Finally started on my obs

[Moonshane]

After 14 months in our house we have almost finished work on the garden and at the end of the garden will be my obs.

My aspect is northern and the garden drops over 20 feet from the house (over 90 feet). Manchester is to the north so I won't be looking that way in reality. Therefore I am looking up hill and over the house to the south.

There are some trees and the skies are not perfect but will be much enhanced by being out of line of sight of local lights.

The design will mirror that of Slim Paling and Skipper Billy but with only one side that is 'convertible'.

At 4x3m it will sit on a deck and be screwed to it. I will make a concrete pier and still have room for my 16" dob and garden tools etc. For visual only.

Here's some initial pics. Built the sleeper walls for joists and the pier will be where the clear area if floor is if you look carefully!

Will be digging my pier hole and filling, and building the 'shed' probably in May hols when I have two weeks off. Hope to get it done in one.

 

[laser_jock99]

Lets hope your neighbours don't a mind your scope peering over their houses!

Edited April 12, 2019 by laser_jock99

[mckinnell]

Hi matey, your position re houses and the like very much like my own, i have a wedge shaped rear garden where i hope to build my structure, but, as i have stated on an other thread, i have like you, a lot of work in said garden to get it to a point to even start to think about building the shed etc: i am looking forwards to your project and how it unfolds, also, the size is very much like i have in mind, here's to your May two weeks and a more update my friend.

 

                                                                                                    Very best regards and luck,                      Tom.

[Gina]

When I see threads like these I realise how lucky I am with my situation.  I also realise that I have to take as much advantage of it as I can and do as much astro imaging as I can.  It encourages me to get going again.  So thank you for posting and please be sure that I don't want to gloat and I enjoy seeing everyone else's builds.

[Davey-T]

Good luck with the build Shane, hope the weather plays ball, you should be super fit or completely knackered  by the time it's done 

Dave

[Chris]

Good luck, Shane. I look forward to following the build. 

[Moonshane]

Just to give a sense of scale in terms of what we have done so far in 12 months..... Before then after .....all materials carried in a barrow from front to back 30 tons of stone plus sand, mot, cements flags etc etc.  Dug out by hand too and not had a single skip with all materials recycled (or used as hardcore) where feasible.

Yes the obs is the easy bit ?

 

 

 

[JamesF]

That's an astonishing amount of work to have done in such a short time.  Are the stone walls your own handiwork?  They look very tidy.

James

[mckinnell]

Don't you just hate some one as talented as this. . BTW do you use Sherpa to assent from the lower levels of you garden to the house,  very well looking garden, i applaud you very much my friend.

 

                                                                                                                Very best regards,         Tom. 

[Fozzie]

@Moonshane, nothing but respect for the amount work you've put in across the garden Shane, looking forward to seeing how the Obs progresses!

[Moonshane]

I have to confess that having a father in law who is a retired and skilled builder does help although I have carried every stone, mixed every mix and raked out every stone joint as well as moving about 40 tons on both soil and mot in a barrow so much effort indeed.

Progress today. We decided that rather than go deep with the hole, we'd reuse some fake stone blocks from the garden and make a wall in which we could dig a small hole for the steel girder. This is now in position ready for concreting tomorrow.

We'll then encase this in an 8" circular concrete column and inset the top off a heq5 tripod rather than make one. Slightly unconventional but should be very stable.

 

[Gina]

That's a nice high pier

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Is this Obsy going to have a basement ??

[Paul73]

All on 12 months!! You’ll have the obsey dome in a weekend!

Good luck with the build.

Paul

[JamesF]

10 minutes ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Is this Obsy going to have a basement ??

Where else would you keep the wine?

James

[Moonshane]

LOL. I am intending it to be bargain basement but of high quality by using good design and thought processes, recycling where possible and followed by good execution.

Hopefully this will all work out. Next job after creating the pier will be creating the main deck and joists etc but this is likely to be a few weeks off. I need a rest after what we achieved last week. Hopefully also paving the lower patio (only about 12 square metres) in Indian Stone tomorrow. All the prep done though.

 

 

 

[Moonshane]

1 hour ago, JamesF said:

Where else would you keep the wine?

James

Obviously here ?

[RobertI]

What an amazing transformation, well done, lovely to see so much lush foliage too.

[sloz1664]

Fabulous undertaking Shane. A real transformation. Hope you're back is intact, as mine would have been in bits after that work load.

Steve

[Moonshane]

Today we pointed the step fronts and laid the small patio. As a little treat we also concreted the post hole. As I was barrowing one of about 15 mixes from the front, I spotted a lump of metal in my neighbour's garden and asked if he had plans for it. He said not and let me have it after I explained what I might use it for.

Can you guess? ?

 

[nightfisher]

making great progress Shane

[JamesF]

25 minutes ago, Moonshane said:

Can you guess? ?

 

It's a bottle stand to go with your wine glass holder.

James

[Moonshane]

? Bingo!

[Stu]

I've no idea how I've missed this thread Shane! Amazing hard and skilled work that has gone into your garden, that will be something to be proud of for years to come. Obsy coming on nicely, I'll keep tabs here from now on!

[Saganite]

Incredible achievement, and an amazing transformation Shane in such a short space of time, just brilliant.!

Edited April 16, 2019 by Saganite