Low cost, sustainably sourced observatory

[bluemaxroe]

I have been on the design for this observatory for a while.   This is my second observatory as we moved about two and half years ago to Suffolk from Letchworth.

My first Obsy was a shed with some extra structure added.  I gave it a new lift off roof.

This time i wanted a new more permanent ROR with the observatory purpose built for the job.    But 2 factors are important along with function.  Price and source as much as possible from other peoples unwanted/ left over stuff.

The images below is the final design.

 

[bluemaxroe]

Now i have to be honest, i started the design for the observatory a long time a go.

Over the summer i started the build.   Digging holes for the posts and the the pier, setting the posts, building the base and fixing it in place.

The Concrete was a left over from a builders job and a good price.   Ballast was bought in a 1 tonne job lot.   Posts are 4" x 8 foot, and again were sourced of Facebook, from a fencer who had just finished his own garden and had left over.

The panels that fill in to make the walls are Scenic panels from my work as an Event designer.  These are frames of 2x1 timber with a skin of 4mm ply.   these would have been wood recycled if i had not asked for them.   

the below image is taken just after fitting the wall panels. (all bar the door side)

 

 

floor under skin was 6mm ply from my work, again from a used stage set that was due to be recycled (chipped)

Floor beams (outer) where from the same batch as the fencer gave me (10 in total)  inner floor framework was part new stud-work timber and part "bits" i already had.   the rough boards in the corners are holding the structure "true" until i get all walls in place. 

Tops of the legs have been cut to accept the main runner beams (6x2) for the roof.

the wall panels have also been insulated with 25mm polystyrene insulation bought for £50 from another Facebook marketplace contact who had just taken down there workshop shed.  

 

Edited January 16, 2020 by bluemaxroe

[bluemaxroe]

More progress photos showing the roof struts that I had cut by work (CNC) all designed so they fitted in 1 8'x4' sheet of 18mm ply. 

all the spacers are 2"x1" so that the roof is as light as possible.   The roof was skinned with 6mm Ply (again - from used set panels)

 

[bluemaxroe]

Much further on, i have now put a water proof membrane on the roof and lifted it into place to keep the internal structure dry.

Cladding was the biggest purchase (175mm barn lap)  this was not how i wanted to get this, but impending weather and wind that a tarp would not have survived meant that speed won out and, at the end of the day, the barn lap is great quality.

Still have the outrigger support legs to do and then the main beams can be "slotted" through the structure!  

[bluemaxroe]

More progress

Out rigger legs up and roof beams in place!!

Oh and built the greenhouse next door

[bluemaxroe]

A little more progress.   triangulation on the outrigger legs and door side of wall finally filled in, insulated and clad.

Incidentally, the roof runs on upturned 30mm angle iron painted with hammerite and screwed in place.    V-groove castors are fixed to the roof structure.

 

 

[Peter Drew]

Four wheels and a horse for dark sky trips?    🙂

[JamesF]

Nice build, and I very much approve of your efforts to re-use and recycle the materials as far as possible.  Well done.

James

[Gina]

Like the Romany shaped roof...

[Alan White]

Looks great and already said, great upcycle and design,

Love the roof design.

[bluemaxroe]

1 hour ago, Gina said:

Like the Romany shaped roof...

Thanks...it was not meant to echo the look of anything in particular.  But I have already nicknamed it the beehive observatory!

[bluemaxroe]

1 hour ago, Peter Drew said:

Four wheels and a horse for dark sky trips?    🙂

Thanks Peter...I would give this an "eyeroll emoji" but I have no idea how.   I think of it more like a beehive.

[bluemaxroe]

If anyone is wondering I have not yet concrete the pier yet.   Gasp....I hear...   

Well I didn't really want to do this first for a couple of reasons.  I knew building the building structure was going to mean getting some heavy bits of wood around.  And originally thought I would construct the floor and put it place afterwards in one piece.   As so, I didn't want to risk knocking the pier tube even if it was full of concrete.  So I looked for another solution.

Also as the structure was going to need to be as square as possible. Having the pier in the way would have hampered measurements. 

An additional plus of having the structure already done means I can secure the pier to the floor framework temporarily to keep it vertical/true and I can also check the pier eventual height against my plans and final actual roof height so the telescope fits under the roof in home position...but also has the best view over the obsy sides.

