Bizibilder's Roll off Roof Observatory

[michaelmorris]

That's a fine looking observatory and some very good sketches.

[Bizibilder]

That's appreciated Michael - As it is partly based on the pictures and description of your own build!!

Thank you.

[Bizibilder]

The floor goes in at last!! Some pics in m'blog for today and, weather permitting, the finished article tomorrow!

[Bizibilder]

Finished the floor today (apart from one or two "tweaks"!). Pics in m'blog if you like!

[Bizibilder]

Added a bit more. Plus a video tour!

[Bizibilder]

The step outside has now been constructed and the Observatory is pretty much finished. The only problem is that Bizibilders new Evostar 120mm refractor arrived today and there is now wet concrete between me and the sky. The blog tells the sorry tale!

[Bizibilder]

I've just started to make some DIY modifications to the roof. I will post as a seperate thread when complete - for the time being take a look at the "blog in the sig" for current progress on this little project.

[Bizibilder]

HELLO MODERATORS!! COULD THIS THREAD BE PUT INTO THE DIY OBSERVATORY SECTION PLEASE!! THANK YOU. (I've only just realised that I put this in the wrong place!)

I've been making and attaching my new roof "locks" this week - Details in the Blog in the Sig. Basically a set of steel pins that engage into holes mounted in each corner of the roll off roof as the whole thing slides shut. The final fixing is by a simple vertical bolt (to be fitted tomorrow!). I'm sure it can't be original but it does seem neater than the turnbuckles that I cribbed from the Linnhe Observatory website (and others). The advantage is that I can close the roof while standing at either end of the observatory and then just slip the bolt as I leave. To operate the turnbuckles means moving around the scope to do each of them in turn, plus the fact that they are noisy - sounds like someone rattling their chains in the dead of night - spooky!!!!

[Nermal]

Looking really nice Bizibilder. I like the way you narrate the progress on your blog in the 3rd person

[Bizibilder]

Thanks Nermal. Bizibilder is a busy little chap, isn't he?

[Bizibilder]

Bizibilder has spent the last few days making and installing a new door and doorframe for his observatory. The original metal shed doors were never satisfactory. They were ill-fitting and insecure and, most importantly for a astronomer, quite noisy to operate (although the neighbours never complained!). They also took up the whole end wall space as they slid open. Not quite finished in the picture - just a few odds and ends to do after the varnish dries!

[malc-c]

Looks good. I really need to do the same with mine. For simplicity I purchased a pine interior door and cut it down.. but being an interior door it doesn't take too kindly to the rain and strong sunshine

[Gina]

Nice looking door

[Bizibilder]

I've just had to fix a problem with my observatory roof as I had started to get a leak and a bit of a puddle every time it rained!

It took a while to fathom out what had gone wrong until the penny finally dropped - These tin shed roofs are made of sheets with a corrugation at each edge. To assemble the roof each sheet overlaps its neighbour by the width of this single corrugation, thus making a waterproof seal (see sketch).

In my case one joint had become so "perfectly" matched that water was able to travel through the joint by capillary action and then drip into the observatory.

The cure was simply to seal the joint with silicone sealant (I used a couple of wires to "open" the joint first, then filled the gap and removed the wires). Leak cured.

[Chris]

You must have been worried for your kit inside, congrats on sorting out the problem:)

[Gina]

Good job done