The Upcycle Observatory Build

[JeremyS]

Looks like you been very busy, Chris @Lockie!

[Chris]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

Looks like you been very busy, Chris @Lockie!

I have Jeremy, it was a special moment yesterday because a friend from round the corner helped me lift the roof on! I've secured it with 4 hook & eye turn buckles and I'm not working today so just off out to buy some feather board to cover the gap between the roof and walls. I really should unbox that mount and make sure all is good there!

[Chris]

Tada! The basics of the observatory are now finished! I won't lie, I'm really relieved to have the roof on and secured.

I've bought some black paint for the inside plus I still have electricity to sort out so I can't install any equipment just yet.

I'm thinking grey for the outside with another colour for the door, window frames, and rails. Not sure which colour yet? I might name it the Whirlpool Obsy as M51 is my favourite galaxy plus I am building a pond under the rails so it's kind of a watery theme....but hopefully no actual water in the inside 😃

Edited September 29, 2020 by Lockie

[JeremyS]

The Whirlpool Obsy sounds a great name @Lockie!

[Stuart1971]

Looks great...nice job

But I would have been inclined to cover the sides of the roof with shiplap boards, maybe 2 or 3 of them, as you only have framework behind the felt...and wind will rip that eventually...I also think it would look better aesthetically... 👍😀 

[Chris]

1 hour ago, Stuart1971 said:

Looks great...nice job

But I would have been inclined to cover the sides of the roof with shiplap boards, maybe 2 or 3 of them, as you only have framework behind the felt...and wind will rip that eventually...I also think it would look better aesthetically... 👍😀 

Thanks, I agree. I've ran out of boards currently, used the last one for a little porch lip above the door! I'll keep an eye on the felt and if it goes down hill I'll bring the job forward. I want to get the inside painted next so I can get the rubber flooring and mount in

Edited September 29, 2020 by Lockie

[Chris]

42 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

The Whirlpool Obsy sounds a great name @Lockie!

Thanks Jeremy, I'm 80% leaning towards it

[Alan White]

5 hours ago, Lockie said:

I might name it the Whirlpool Obsy as M51 is my favourite galaxy 

Chris, Great Name.
My only concern would be that it will suddenly catch 🔥, just like all those tumble driers did!

Edited September 29, 2020 by Alan White

[Chris]

1 minute ago, Alan White said:

Chris, Great Name.
My only concern would be that it will suddenly catch 🔥, just like all those tumble driers did!

haha I'd forgot about that type of whirlpool.

[Alan White]

5 minutes ago, Lockie said:

haha I'd forgot about that type of whirlpool.

I never will, we were lucky, just had a smoulder with our one.

 

[Nigella Bryant]

Whirlpool obsy, it's a good name but I did think of washing machine too, lol. 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Nigella Bryant

[Chris]

18 minutes ago, Nigella Bryant said:

Whirlpool obsy, it's a good name but I did think of washing machine too, lol. 

hmm? maybe I should pick another name? erm? what about Indesit Obsy? 😄

[AstroNebulee]

That's looking great now, good job with the roof on and working well, I bet it was some weight to get up onto the rails. Just in time for all the bad weather due in this week, well down here in Cornwall anyway. Be nice to get in there and start kitting out the obsy, clear skies and great job 

[Chris]

1 hour ago, LeeHore7 said:

That's looking great now, good job with the roof on and working well, I bet it was some weight to get up onto the rails. Just in time for all the bad weather due in this week, well down here in Cornwall anyway. Be nice to get in there and start kitting out the obsy, clear skies and great job 

Cheers Lee, I appreciate that. Yeah, I considered trying to lift it on by myself, then realised I'd probably end up breaking both the roof and myself so grabbed a friend, and with two of us it was actually ok, to my surprise. I was stressing out a little bit not having roof on so I can relax a bit now at least and take things a bit more leisurely. There's still a few jobs to do but the basics are all there now

If I remember rightly you guys do get more than your fair share of rain down there in Cornwall. I remember having a hard time in a tent in Cornwall year ago lol 

[AstroNebulee]

8 hours ago, Lockie said:

Cheers Lee, I appreciate that. Yeah, I considered trying to lift it on by myself, then realised I'd probably end up breaking both the roof and myself so grabbed a friend, and with two of us it was actually ok, to my surprise. I was stressing out a little bit not having roof on so I can relax a bit now at least and take things a bit more leisurely. There's still a few jobs to do but the basics are all there now

If I remember rightly you guys do get more than your fair share of rain down there in Cornwall. I remember having a hard time in a tent in Cornwall year ago lol 

Hi

I expect it would of been hard getting the roof on by yourself with the weight of it, but good your friend helped you with it. We certainly do get a lot of rain here when it comes, especially ftom a westerly direction, we try our best and use all the rain up, then when it gets to country other parts of the country there's none left and you'll have clear skies haha 

[Chris]

Still a number of little jobs to do, but it's ready to rock with battery power at least.

[nephilim]

Thats looking really good mate.

[Chris]

11 minutes ago, nephilim said:

Thats looking really good mate.

Thanks Steve, It's very black themed, but the packs of interlocking foam flooring were a choice between either black or bright yellow, pink and green lol 

[Yawning Angel]

Just catching up with this build! Nice job Chris!

A suggestion if I may- angle the turnbuckles. Vertically they hold down but can still allow the roof to move laterally in gusty weather.  If you angle them, they pull against each other and lock it firmly in both axis:

Either the red or blue configuration shown (I use the red layout):

[Chris]

Thanks Alex, if I notice any movement I now know what to do, thanks for the suggestion.

[JeremyS]

Whoa, looking good Chris @Lockie!!

[Chris]

14 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Whoa, looking good Chris @Lockie!!

🤗

[RobertI]

Great to see you with a working obsy again Chris - you deserve it! I marvel at the speed with which you managed to complete this. 👍👍

[Chris]

8 hours ago, RobertI said:

Great to see you with a working obsy again Chris - you deserve it! I marvel at the speed with which you managed to complete this. 👍👍

Thank you Rob, very nice of you to say  The fear of the bad autumn/winter weather helped speed things up 😄

[m.tweedy]

Looking good