 

Only down side is filling the pier hole more carefully through the floor joists bucket by bucket.   A small price, and one I am happy to pay.

[Rusted]

Well done! Like the recycling, design and workmanship.

Make sure you have plenty of strong roof restraints in case of gales.
Preferably something which works without needing to be set every time you close up.
An arched roof may produce lift if the wind is in the right direction.

[bluemaxroe]

11 hours ago, Rusted said:

Well done! Like the recycling, design and workmanship.

Make sure you have plenty of strong roof restraints in case of gales.
Preferably something which works without needing to be set every time you close up.
An arched roof may produce lift if the wind is in the right direction.

Agreed.  At the moment the roof is tied down with one of these in each corner. 

 

Edited January 17, 2020 by bluemaxroe

[Rusted]

They look strong enough if you remember to set them without fail.
The two legged vermin would struggle to lift the roof off too.
I prefer permanent hooks or plates riding over the moving parts.
Though it may not always be possible with some roof designs.

[bluemaxroe]

Concreting the pier today.  Yey! It's about time.  

Chucked a load of concrete crap in too to reduce the bought stuff needed.

Will take some picks tomorrow. Of after..as had a few issues with the pier  tube moving about 3mm at the top for some reason.  Hoping when set it stays put.  Otherwise it's a real ball ache to make some kind of concrete collar, or steel flanges at the base to keep it solid.  

And that is if it's not my soil type.  But i don't think it's that.  The weight of concrete should not be that easy to move.  700x700x600deep.  6inch dia pier tube.

Photos taken half way through filling.

As always thoughts welcome.

 

[bluemaxroe]

So got i little more time on this this weekend despite the storms.  

Not a lot of work done but something that has been needed to be done to make working inside easier - Skinned the floor with waste 18mm ply.  It isn't outdoor grade ply, so will need 2-3 coats of preservative, but the plan is to have a rubber mat floor over this anyway.

Also squeezed some more insulation in, so in total there is 25mm in the walls, 75mm in the floor (with a 20mm air gap) and there will be 50mm in the ceiling.  You can see the spare insulation in the images.  (all still from the Facebook marketplace purchase)

Had some help from the kids too!

 

[fifeskies]

Just saw this thread and was pleased to see that someone else went for the curved ROR design

 

I decided to go for a thin aluminium sheet skin on mine (it had been designed to match the sheet size)

Lightweight and zero maintenance

has survived the 2 big storms we have just had without any issues

 

Still working on finishing the inside of mine but almost there now

 

photo shows slight distortion as its a panorama shot to get the whole roof in from the ladder viewpoint

the curve is actually uniform without the kink

 

[bluemaxroe]

So...with everything going on.  The virus that I shall not name for fear...of being boring.  

I did manage to get the door on the observatory.   Now just need a latch and probably a bolted on bar with padlock.

There is still so much to do, plus I have made a mistake with the height on the pier.   I will need to shorten the pier extension tube by 2" to give a decent clearance between the scope / guide scope and the roof for closing.  Currently I have just under 5mm, and that would be setting a custom home position where the scope is almost horizontal.

Still fairly easy to do.  Angle grinder and goggles and some hammerite should suffice.

 

[bluemaxroe]

More work has occurred due to evenings being lighter and me working remotely from home..

Wife said can we get chickens?  (This was Friday evening...  I saw no reason why not so said yes.  

So the leg end of the obsy has now become a  chicken run and coup.  Works ok, and got it all made in a weekend thanks to strangely mild British weather.  Also because of this I was able to do a test of the colour I want the obsy...the golden colour on the near side.   Rest still needs finishing.

Then tonight I started felting the roof.  Next installment and hopefully completion tomorrow evening.

[bluemaxroe]

Roof very nearly finished tonight.   Back section on and middle section of felt stuck with black jack. 

[bluemaxroe]

Small piece of progress again today

High winds tested my new roof flat..and it ripped slightly.  A quick repair to properly secure it ( which was going to be done anyway but was forced to the forefront of my list to evade complete destruction )

Then this afternoon continued and finished the cladding on the sliding roof far end.

[bluemaxroe]

Needed to drop the scope height by approx 2"

Que mod on extension tube.  

Will need to  hammerite it.  But should be effective.

[bluemaxroe]

Hi all

 

Very quick update.

Hammerite time.  A couple of coats applied.    Ready to go back on the pier tomorrow.  😀