Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Site Preparation
The site is on a hill, on our 1.5 acre property, and has finally been prepared. A road up through the forest and the site pad had to be tractored and part of the hillside cut back. We had to wait for the weather to quit raining (in coastal Oregon it rains a lot!) before doing much more. The Winsor concrete block tiered retaining wall is completed for this year, more may be added later on.
The observatory plans follow with pictures -- a ROR design my husband created with one portion fitting and rolling back under/into the other. No supports outside the building needed. With high winds and rain here the design must keep out leaks/wicking. This is a small compact observatory for a metal pier supported by a concrete slab and isolated pier support. There will be a warm room and the observatory room will have a raised floor isolated from the pier. It will house a 6" refractor and at times, other telescopes. For now a CG-5A mount will be used, later a heavier mount may be installed.
The site photos.....
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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The site pad...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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More work...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Retaining wall work...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Another Brick In The Wall....
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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My husband, Paul, and the Wall...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Foundation started...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Foundation form from above the wall...
(see plans to follow for size/details)
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Floor Plan...
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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What a beautiful retaining wall!  Wonderful pictures, and such a beautiful site.
We will be most anxious to follow your Observatory rising! Thanks for sharing your dream with us!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Foundation plan...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks so much Carol!  We're really excited to get things under way at last.
Here's the Framing plan...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Nested Roof Plan...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Electrical Plan....
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Small end view...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Today the pier support was sunk into the ground and prepared for concrete. Rebar does not touch the ground inside the tube, and neoprene separates the concrete support from what will be the poured slab isolating it all around. Here's the PVC pipe...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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In the ground...
Tomorrow or the next day the concrete truck arrives for the slab/pier support pour and then I'll continue with more progress. 
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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An evening view from our property...
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RobertED
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/11/03
Posts: 1194
Loc: Johnston, RI
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WOW!! The wall alone is gorgeous!! Can't wait to see the actual observatory!!! Good Luck with the project!!
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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What a nice set of plans! Beautiful views of the sky! We are so excited for you, as each of us remember the excitement & thrill when our Observatories were started.
Looking forward to taking this journey with you!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thank you! The walls used 16 pallets of winsor blocks. Each block weighs 30 lbs. and the cost here is $1.58 per block. The lower wall is 75'long x 4'high, the upper wall is 61'long x 3'4" high. That's a lot of blocks! 
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks, Carol! It's fun to be able to share the adventure with everyone. Every observatory design is unique as is every site. Maybe these plans and ideas may help others in creating their own designs.
Here's the foundation as it progressed later today. More reinforcements around the forms have to be done before the pouring of the slab (perhaps tomorrow it will get done).
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Another angle view...and our goats had to get in on it too. 
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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A quick diagram of the pier support. The soil here is hardpan/clay/sandstone and very stable. It requires a pick axe to dig through it's so hard. The PVC pipe only goes into the ground about a ft. The 1/2" thick rubber lining is a synthetic, sort of like neoprene but much tougher. The 4" rubber skirt on the inside bottom edge prevents the concrete from making contact with the bottom of the PVC pipe. A temporary cardboard liner was used to protect the rubber liner while the concrete was added. There's a 1/2" rebar cage inside the pier support 4" from the bottom and 4" from the top - nowhere in contact with the dirt or pipe.
Approx. 1100 lbs. of concrete was used.
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Luigi
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 4947
Loc: MA
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How about covering the wall with ivy so it doesn't heat up during the day?
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17.5" f/5 Dob. IM-715 MCT. 120ED. Lunt 60mm Ha.
Zeiss, Leica, Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, Bushnell bins
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Chris Schroeder
Postmaster
Reged: 12/11/04
Posts: 6566
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow
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Wow Maya what great looking wall and your observatory is nice looking design. Keep the photos coming!
