Whats your thoughts on this?

simmo39 · February 1, 2019

An observatory is ay off into the future for me but Im already doing a little planning ans wishfull thinking. I found this on E bay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Observatory-Shed/283124759542?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Whats your thoughts? Would it make a good starting point or should I go another route?

Hallingskies · February 1, 2019

Not sure of the design to be honest. If the wind got hold of that roof section while you were opening it...

I think the DIY observatory thread here on SGL has some very clever ideas, but I guess you know that already.

Astrokev · February 1, 2019

I can't see any reason why this wouldn't work. I'm sure I've seen home-made designs based on this idea on this forum. Agree with @Hallingskies point about wind, but with care should be OK. If you're scope may at anytime protrude "outside" of the roof in it's closed position, I would add something to lock the panels down when open. You don't want a panel blowing closed in a strong gust and hitting the scope!!

A big part of a "standard" shed's strength is in the roof, which hold the four sides together with some rigidity. As soon as you remove the roof, the integrity can be dramatically compromised. Home built roll-off roof designs tend to have strong wall or corner bracing to ensure the structure keeps it's strength when the roof is removed. It may be worth enquiring whether this shed has any kind of strengthening to ensure this is not a risk. You could add more strengthening yourself, of course, if this proves a problem, but this increases the cost slightly.

I'm assuming all four sides open. This would need a fair bit of space around the shed which obviously would have to be factored into your thoughts on placement etc.

May also be worth thinking about how you will mount the scope. As I'm sure you are aware, you'd need to cut a hole in the base for whatever type of mount you're thinking of using.

Good luck with your deliberations.

simmo39 · February 1, 2019

2 hours ago, Hallingskies said:

Not sure of the design to be honest. If the wind got hold of that roof section while you were opening it...

I think the DIY observatory thread here on SGL has some very clever ideas, but I guess you know that already.

1 hour ago, Astrokev said:

I can't see any reason why this wouldn't work. I'm sure I've seen home-made designs based on this idea on this forum. Agree with @Hallingskies point about wind, but with care should be OK. If you're scope may at anytime protrude "outside" of the roof in it's closed position, I would add something to lock the panels down when open. You don't want a panel blowing closed in a strong gust and hitting the scope!!

A big part of a "standard" shed's strength is in the roof, which hold the four sides together with some rigidity. As soon as you remove the roof, the integrity can be dramatically compromised. Home built roll-off roof designs tend to have strong wall or corner bracing to ensure the structure keeps it's strength when the roof is removed. It may be worth enquiring whether this shed has any kind of strengthening to ensure this is not a risk. You could add more strengthening yourself, of course, if this proves a problem, but this increases the cost slightly.

I'm assuming all four sides open. This would need a fair bit of space around the shed which obviously would have to be factored into your thoughts on placement etc.

May also be worth thinking about how you will mount the scope. As I'm sure you are aware, you'd need to cut a hole in the base for whatever type of mount you're thinking of using.

Good luck with your deliberations.

Thank you both for the replies. I have a rotton shed already sitting on a good concrete base. Removing the old shed would give me a good base for a pier and the shed. As I mostly do AP I already have most of it remotely controlled. I will have a good read of the threads on here before I make a decision on the shed above. It just seems a bit cheaper than others I have looked at but you do get what you pay for.

Gina · February 1, 2019

You might find this list of my observatory threads useful though there are one or two things I would have done differently with hindsight, as usual, plus several changes as I found better ways of doing things :-

LeeRich · February 1, 2019

Hi, what you like with a tape measure and saw ? Because for £900 quid you build a bespoke obsy like that with double the build quality i reckon ?

simmo39 · February 1, 2019

56 minutes ago, Gina said:

You might find this list of my observatory threads useful though there are one or two things I would have done differently with hindsight, as usual, plus several changes as I found better ways of doing things :-

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/103600-ginas-observatory/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/116563-ginas-observatory-the-build/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/173015-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-final-design-aspects/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172981-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-overview/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172984-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-site-preparation/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172985-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-main-construction/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/166337-ginas-observatory-roll-off-roof-automation/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172972-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-pier-construction/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/185706-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-pier-head-adapter/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/197084-pier-head-modifications-for-eq8/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/197589-preparations-for-new-eq8-mount/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/197940-ideas-for-pier-extension/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172986-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-finishing-touches-and-improvements

Thanks Gina for the links

34 minutes ago, LeeRich said:

Hi, what you like with a tape measure and saw ? Because for £900 quid you build a bespoke obsy like that with double the build quality i reckon ?

Sorry thats my fall down ! lol. think i would be better with some sort of shed kit.

JOC · February 4, 2019

That's the picture of a shed apex roof opening that I showed my Bro and is what were considering my metal shed, which BTW only costs £180!

simmo39 · February 6, 2019

On 04/02/2019 at 13:37, JOC said:

That's the picture of a shed apex roof opening that I showed my Bro and is what were considering my metal shed, which BTW only costs £180!

