Open air observatory

[Guest]

Work resumed yesterday late afternoon.  More dirt out.  Basically one side is now done.  Tonight I will have about an hour or so to start on the other side   slow but sure progress.  You know....I could have a future as a grave digger.

[Alan White]

2 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

You know....I could have a future as a grave digger.

Mike, only if you are going at least 6 Foot down 🤣

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Alan White said:

Mike, only if you are going at least 6 Foot down 🤣

Now you are just getting picky

[Guest]

I am sure watching dirt being removed is right up there with paint drying...so I won't bother posting a picture of that.  It's unfortunate that I really only have 30 to 45 minutes a night to work on this project, but it is what it is.  I did take a minute and see what true north and south looks like on the slab.  I may engrave some sort of setting circle right into the concrete.  The stick represents true north and south. I am having me an idea

[Guest]

Well it looks like I am going to be into a week long weather delay.  The temp has dropped 20 degrees from yesterday and the rain will be moving in for the next few days.  I really can't complain too much as we have had some really nice days for March in Ohio.

[Alan White]

Your posting on a UK forum Mike, we truly understand about weather being a challenge.
I truly sympathise over the delay that it brings, mind you time to ponder the steps ahead.

[Guest]

I was in the UK back in the late 80s, spent about a week there and the weather was nice.  I just figured it was always sunny and 72 degrees lol.  Yes I know better.

[jacko61]

I remember a week of good weather back in the 80's. Beach parties, surfing, top down motoring. Oh how I yearn for those halcyon times. 

Graeme

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, jacko61 said:

I remember a week of good weather back in the 80's. Beach parties, surfing, top down motoring. Oh how I yearn for those halcyon times. 

Graeme

You mean the sun doesn't always shine on the Empire lol?

[maw lod qan]

I've been following your progress and was pleasantly surprised to see Penelope! Congratulations to dad and grandpa!

Be sure to time some wet concrete for her footprint.

[Guest]

12 hours ago, maw lod qan said:

I've been following your progress and was pleasantly surprised to see Penelope! Congratulations to dad and grandpa!

Be sure to time some wet concrete for her footprint.

A foot print is a cool idea, unfortunately I have already poured the concrete slab and it is hard as a rock now.

[Guest]

Well it will be a a few more days before I can really make any more progress.  Mother Nature has gone off her meds....AGAIN.  We have had this light rain all day and it looks like it will be with us for at least three or four more.  Then the temp drops down into the 30s....that would be around 0 C for most of you.  March in Ohio....you never know what you are going to get 

[Guest]

Woke up to this nonsense this morning.  This boys and girls is why March sucks.  We have had 4 days above 60 degrees and now this.  Somebody please find Mother Nature's meds

Edited March 26, 2022 by Guest

[Guest]

Since we are on a weather hold it was a good day to make the drive down to Newark Ohio and meet my granddaughter.  She is definitely a tiny little thing 

[Guest]

So the wife asked me to come to her place of employment to pick up this skid of pads.  She has made the suggestion that we could put them down in lieu of pavers and it would be a nice soft area to walk/stand on.  She might be right and it would absorb any vibrations that we might cause.  What say you guys.  This is not quite what I had in mind, but it would definitely be nicer then walking or standing on stone.  There will be some discussion about this 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Guest

[cajen2]

Seems great scheme to me, as long as the scope wasn't mounted on them! 😛 But there again, I've never built an obsy.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, cajen2 said:

Seems great scheme to me, as long as the scope wasn't mounted on them! 😛 But there again, I've never built an obsy.

I will let the wife know you approve.

[Guest]

Made a bit more progress tonight.  Having only a hour or so at a time to work is definitely the slow way of getting stuff done.  Just one more section of sod to remove.  Now if the rain would just miss us.  Yeah....who am I kidding.

[Guest]

On 27/03/2022 at 16:33, cajen2 said:

Seems great scheme to me, as long as the scope wasn't mounted on them! 😛 But there again, I've never built an obsy.

I have never built one either now that you mention it.  I have moved dirt before, so I have that part down pat

[CCD-Freak]

On 27/03/2022 at 15:13, Mike Q said:

So the wife asked me to come to her place of employment to pick up this skid of pads.  She has made the suggestion that we could put them down in lieu of pavers and it would be a nice soft area to walk/stand on.  She might be right and it would absorb any vibrations that we might cause.  What say you guys.  This is not quite what I had in mind, but it would definitely be nicer then walking or standing on stone.  There will be some discussion about this 

That would be great for a floor in my SkyBox wind screen.   I was thinking of using concrete pavers but I think those would be better.   Now I just need to find a source.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, CCD-Freak said:

That would be great for a floor in my SkyBox wind screen.   I was thinking of using concrete pavers but I think those would be better.   Now I just need to find a source.

I am thinking I will basically make a path around the arch of the scope.  I won't know exactly where that is until I set the scope up and move it around.  I would assume it would be right around the concrete square and one to one and a half squares wide.  There will still be some pavers involved and maybe some brick to fill in gaps.  I am not really sure how this will turn out, but it looks good in my head.

[Guest]

@CCD-Freak....something just hit me and I am going to have to consider this.  Those pads OVER the pavers.  My fear, at least for me, is the gravel will allow stuff to slip around a bit.  Pavers would be locked in by sand and the panels would sit nicely on them.  At least that is the theory.  Just something to consider.  I could be completely wrong

[Guest]

After way too many weather delays and a couple I am just not up for digging days....the dirt has been removed.  I took the scope out and by some freak chance,  you are able to walk all the way around it, even pointing straight up and not trip on the concrete.  The wife says hello everyone.  The next step is gravel.  Probably about a ton of it.  I also took a couple of the pads out just to see how they fit.  I honestly have enough of them I could do the whole area in them.  I am not wholly sure about that yet.

Edited April 3, 2022 by Guest

[Guest]

I figured I would snap a couple pictures of the beautiful Ohio Skies.  This showed up in November....and for the most part never left us.  It just proves Ohio Skies SUCK

[Alan White]

Those images answer one of my questions, the scope most likely used, that concrete pad size now makes more sense,
Is that a 10" or 12" or bigger scope tube?

I wonder if you even need the rubber pads, they being black will perhaps absorb heat, hahaha I know looking at the sky images,
looks like a regular South in the UK sky to me.