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Chris
Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
10" DSH with SC DSC, CPC 800 XLT
M110 Doublet ED, AT 102Achro, ZS80FD 10th Anniv, ZS66SD, PST
CG5-AGT, EZ-Touch, Voyager
POD XL3 http://POD.SchroederCity.com
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Mike Clemens
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/05
Posts: 4286
Loc: Wasilla, Alaska 61N
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Holy cow this is lookng incredible!
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Yes, the ivy is a great help around here -- we have other wall sections and banks already covered with it which we get clippings for more starts to plant other places. We have some new starts already in place above the top section of wall, and also some new fruit trees (2 types of cherry, 2 apples, a pear, and 4 blueberry bushes).
Thanks, Chris and Mike, for viewing the progress! Things are coming together faster now and we're really looking forward to sharing all the developments as we go along.
One note on the slab reinforcement -- we've used 10-wire stock panel and dobies to keep it at the right depth. The stock panel is an easy and cheaper way to reinforce sections, stronger too.
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1411
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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Maya, this is going to be a great looking observatory, I can tell already! Your location is lovely.
What scope do you plan to mount on the pier - the Tak 102, or is something new in the works for you?
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Hi Scott, and thanks!
I plan to install, for now, the CG-5A mount and use the CR-6 refractor and Tak FS102 interchanging as desired. In the future a heavy-duty mt. and other scopes are on the agenda. There will also be additional concrete observing pads outside the observatory for use with other scopes/additional visitors.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Hurray! The cement truck was able to deliver today so the foundation slab was poured this morning at 10 a.m. After getting the hose in place up on the hill it only took about 15 min. to pour the cement. Thank goodness for the pump truck, this saved days of back-breaking labor packing/mixing 90 lb. bags of concrete mix! The cost of the cement and to deliver/pump it was $780. This was actually cheaper than doing it by the bag.
Some pics of the pour....
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Getting the hose up the hill and in place...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Prep for the pour...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Pour and scree work...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Slab pour complete. More finish work to follow to clean up around pier support, etc.
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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Congratulations! Your Dream just took another major step to completion!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks, Carol! Now, to help prevent any cracks from forming, the slab is being kept sprayed to help control curing rate and covered with tarps also to shade from too much sun. This is so exciting!
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JAT Observatory
Got Cookies?
Reged: 02/20/05
Posts: 6800
Loc: Eastern PA
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I can't wait to see the finished product. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. I really like what I've seen so far.
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-Marcus
The problem with free speech is even the stupid have a voice.
http://www.jatobservatory.org
Currently a SV102A, WO 66mm & 10" LX200GPS OTA on a Paramount ME
(these OTAs subject to change without notice)
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CarolG
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/16/06
Posts: 829
Loc: Oklahoma
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I know you must be really excited about your new observatory. You have certainly put a lot of thought into it, and it's so much fun to see those plans become reality. You have a lovely site, and I hope you have many years of enjoyment. In the meantime, keep those pictures coming!! It's exciting to see the progress!
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Carol
Cor Caroli Observatory
NS11 XLT w/ HyperStar
TV85 w/FeatherTouch/DM4/SC on a Scopebuggy
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thank you, Marcus and CarolG, for taking a look at the project and your comments! It is fun, and as we go along we'll do our best to convey the methods used as we build, and how any problems are solved. So far so good!
Tomorrow we'll be keeping the slab wet and watching out for any cracks. The pour took exactly 4 yards of concrete and only a slight wheelbarrow load was left over, so that was nice.
Here's the wetted-down tarped-over slab curing...maybe not as exciting a view to others but an important part of the journey for the observatory. We'll let it cure through the weekend then begin on the blocks and framing.
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LateViewer
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 790
Loc: Westchester NY
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This project is the first I can remember where someone cut into the hillside to make a spot quite like this.
The wall looks great. That's a nice material. It lays up quickly.
Looking forward to seeing more. Great pictures.
