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Astrokev's ROR - The Build


Astrokev

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The Moon looked very tempting last night, so I decided to set up my scopes. This meant emptying the scope room of tools and general debris, as I could hardly get in it, and putting the NEQ6 back on the pier. Fortunately, the warm room makes an excellent store area ?.

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So, after finishing the lining out this morning, I eventually made it to the DIY emporium and picked up a few lengths of timber to frame the window. Didn't have time to finish it though - I really don't know where the afternoon went today - so I'll finish the window off tomorrow, then it's time to start on the internal door.

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Well, I now have a window :).

Next job is to make the door between the two rooms...... or, start to design fitting ventilation vents in the warm room...… or, paint the pier..... or put some carpet tiles down in the warm room. The list is thankfully getting a bit smaller at long last :) 

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Was out in the observatory last night, enjoying a wobbly Moon. Idiot me only goes and drops an eyepiece on the ply floor. This suggests a change of priority and maybe I should push the foam tiled floor up the list!

The risks of an operational, but unfinished, observatory ?

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10 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

Was out in the observatory last night, enjoying a wobbly Moon. Idiot me only goes and drops an eyepiece on the ply floor. This suggests a change of priority and maybe I should push the foam tiled floor up the list!

The risks of an operational, but unfinished, observatory ?

I used this:

https://www.floormats.co.uk/interlocking-rubber-flooring-tiles

it is expensive...but then my obsy is small. 

However, its also much better than the kind of tiles you linked previously as those tend to be more foam than rubber and are not very hardy. 

I dropped my coma corrector on it and it just bounced with no damage. 

Adam 

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6 hours ago, Adam J said:

it is expensive...but then my obsy is small. 

However, its also much better than the kind of tiles you linked previously as those tend to be more foam than rubber and are not very hardy. 

Hi Adam, i also looked at some good quality matts but in the end I got some of the cheaper foam/rubber ones you mention off fleabay and to be honest I have been in and out of my obsy countless times and they show zero sign of wear so I'm glad i didn't spend that extra now, plus my scope area is 8'x8' so would of needed a small mortgage lol ?

Edited by LeeRich
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They do look very nice, but I reckon to use them in my observatory would be well on the way to £600.  I could get someone in to carpet it for less than that! :D

For the time being I think I've probably got to go with the same sort of tiles as Kev, and if in a few years I decide they're not up to the job then perhaps I'll bite the bullet at that point.

James

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Buying tiles is the next of the seemingly endless purchases I need to make. Haven't finalised which supplier to use yet - one of the many vendors on EB I suspect. Maybe I can do that tonight. Lovely clear night tonight, but the Moon is so close to full that I can't be bothered to set stuff up.

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The cheaper tiles have been down in my observatory for 7 years and no sign of wear.  Only small problem is the expansion in warm weather - needs half an inch or more gap round the edge in winter to stop them humping up in the summer.

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28 minutes ago, Gina said:

The cheaper tiles have been down in my observatory for 7 years and no sign of wear.  Only small problem is the expansion in warm weather - needs half an inch or more gap round the edge in winter to stop them humping up in the summer.

As mentioned in a previous post, I've left a gap under the wall panels to allow me to lift the floor panels in the future should I need to do this.  I can use this "hidden"  area underneath the wall panels as an expansion zone ?

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Foam floor tiles ordered :)

I need to paint the pier before I lay them though. It's warm enough this week for painting, so hope to do this in the next few days. I also ought to buy, cut and fit the internal door frame, as I'll probably have to fit the tiles around this.

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Lovely, warm and sunny this afternoon and it was a joy to potter about in the observatory.

I put up the door lining between the warm and scope rooms. Once I'd finished making sawdust I finally sprayed the pier. I could've left it as it was but, if I'm honest, red oxide isn't my favourite finish. It's now a pleasant shade of slate grey :)

I also started to make the door, which I could do in the garden so as not to contaminate the fresh lick of paint with more sawdust. Both sides are cut from 9mm ply. I didn't have enough studding to make the inner supporting frame, so this is a job for tomorrow. While I'm out buying wood, I may also get some paint for the walls to co-ordinate with the pier. Again, I could leave the walls as they are, but I'd rather give them at least a single coat to help protect them from damp and dew, especially the end grain along the top edges. Once the walls are painted I'll put the foam tiles down, which arrived yesterday.

Starting to come together.

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Glorious day today, with not a cloud in the sky. Boring chores all morning in the house, but this afternoon I cut out the door frame for the hinges in the sunshine in a T-shirt and was actually sweating! What's going on with the weather ?.

So, here're a few pics of today's progress. I made the door with smaller studding than the outer door, which meant I could actually lift the thing, which was a bonus!

Once the hinges were on, I offered it up to the frame and checked for fit. Seems pretty good, so next job is to cut out the door liner for the hinges. I've bought the same door furniture as the outer door which is possibly overkill, but provides a second layer of security should anyone get through the outer door.

Inspired by @JamesF here's the list of remaining jobs -

- Fit internal door & architrave

- Fit door furniture

- Paint scope room walls (blue) and warm room walls (? but not blue)

- Lay foam tiles in scope room

- Lay carpet tiles in warm room

- Make & fit shelving

- Make & fit desk / cupboards of some sort

- Fit electrics

- Do anything else I've forgotten

 

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1 hour ago, JamesF said:

Ah, see, you can't beat a list :D

Looks good though.  Getting very near to finishing now.

James

Thankfully, yes. 

All my other projects and jobs have been well on-hold for far too long now (all residing patiently in a list!). 

 

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Didn't have much time today due to regular Monday toddler sitting duty ?, but I did manage a few minutes to screw the cable conduit to the pier and to refit the flooring. The gap around the pier is only about 1cm, so not big enough to lose anything important down there, but I'll still put something in the gap. Not sure whether to use left over rock-wool, or maybe some offcuts from the foam tiles.

 

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1 hour ago, Astrokev said:

The gap around the pier is only about 1cm, so not big enough to lose anything important down there,

Only after you drop that one little screw down there, you realise how important it was. ?

I'd also avoid rockwool in that gap. It's itchy and generates dust when handled.

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