JamesF's observatory build

[JamesF]

1 hour ago, Astrokev said:

Looking great James. 

I know what you mean being nervous about measuring and cutting the EPDM! I did the same and bought 1 piece to cover both rooms. 

Did you use contact adhesive round the edges, as they recommend, or just the water based adhesive?

Yes, I used the water-based stuff (it reminds me of Copydex :) for the centre and the contact adhesive around the edges (at least, the edges I actually got time to do).  I'll use the contact stuff for the remaining top and bottom parts too, and any little bits I have to fill in with offcuts to keep it water-tight.  I don't like the waste, but I'm tempted to get half a dozen rollers/brushes for the adhesives that I can just bin after each use because they're horrible to clean.

James

[Astrokev]

55 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Yes, I used the water-based stuff (it reminds me of Copydex for the centre and the contact adhesive around the edges (at least, the edges I actually got time to do).  I'll use the contact stuff for the remaining top and bottom parts too, and any little bits I have to fill in with offcuts to keep it water-tight.  I don't like the waste, but I'm tempted to get half a dozen rollers/brushes for the adhesives that I can just bin after each use because they're horrible to clean.

James

Ah that's good!

Yes, the contact adhesive is 'orrid. I've just thrown the brushes away at the end of each stage. Not looking forward to using it on the main roof but it does a pretty good job of fixing the edges. That said, I may still use battens, or similar, around some of the edges where I think there's a risk of it coming loose with time.

[JamesF]

6 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

Ah that's good!

Yes, the contact adhesive is 'orrid. I've just thrown the brushes away at the end of each stage. Not looking forward to using it on the main roof but it does a pretty good job of fixing the edges. That said, I may still use battens, or similar, around some of the edges where I think there's a risk of it coming loose with time.

I think that makes a great deal of sense.  Belt and braces, as it were.  On my warm room roof the sides are caught under the roof rails, but my plan is to trap the top edge and "sides of the sides" under the wall covering on the internal wall and to catch the bottom edge with a barge board or something similar on the ends of the warm room roof rafters.  I'll try to do the same sort of thing with the rolling roof.

James

[Astrokev]

7 minutes ago, JamesF said:

I think that makes a great deal of sense.  Belt and braces, as it were.  On my warm room roof the sides are caught under the roof rails, but my plan is to trap the top edge and "sides of the sides" under the wall covering on the internal wall and to catch the bottom edge with a barge board or something similar on the ends of the warm room roof rafters.  I'll try to do the same sort of thing with the rolling roof.

James

Sounds good. I will definitely be putting barge boards on the west and east sloping ends of the ROR. I haven't decided how to finish the south and north ends yet - options are to wrap the EPDM right round the edge of the roof and secure with a batten underneath, secure it along the edge with a batten or roof tacks - or maybe just leave it if it looks secure enough with just the adhesive, but I suspect I'll need something. Need  to think that bit through some more - probably on the fly.

Edited October 21, 2018 by Astrokev

[JamesF]

And as it happens, the roof is being "christened" as I write.  The forecast claims a 10% chance of rain and that 10% chance has come through in the form of a heavy drizzle.  I just had to nip out in the dark and cover over the ply for the flooring.  Fortunately I had some plastic sheeting to cover it already organised.  It just slipped my mind when I tidied up at the end of the day.

James

[Astrokev]

2 minutes ago, JamesF said:

And as it happens, the roof is being "christened" as I write.  The forecast claims a 10% chance of rain and that 10% chance has come through in the form of a heavy drizzle.  I just had to nip out in the dark and cover over the ply for the flooring.  Fortunately I had some plastic sheeting to cover it already organised.  It just slipped my mind when I tidied up at the end of the day.

James

Good ol' weather forecast strikes again! It always amazes me that the 10% chances around these parts seem to happen on >50% of the occasions they're predicted! Perhaps I should start  to do the lottery... 

[Astrokev]

…. and I've just taken the dog out in the garden, and guess what ?. The ground is soaking wet so we've obviously had a shower this evening. My BBC weather app forecasts a 13% chance up until 11, dropping to 1% at midnight. I knew I should've left the tarp on. Grrrr!

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Forget the Beeb, use https://www.metcheck.com I find the site much more accurate....

[Gina]

I used all water based adhesive on my rubber roofing, fastening the edges up under the timber with either strips of wood or just roofing tacks.  It's survived 7 years with no problem.

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Forget the Beeb, use https://www.metcheck.com I find the site much more accurate....

I use this and it's rarely wrong ?

[iapa]

On 13/06/2018 at 23:30, JamesF said:

Yes, I'm a bit nervous about the slits in the end faces of the blocks.  Not sure why they're there when used for their intended purpose.  A little experimentation is required.  If someone else has managed it though, I'm sure I can work it out.

James

It’s for bed joint reinforcement - a grid of steel wire that strengthens the wall.

[JamesF]

1 minute ago, iapa said:

It’s for bed joint reinforcement - a grid of steel wire that strengthens the wall.

Ah, right.  I can see how that would work.

James

[iapa]

On 13/10/2018 at 12:27, Gina said:

Rain has stopped and we've even got some sunshine though still plenty of clouds about.  Wind has eased off a lot to just a strong breeze.  No damage from this last storm thank goodness.

