Let The Building Begin

[Armsoft]

Well, I`ve been talking about it for some time now (Got Royal Approval for the build in October Last Year ) and have now finally got round to starting the build process of my new Observatory!

Pic 1 - 3 - Site Identified

Before anyone asks, the children are all grown up and have left home (but I will be re-building it for the grandchildren)

Pics 4 (Site Clearance Begins) 5 (Demolition Begins) 6 (Site Clear with Old Base Still In Place)

And Day One draws to an end...

[malc-c]

My only comments are that it doesn't seem a very good position with all the trees to the left and right of the site. Are you planning on removing / pruning them ?

[Armsoft]

Ok, Day 2...

Pic 1 - Frame Roughly Laid out (16ft Long x 6ft Wide) allowing for a 8ft x 6ft Scope Room and a 6ft x 6ft Warm Room

This leaves a 2ft x 6ft `Patio Area`

My Plan is to `join` 2 sheds (windowless) together, the roof of the Scope Room will roll-over the roof of the Warm Room.

[Armsoft]

My only comments are that it doesn't seem a very good position with all the trees to the left and right of the site. Are you planning on removing / pruning them ?

The two trees to the right are being removed, the Holly Tree to the left will be `pruned` and faces North where I don`t expect to do much viewing, but if I need to I can ask permission to cut it down (will proberbly involve buying a meal out (or 2)).

[Armsoft]

Day 3...

I'd brought a Pier on SGL in the For Sale area, so next on the list of jobs to do was the Hole.

The hole dug is 2ftx2ftx2ft

Pic 1 Hole ready for Concrete

I`m hoping that I've got the size right!

Pic 2 Concrete in (15 Bags ) and Pipework for Mains Power and Data Cables (Seperate Pipes)

Getting there, slowely but surely

[Armsoft]

Day 4...

Frame Fully Built, All Pipework and Cabling (Mains) in, now ready to be Filled

Pic 1 Ready for Filling

Pic 2 Frame Filled (20mm Cotswold Stone)

Pic 3 Cutting Down & Trimming of Trees around site has started and can just be seen on the right.

[noakesy]

keep up the good work it will be worth it i did mine and love it

[Bizibilder]

Its hard work but well worth it in the end!

[malc-c]

Looking good... any chance of some close ups of the area around the mount

[Armsoft]

Looking good... any chance of some close ups of the area around the mount

A couple of close ups of the mount base -

The Pier itself will be bolted down to the base sometime this week (hopefully) now that the early stage of building has been completed today (Photos to follow later this week)...

I decided against concreting the bolts in, opting for drilling/plugging & bolting to ensure that I am able to get my newly aquired EQ6 Pro properly aligned.

[NickMilner]

Good thread. Keep up the good work and I look forward to watching it develop, so I can dream of a possible future of my own.

[msinclairinork]

I am jealous already!

Looking good so far!

Will be following with intrest!

Michael

[Armsoft]

Day 5...

Moved on a bit today with some Building Work taking place at last!!

Pic 1 Scope Room Base Down Pic 2 Close Up of Scope Room Base

Pic 3 Shows Scope Room Floor `Floats` above Concrete Pier Base to ensure no Vibration (hopefully!)

Next Pictures show the structure finally rising from the ground

Pic 4 & 5 Show the Scope Room Walls in place with a door linking it to the partly built Warm Room

And finally as the light began to fade the Warm Room walls were erected

With the following picture showing better the effect of the tree felling and pruning that has gone on

Really pleased with what has been achieved today and looking forward to getting it all water-tight tomorrow

[malc-c]

Is this a purpose built unit or have you purchased two sheds ?

[kharga]

you are doing well, much faster than our kitchen (6 months so far) !!!

[red dwalf]

looking very nice and a good sized obsy

[space3]

wow im, thats taking shape fast, if only I had a garden,

[Armsoft]

Is this a purpose built unit or have you purchased two sheds ?

Hi Malcolm

It`s two seperate Sheds which currently are screwed together at the join, but later this week will be bolted together (there is no chance of them moving currently, so bolting may be a bit of overkill, but I`m guessing the scope room roof moving could potentially have caused movement if not fully secured)

Brought the shed from a supplier in Aylesbury, got the two for less than £600 delivered, although when they delivered them they had put windows in them (despite me ordering them windowless), but great service given as two days after delivery they sent a guy out to remove the windows from the two panals.

I`m hoping to have it all watertight by the end of this week along with all the external work (landscaping to keep my wife happy), then the fun begins trying to `Create` the rolling roof followed by fitting out the inside.

I`m hoping to have the Obs in use by the end of March

Mark

[Armsoft]

looking very nice and a good sized obsy

I`m hoping I`ve got the scope room size right (but beginning to doubt:icon_eek:) as I`m putting a Skywatcher 250P mounted on an EQ6 Pro in there

Only time will tell...

[msinclairinork]

wow! Great progress Armsoft!

Coming along very nicley and quick!!

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Michael

[Armsoft]

Not a lot done today (damnn British Weather!)

But got the warm room Watertight (Roof on and Felted), put a temporary roof on the scope room, and all before the rain started...

Pics 1-3 External

Pic 4 View into Warm Room from outside

Pic 5 View into Scope Room from Warm Room

Pic 6 Close-up of Pier Mount Base in Scope Room which, with the walls up gives me 2ft either side and to the rear of the base and 4ft in front of it, which I`m hoping is enough room for scope clearance?

Pleased to have got it all watertight as I`m back to work tomorrow so will be confined to just working on the Obs at weekends only now for a few weeks.

My intention is to get the power hooked up this weekend so that I can do some of the internal work in the evenings which will then leave me a few weekends to work on constructing the roll-off roof:eek:

Thanks for the words of encouragement

[Armsoft]

Well a break in the rain has allowed me the time to get the Pier into the Scope Room (not fixed in just sitting on the base)

So a few pics of it in place -

And that really is it for the day.

[Bigdaddyjeff]

Awesome work armsoft......i'm hoping to do something similiar one day...being in the costruction trade i'll be trying to hide as much under my coat as i leave site each day over the next 10 years

[Wobbly Bob]

Great progress, looking forward to seeing how you tackle the sliding roof.

[Armsoft]

Great progress, looking forward to seeing how you tackle the sliding roof.

Me too Bob