JamesF's observatory build

[JamesF]

Oh, whilst I remember I did take a photo with the first sheet of ply down.  I have no idea how that leaf got inside.

[Gina]

My latest 3D printer uses a box made of 18mm x 2ft x 2ft hardwood plywood panels and weighs a ton!!  So yes, 18mm ply is heavy!!

[fwm891]

Looking very Tudor - black woodwork?

[Astrokev]

Yep, I don't particularly enjoy cutting and fitting large sheets of 18mm. Too much like hard work, but I'm glad I used this and not 12mm, which I was originally going to use. 

Interesting to hear of your leak James. It hasn't rained heavily here since I did my fix, so I haven't tested it out fully as yet. It's difficult to see why it wouldn't work though.

The inside of your observatory looks huge! Hope it's dry for you tomorrow.

 

Edited January 19, 2019 by Astrokev

[Alan White]

It looks huge, because it is huge Kev.
James has covered half of Somerset with it! ?

[Stub Mandrel]

18 minutes ago, Alan White said:

It looks huge, because it is huge Kev.
James has covered half of Somerset with it! ?

Perhaps we could put the clouds in it ?

[Gina]

Aw - poor James... ?

[JamesF]

I think you're being quite unfair really.  There's no way it covers more than a quarter of Somerset 

James

[Davey-T]

You'll be able to get loads of people in for the inauguration party 

Dave

[JamesF]

I had a swift trip into Taunton first thing (or as near as it gets for me) this morning to pick up a few more fittings and some more tube.  That meant I could finish off all the work under the floor of the main observatory, after which I cut the final sheet of ply for that side and dropped it into place.  It was a very snug fit, so I'm not planning on lifting it again    Having the light to work by was a real boon, so I'll be leaving that in place for the time being.

I had a swimming club committee meeting late this afternoon so that was pretty much all there was time for.

The next steps are probably to finish off the ducting under the warm room and insulate the floor.  A friend who is a builder suggested putting some ply under the insulation to discourage rodents from nibbling at it.  Not much seems to deter some rodents, but I have some 9mm ply offcuts that are sitting around doing nothing so I'll probably cut those down to size and drop them in.  I can probably do the measuring and cutting during the evenings this week and leave a pile of bits to be fitted as soon as I have time.

But for the moment, this is how it looks now.  I just placed a second block on top of a couple of the piers.  I'll probably have another 225mm or so on top of that before the adaptor plates for the mounts, which I think will mean the adaptors are a little over 800mm above the floor.

James

[Gina]

WOW!!  That's quite some barn you have there!  ?

[Davey-T]

They do proper wire mesh designed to keep out rodents in the USA, doesn't seem to be available here, perhaps the American rodents are more aggressive 

Dave

[Astrokev]

I went a different route to deter rodents. I put wire mesh around the perimeter between the foundation blocks. In my tool shed I had mice knaw through the floorboards, so 9mm ply may not be foolproof (or should that be mouseproof). Mind you, no guarantee that wire mesh will work either!

EDIT - @Davey-Tjust beat me to it!

Edited January 20, 2019 by Astrokev

[Yawning Angel]

Awesome progress James!

Mesh was today's job for me too, I used this stuff between my concrete corners. Ground clearance is such that 300mm did for the widest part and 200 mm for the rest.

[JamesF]

I did think about mesh, but decided it probably wasn't practical in this particular situation.  In a number of places I've done it before they've just burrowed under it   There are probably more tasty things for them to eat anyhow.  I'm not too worried about it really, but since I have the ply lying about doing nothing I might as well put it in.

James

[Davey-T]

Some of this, keeps out everything, bats, snakes, slugs and snails 

Dave

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Copper-Rodent-Control-Expeller-Insect/dp/B0755ZBR3M/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1548024583&sr=8-10&keywords=rodent+proof+mesh

[JamesF]

Not seen that before, but I may well have some other uses for it so I shall bear it in mind.

James

[JamesF]

I think the photos make it look bigger than it is, to be honest.  I didn't have to reduce the length of the ply sheets, but I did need to take about 100mm each off the edges of the first and last sheets, which makes the main telescope area just over 3.4m x 2.4m.  To the eaves of the roof it's about 2.1m from the floor, and about 2.7m to the ridge.

The eaves height was important, as I have an Evostar 102 that I intend to use for a PST stage 2 mod and I really wanted the roof to be able to clear that without needing to park it first, mostly because should I go down the route of automating the roof, it will be reassuring that I don't need to worry about where the telescopes are pointing if the roof needs to be closed in a hurry.

There is however a certain harmony in having an observatory big enough to be seen from space

James

[Astrokev]

51 minutes ago, Yawning Angel said:

Awesome progress James!

Mesh was today's job for me too, I used this stuff between my concrete corners. Ground clearance is such that 300mm did for the widest part and 200 mm for the rest.

That looks good stuff. Beginning to wish I'd known about that before I did mine. I guess I can always replace mine if it proves ineffective. 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Astrokev

[Gina]

Rats don't like steel wool but unfortunately not suitable for outdoors as it rusts.  Kept the beggars out of my kitchen successfully though - at least so far.  Reinforced concrete is no barrier I found!!

[spillage]

13 hours ago, JamesF said:

I think you're being quite unfair really.  There's no way it covers more than a quarter of Somerset 

Well I am about the same distance from Taunton (East) as you and I can see it from my back garden.  

[Swoop1]

Having seen the recent images, I now know where James got his inspiration from-

 

Photo courtesy of NASA ?

[Alan White]

If Astro ever looses its charm, Medieval themed banquets can be held, fed by the brewerey next door, sorted ?

[Paul73]

I man can never never have too many sheds!!

[Alan White]

23 minutes ago, Paul73 said:

I man can never never have too many sheds!!

Indeed, but he can have too few.