7Wells Observatory Build

[Gina]

Now that's what I'd call a ground anchor!!

[old_eyes]

1 hour ago, Gina said:

Now that's what I'd call a ground anchor!!

Do you reckon with four of those I should be safe?

[JamesF]

That's quite a neat solution.  Never seen them before.

James

[JamesF]

5 minutes ago, old_eyes said:

Do you reckon with four of those I should be safe?

I'd have thought so.  The structure itself surely has to weigh in the region of tonnes by the time you're finished, and if the wind is sufficient to be moving that and the anchors around then you probably have other problems to deal with...

James

[Gina]

I should say so too!

[old_eyes]

33 minutes ago, JamesF said:

... and if the wind is sufficient to be moving that and the anchors around then you probably have other problems to deal with...

My thoughts exactly!

 

[old_eyes]

Next step is to get a corner of the warm room weatherproof so my sparks can give me power!

[Davey-T]

1 hour ago, JamesF said:

I'd have thought so.  The structure itself surely has to weigh in the region of tonnes by the time you're finished, and if the wind is sufficient to be moving that and the anchors around then you probably have other problems to deal with...

James

Be like that movie UP 😂

Dave

[Nigella Bryant]

Love the achors. 

[old_eyes]

First cladding on. Beginning to look like an actual building.

[old_eyes]

I am thinking about the south flap and automation and I have started another thread on that specific topic

[old_eyes]

Power! POWER! Mad cackle...

Sorry! 🤷‍♂️

[JamesF]

Ooh, that's a big step forward :)

James

[old_eyes]

8 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Ooh, that's a big step forward

James

It feels like it. Still plenty to do. Having problems with the delivery of the box section tubing for the rolling roof. Metals guys have made two failed attempts to deliver. I offered a map, but it was "no, no! it'll be fine we know exactly where you are" except they clearly don't. Anyway this time map sent and hopefully delivered on Monday.

Still more work to do to complete the warm room, but it will be easier with access to power tools!

Edited September 6, 2019 by old_eyes

[Gina]

One day I'll connect up my proper mains feed to my observatory - it's only been 8 years I've been running on an extension cable 🤣   Armoured cable is ready to connect to a 13A plug in the back porch and to the consumer unit in the observatory warm room.

[old_eyes]

3 minutes ago, Gina said:

One day I'll connect up my proper mains feed to my observatory - it's only been 8 years I've been running on an extension cable 🤣   Armoured cable is ready to connect to a 13A plug in the back porch and to the consumer unit in the observatory warm room.

My observatory is 75 m away from the nearest connection point, so I decided that would be really inconvenient. Secretly it was my backup plan in case I had screwed up burying the armoured cable and it was impossible to fix it without digging the whole thing up again. Always look on the bright side!

[old_eyes]

What are people's favourite gadgets for tying down a roll-off roof? I see some people use toggle latches -  quick, but needs accurate positioning, or turnbuckles - slower, more flexible and very strong.

I was thinking about using ratchet straps. They are cheap as chips, very strong, and by their nature flexible and adaptable to differnet configurations. The straps they come with are way too long, but at the price you can afford to hack them down.

Any thoughts?

[Helen]

I use turnbuckles and eyelets attached at an angle at each corner.  They work really well - quick to use, and not fussy about changes in relative position (useful for changes caused by temperature, settling, etc).  (I usually just secure a couple unless poor weather is forecast)

Helen

[old_eyes]

4 hours ago, Helen said:

I use turnbuckles and eyelets attached at an angle at each corner.  They work really well - quick to use, and not fussy about changes in relative position (useful for changes caused by temperature, settling, etc).  (I usually just secure a couple unless poor weather is forecast)

Helen

Thanks Helen. They are certainly strong enough.

[Gina]

[JamesF]

I'm another toggle user.  Never really found a problem with positioning.  Most of the time I only use one or two of the four I have installed.  I really only use all four if it's going to be windy or I'm going to be away.

James

[old_eyes]

@Gina @JamesF thanks. Looks very neat. The frame of my rolling roof is wider than the body of the obstacle and fits over it, so I won’t have Vertical alignment between the solid lower frame and the roof frame. Operating at an angle would mean the latch would be weaker. Hence my thought of ratchet straps, but I will certainly explore latches further.

[old_eyes]

Metal tubing for the rolling roof frame delivered and turned over to my engineering neighbour with detailed drawings. Now I am paranoid that I have not measured everything accurately.

He is totally confident. I, in my usual worst case scenario thinking, am not. 😧

[old_eyes]

So, there has been some progress over the last couple of weeks. Now in a mad rush to get things at least operational before we lose the light and definitively move into the Winter observing season. Unfortunately not everything in my control.

The warm room has been completed, insulated and lined. Power and data in, and a shelf/desk constructed out of the leftover OSB from the warm room roof, strengthened with some leftover battens.

The strange blank panel on the right is a result of a late decision to power/automate the roof using a gate motor. That gap is where the gate motor will go in some yet to be determined fashion.

There are narrow double doors from the warm room to the scope room. After playing around with a sliding door, this seemed to be simpler. Also a window to check what is happening out there. Doors have no fastening mechanism at the moment so being held shut against the wind with a paving slab.

There is a main door into the warm room.

And a view of the scope room and warm room wall. The tarp is because the warm room wall has not been constructed to be directly exposed to the torrential rain we have been having, so a little protection until the roof is in place.

I have been to see the roof frame at my neighbour's and it is nearly complete. He might bring it up tomorrow. Then it needs painting/protecting with a cold galvanising spray, aligning and fixing the rails so it runs smoothly and then adding the cladding.

After that I can install the scope room floor and start to set up the equipment. Lots of bits and pieces to do like corner flashings, end flap, rainproofing, painting warm room etc, but at least I will be able to turn part of my attention to whether the new mount/pier/scope combination works OK.

Longer than I thought (inevitably!), but the end is in sight unless I discover a new "oh [removed word]!".

[JamesF]

It's looking very promising.

James