Is your shed a home made or off the shelf product? If its off the shelf do you have ant details?

JOC · February 6, 2019

Its off the shelf, ebay. Check out my thread and enter the title into ebay search. Or just search metal sheds. Loads to pick from

Mick J · February 6, 2019

Interesting how the roof hinges onto 'brackets' (bit of a hazard in the dark), wonder if it's much more difficult to make it fold down completely and still seal and have a run off/overhang, nice to see the end wall flaps down with both roof sections open.

I am with @LeeRich and would do home build, not so hard.

Rusted · February 9, 2019

I'd worry about "perfect" planks shrinking and cracking in the very first summer. As did my commercial [planked] shed.
The firm's "inspector" was full of ~~bullshit~~ excuses and offered a single new panel when it needed a whole new front and side.

Later I built my own, very much larger, shed out of grooved, plywood cladding over 2x4s.
It's still perfectly weathertight and flat after 20 years without any paint or wood treatment at all.
Available in 9 or 12mm thickness and relatively inexpensive compared with twisted, knotty planks.

Sheet materials reinforce simple frameworks by triangulation. Which planks can't do without using many diagonal braces.
I've just used exactly the same plywood sheets for my raised observatory.
The 8'x4' [metric equivalent] sheets are very popular for cladding carports too.
Just remember to design any building to match the sheet size for minimum waste and expense.
Shop around for best prices and best face veneers. Locally there was a 2:1 price difference.
The expensive sheets were literally covered in knots. Making them a paint only option.

Astrokev · February 9, 2019

20 minutes ago, Rusted said:

Later I built my own, very much larger, shed out of grooved, plywood cladding over 2x4s.
It's still perfectly weathertight and flat after 20 years without any paint or wood treatment at all

Can't say I've come across this wonder-material. Is it available in the U.K.?

Rusted · February 9, 2019

Hi Kev

The stuff I bought [here in Denmark] is called Selex at a discount DIY chain.

It comes with machined grooves at 4" intervals going the long way.

Overlap joints with machined wind blocking on opposite long edges.

Beklædningsplade SELEX 12 mm

The weird Danish name just means cladding plywood.

Here's the more expensive stuff:

RAW Sporplade Radiata Pine Krydsfiner - Bredde: 1220 mm; Længde: 2440 mm; Tykkelse: 12 mm;

I've tried searching for grooved cladding and exterior plywood but can't find it in the UK.

Which doesn't make any sense because my own experience is minimum 20 years survival, completely untreated, while exposed to harsh weather conditions.

It weathers down to a nice grey-brown. If you like that sort of thing. I do. :thumbsup:

tonyowens_uk · February 9, 2019

On the East coat of Ireland the weather is cold wet and windy for much of the year. Here in Wicklow no softwood timber structure tends to keep its strength much beyond 20 - 25 years in outdoors conditions. On the other hand the design integrity of most residential garden wooden structures in UK/Ireland zone is minimal, as is apparent from what passes for garden sheds.

Now I'm a consulting engineer not an architect, but an architect friend of mine with environmental interests talks enthusiastically about the virtues of Accoya which is an acetylised softwood of great longevity and strength especially in outdoor applications. See here: http://www.timberireland.ie/accoya.html

But its expensive and not available in convenient panel format. There is a gradual shift away from conventional EU building materials - steel and concrete - towards wood laminates due to environmental damage. Compressed laminated timber made from bonded pieces of Sitka spruce is starting to displace steel and ferro-concrete for trusses in large buildings and homes with complicated rooflines.

Another low cost lightweight weatherproof approach is 'kingspan', i.e. phenolic foam sandwiches faced with thin sheets of steel or aluminium generally with plastic coating. An observatory might look like a factory built for Hobbits done this way, but from my layman's perspective I would have thought cost could be low and insulation and durability beyond reproach if an Accoya frame building were clad with aluminium-faced Kingspan panels. Hopefully some of the construction professional's reading this will correct me on this!

Tony

Rusted · February 9, 2019

After considerable searching, the only price I could find for Accoya was £8/m for decking boards.

About 4x the price of larch of similar [145mm] dimensions. I thought my larch was expensive enough! :crybaby2:

tonyowens_uk · February 9, 2019

I'm not surprised at the price. The main use for Accoya seems to be posh decking and outdoor furniture. It would be a Rolls Royce solution I suspect. I wonder what wood species and treatments are used for shingles and exterior wood products in residential construction in New England in the US and the East coast of Canada?

Alan White · February 10, 2019

In answer to the OP.

Ade Ashford is selling a very similar design observatory on Astro Buy Sell and has used his for 3 years.
So I would think with care the design type works as long as you are not on an exposed hill or ridge.

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