Speak for your self   last year's 5 Sisters Obsy is no more, gone to meet it's maker (although I've not seen it :)) - read missing- main reason I am reading this thread LOL.

[iapa]

On 13/10/2018 at 14:59, JamesF said:

By chance I just caught child number one in his wellies as he came in from feeding the chickens.  Overruling his protestations that he wasn't strong enough to help I press-ganged him into assisting me to lift the roof into position.  As things turned out it took less than ten minutes, resting one end of the roof on the walls, then "wiggling" it up to the point where the first set of wheels would drop onto the rails at which point it was just a question of lifting the other end horizontal and rolling it along until the second set of wheels was on the rails.

Standing inside it now feels like a huge space.  The total height of the walls including the sides of the roof must be about 2.2m.  The positive side to this is of course that I'm very unlikely to have a telescope that will need moving out of the way before the roof can be closed.

James

serious stuff

well impressed on progress

[iapa]

59 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Ah, right.  I can see how that would work.

James

Not something that I knew - I asked our youngest daughter (Charted Civil Engineer - figured that if any one knew it would be her :))

 

[iapa]

Where is this project sitting costwise?

I need a rebuild, and this looks like it gove the the option to "sneak" in a couple of extra pier bases  Not going to change putting piers and mounts in just yet - financial controller is not that daft ?

[JamesF]

3 minutes ago, iapa said:

Where is this project sitting costwise?

I really must work that out.  Or maybe I daren't

From a quick trawl through my invoices from the builders' merchant so far, I'd estimate that I've spent around £1,500 to get this far (including all the EPDM for the roof which is probably about 25% of that, and the roof rails etc.), though that won't include stuff like screws, welding wire and so on that I had anyhow.  The only other major expenses still remaining that spring to mind immediately are the cladding, and the armoured cable to get power to the building.

There are a lot of decisions to be made yet, but if it all comes in at less than £2,500 I shall be happy enough.  I knew making it big enough for three piers would increase the cost quite a bit, as would making it sufficiently tall that I didn't need to park scopes to close the roof.

James

[Astrokev]

10 minutes ago, JamesF said:

I really must work that out.  Or maybe I daren't

From a quick trawl through my invoices from the builders' merchant so far, I'd estimate that I've spent around £1,500 to get this far (including all the EPDM for the roof which is probably about 25% of that, and the roof rails etc.), though that won't include stuff like screws, welding wire and so on that I had anyhow.  The only other major expenses still remaining that spring to mind immediately are the cladding, and the armoured cable to get power to the building.

There are a lot of decisions to be made yet, but if it all comes in at less than £2,500 I shall be happy enough.  I knew making it big enough for three piers would increase the cost quite a bit, as would making it sufficiently tall that I didn't need to park scopes to close the roof.

James

Interesting James. I'm just at the £2,500 point, but that includes absolutely everything. Surprisingly (to me at any rate) is that the ironmongery - screws, nails, brackets and the like - is currently 11% of the total. The cladding came in at 16%.

[Swoop1]

On 21/10/2018 at 22:28, JamesF said:

I think that makes a great deal of sense.  Belt and braces, as it were.  On my warm room roof the sides are caught under the roof rails, but my plan is to trap the top edge and "sides of the sides" under the wall covering on the internal wall and to catch the bottom edge with a barge board or something similar on the ends of the warm room roof rafters.  I'll try to do the same sort of thing with the rolling roof.

James

I'm trying to picture what you mean here James. Do you mean fold the EPDM back around the edge of the roof and onto the walls, then clad over the top to hold it in place? If so, might there be a risk of water 'flowing' along the EPDM and getting behind the cladding?

[JamesF]

22 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

I'm trying to picture what you mean here James. Do you mean fold the EPDM back around the edge of the roof and onto the walls, then clad over the top to hold it in place? If so, might there be a risk of water 'flowing' along the EPDM and getting behind the cladding?

Probably fixing it with a batten on the underside of the eaves.

James

[Swoop1]

Makes lots of sense.

 

[JamesF]

Ooooh, but it's cold out there today.  Mostly due to our more common wet and warm south-westerly winds switching around to the north and dragging air down from the Arctic by the looks of it.  Out of the wind it's probably not that bad, but we have absolutely no shelter from that direction.  I've just come inside to get my hands warm again and have that tingly-fingered feeling

There's little I can do given the temperature (and the forecast of rain for this afternoon).  I've removed all the clamps and screwed down the bits of roof rail that I couldn't do last weekend, but other than cutting and fitting the last 300mm sections that may well be it for the weekend.

James

[Dr_Ju_ju]

It was bitter earlier on, but as the clouds are starting to roll in, it's warming a tad, but Metcheck is still forecasting light sleet from 17:00 till 03:00 !! ? 

and I just needed an hour to finish the 'blues' for M33 ?….

[JamesF]

The rails are now complete.  By the look of the sky that's going to be it for today.  It's very dark indeed.

James

[JamesF]

I just had a quick search on Amazon for brushes I can use for the EPDM contact adhesive and throw away.  I found a set of 3/4", 1", 1.5", 2" and 3" brushes for £1.85 including delivery!  How is that even possible?

James