Al
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12.5" Discovery Mirror String Truss Dob
DSV-1 Alt-Az Mount
WO 66mm Petzval
Orion 127mm Mak with WO 2" Dielectric Diagonal
C9.25"
Celestron CG-5 GoTo
8.8, 14, 18, and 24mm Meade UWA Series 5000 EP
32, 40mm Orion Optiluxe EP
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Kaizu
sage
Reged: 08/17/07
Posts: 347
Loc: Finland
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Did you left your footprint or handprint there, for future generations to wonder?
Kaizu
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Some thoughts are so wise that they don't make me laugh
http://www.kaiforssen.fi
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Chris Schroeder
Postmaster
Reged: 12/11/04
Posts: 6566
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow
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It's coming along nicely!
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Chris
Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
10" DSH with SC DSC, CPC 800 XLT
M110 Doublet ED, AT 102Achro, ZS80FD 10th Anniv, ZS66SD, PST
CG5-AGT, EZ-Touch, Voyager
POD XL3 http://POD.SchroederCity.com
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andyschlei
sage
Reged: 03/05/06
Posts: 376
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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Got to love a cement truck delivery day! My Dad was always doing projects over the summer so it was a big treat.
And I am really enjoying this pour from afar! It really looks great.
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Observatorio de la Ballona
Mar Vista
Lake Riverside Estates
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Dr Morbius
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/06/07
Posts: 1721
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Maya, I can't wait to see your beautiful observatory finished. Do you know your elevation at the site?  
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Meade ETX-125
NightFire 6" f/8 Refractor with Moonlite focuser
Meade 14" LX200 S/C
D&G 10" f/15 Refractor with Parallax Mount
Little Giant 11x70mm Binos
I'm afraid of dying, but I've learned to live with it. ......Steve Perry
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Mr.päivinen
sage
Reged: 07/29/06
Posts: 272
Loc: Rajamäki Finland
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Wow! thats a dream come true Maya!!! Looks good. Keep images coming at this project.
Thank`s
Mikko
Finland
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MP-observatory finland http://www.kolumbus.fi/jappervokki/
C11".
ST-2000XM/AO-7.
CFW-8A.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks for the replies everyone!
The bank cutting was necessary to create better access to the site and for materials to be driven up to it. It would be pretty difficult if everything had to be packed up the hill. Although the soil/hillside is really hardpan/sandstone/clay and is stable we thought a retaining wall was wisest and would also keep things cleaner. When the ivy starts at the top of the walls get well established that will enhance the appearance and cut down on radiated heat.
Because of some of the tall fir trees my viewing window is best to the south/southwest, straight up and also to the north. The elevation here is only 200 ft. and we're 5 miles from the coast so there's the marine layer to contend with off and on, and clouds. The observatory, I consider, is the best accessory I could have, making the most of the good viewing times available...and it will be so wonderful to not have to lug around a lot of heavy equipment, just go up to the observatory and be viewing in a few minutes.
It was a blast watching the cement truck and pour.
I haven't yet put a hand print in the cement works, but may do so on one of the outer walkway or extra scope pads. It's hard to resist wet cement.
We're aiming for the observatory's completion by the end of August if there are no delays.
I hope others get some ideas for their own observatory plans from our efforts to design one that works with the site area we have, and make the most of it. I've been studying others' observatory buildings and appreciate greatly their sharing of what they learned along the way, now I hope to give something back also with the info on this project.
---Maya
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Doug76
Postmaster
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 5574
Loc: SE Louisiana, future Texan
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Very nice design. Glad you have yours going up. Mine is too. And like you, the C6R will be the featured scope.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3097236/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/all/vc/1
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Scott Horstman
Vendor- Backyard Observatories
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 8074
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You are really going for it Maya! No expences spared or corners cut. Kudos to you !!!!!!!
May it serve you well for decades to come.
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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Quote:
I've been studying others' observatory buildings and appreciate greatly their sharing of what they learned along the way, now I hope to give something back also with the info on this project.
Maya; this is what makes CN so special!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Doug, I'm excited for you too! You and your dad are making great progress, and I bet you can hardly wait to get it completed for your C6-R. 
