inside gets neater and tidier, the outside continues to descend into a bombsite.

This is just entropy at work.  Entropy (that is, disorder) always increases.  So as you tidy up the inside, outside must become at least as untidy, otherwise all of physics as we know it disappears up its own black hole.

James

[Astrokev]

4 minutes ago, Gina said:

After 7 years there's nothing growing under my observatory.  I know because i have a small hatch in the floor to get at the sump pump that removes water that collects underneath in heavy rain.

Yes, I'm sure it would have been fine, but it was easy and inexpensive to do so won't do any harm ? .

By the sound of it, in your obsy, perhaps any seedlings drown before they can flourish ?

[Astrokev]

1 minute ago, JamesF said:

This is just entropy at work.  Entropy (that is, disorder) always increases.  So as you tidy up the inside, outside must become at least as untidy, otherwise all of physics as we know it disappears up its own black hole.

James

Ah yes, the law of thermodynamics. Hadn't thought of it in that way. Excellent.