Thanks for your comments, also, Scott. Paul's philosophy is, "Do it right, or do it over!" And we sure don't want to have to do it over! It's really a fun project though.
Carol, thanks, I agree that CN is truly a wonderful group, very helpful and friendly, and the enthusiasm for astronomy is so much fun.  As my husband and I moved around the country with aviation Coast Guard tours, I tried to always join a local astronomy club, and always I've found the people in them to be wonderful. Now where we have settled permanently, a beautiful area in coastal Oregon, there are no local astronomy clubs, so Cloudy Nights has become this for me. Another great group of people.
Here's some pics of the slab showing the isolated pier support with the rubber sleeve edge at the top -- so far no cracks, everything is very level, the extra rebar reinforcing the corners has worked, thankfully.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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One more view with the wall...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Well, it's back to work! The foundation slab forms were removed this past Sunday and the slab is perfect! Today the holes were drilled for the rebar cinder block attachments. Tomorrow the cinder blocks will be set into place and the j-bolts, for the framing to bolt to, will be cemented into them.
Here's a few pics of the work done so far...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Another view...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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One last until tomorrow...
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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You definitely are doing a fantastic job! It's so exciting for us to following along with another's dream in the making! It brings back the excitement & fun we had when ours was rising from our dreams. 
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks, Carol! Here's the progress made today -- more cementing of rebar and mortaring cinder blocks in place. Tomorrow the blocks will be filled with cement and j-bolts fastened in them... The electrical engineer will come over and help with the electrical plan also.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Another angle...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Ingredients -- mix well.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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How the J-bolts will be placed into the concrete tomorrow...
Paul's design is coming along great.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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The J-bolts were cemented into the cinder blocks today. Now the cement needs to cure a few days so the bolts will hold well. Framing will start Monday hopefully.
The electrical engineer/co. plans to dig the trenching 18" deep clear up the hill. The code requires conduit for the line and 4 grounds. The observatory will have plenty of outlets, a breakerbox, switches, etc. All the work will cost around $3000 +/- and take a crew about 2 days.
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Wow!!! This is a place where all your dreams come true!
Excellent work! I can't wait to see the final product. You have me just as excited. Woohoo!
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Hi Dain,
Thanks, and I'm glad to see this project is fun for others to watch too!
The fun with framing will get started next week -- weather looks like it'll stay dry -- and we'll be getting lots of materials together, ordering the wheeled casters (poly type), etc. Once there's enough framing up the electrical work can get done.
The interior will be finished and painted a flat very dark navy blue. There will be a dehumidifier in the observatory used to keep things dry all the time(we have one running in a huge workshop and it works great). The warm room will also have pocket shelves making use of the space between the inner walls with rails and the outer walled section of the warm room.
The rails will have an adjustment feature allowing them to be kept aligned properly so the wheels roll easily. We occasionally get 70+mph "gusts" here which might shift things, so being able to adjust back to true alignment is a nice idea. There's a lot of details like this that will be explained better with pics as we go along. It's great to share the ideas and fun!
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LateViewer
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 790
Loc: Westchester NY
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Wow. You guys are making something cool.
Love to see the photo's. Keep them coming.
Al
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12.5" Discovery Mirror String Truss Dob
DSV-1 Alt-Az Mount
WO 66mm Petzval
Orion 127mm Mak with WO 2" Dielectric Diagonal
C9.25"
Celestron CG-5 GoTo
8.8, 14, 18, and 24mm Meade UWA Series 5000 EP
32, 40mm Orion Optiluxe EP
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Jamie_b
member
Reged: 12/06/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Kent, United Kingdom
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This is a magnificent construction and I am going to be keeping a keen eye on progress.
I hope that weather is staying away for the framing work.
You have a truly inspiring design, keep up the great work.
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Celestron C11 SGT (XLT)
CG5 Goto Mount
Canon 350D unmodified
Neximage CCD
Meade DSI Pro 2 color imager CCD
Observatory (almost complete)
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks Al and Jamie_b!
The weather is staying great here -- it's in the mid-80's F while most of Oregon is currently experiencing record-breaking sizzling hot temps in the 100+ range. Whew! But nothing but good news for the framing.
Today, you can see in the pics, we got half the building framing done and bolted down. Tomorrow we'll finish the other half of the frame work and install the steel door. Then the roof framing will start. There will also be earthquake straps installed.
The electrical work is all set to go about August 12th and should take 2 days.
The casters/poly wheels have been ordered and ought to be here in a week. There will be 10 V-groove rigid track casters with 4"x2" polyurethane wheels of 300 lb. capacity each. We can get the angle iron railing and rest of the building materials locally.
By the end of August the building should be complete.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Sill seal --- good stuff to keep out bad moisture
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Ready to cut lumber....
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Framing in progress...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Tomorrow we'll finish the building framing and install the door, then begin on the roof framing.
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My Gallery
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Sweet! That's looking great! Man, I can feel the excitement in the air.
"....we're not worthy....we're not worthy!"
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks, Dain!  I just can hardly believe it myself!
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My Gallery
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RobertED
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/11/03
Posts: 1194
Loc: Johnston, RI
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Definitely looking like a "super-professional" quality job!!!WOW!!! 
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks RobertED! Work is in progress on it right now, and I'll have more pics to post later tonight.
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My Gallery
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Jamie_b
member
Reged: 12/06/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Kent, United Kingdom
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Wow, great progress. I'm sooooooo envious
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Celestron C11 SGT (XLT)
CG5 Goto Mount
Canon 350D unmodified
Neximage CCD
Meade DSI Pro 2 color imager CCD
Observatory (almost complete)
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Chris Schroeder
Postmaster
Reged: 12/11/04
Posts: 6566
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow
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Keep those photos coming, it's almost like being there
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Chris
Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
10" DSH with SC DSC, CPC 800 XLT
M110 Doublet ED, AT 102Achro, ZS80FD 10th Anniv, ZS66SD, PST
CG5-AGT, EZ-Touch, Voyager
POD XL3 http://POD.SchroederCity.com
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks for keeping tabs on this Jamie_b and Chris!
Here's the progress today -- steel door installed and the rest of the main building framing done. Tomorrow I think we'll install siding and maybe start on the roof.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Installing the door....
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Building framing done. Tomorrow is siding and/or roof framing.
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1411
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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It's looking absolutely top-knotch! 
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks so much for the encouraging words, Scott!
Stay tuned...more pics tomorrow!
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My Gallery
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Jim7728
Postmaster
Reged: 04/10/05
Posts: 5066
Loc: Stoop Landing Observatory, NYC
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Quote:
It's looking absolutely top-knotch!
Indeed! A very solid looking structure.
Good luck with the rest of the project, Maya!
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Jim
Genesis SDF-f/5.4 FS-102-f/8
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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Wow! What great progress in such a short time! You will have a beautiful observatory, in a most beautiful location very soon!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Project Galileo
sage
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 405
Loc: Douglas County, Colorado
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Great job! That is the cleanest and most tidy job site I have ever seen too. Huge kudos!
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Orion XT10i
Meade LXD55 LXD75 AR-6
TeleVue Binoviewers with Seibert 1x/1.3x/1.7x OCA
Minolta 10x50 Binoculars
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks, Jim and Carol and Project Galileo!
Here's the work we got done today installing 16 sheets of 4ft. x 8ft. oriented strand board (OSB).
First pic shows the sill setback of 7/16" so the OSB fits flush with the foundation blocks, then the house wrap and siding will fit over the OSB & blocks nicely.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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OSB aligned...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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The height difference between the walls with tracks/moving roof is 18 inches shorter than the non-moving wall/roof portion...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Showing the framing between wall sections...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Interior framing around pier support area. There will be a raised isolated wooden floor about 15" above the cement floor and the wiring for the metal pier will be underneath the wooden floor. The walls in this area will have fiberglass insulation and be sheetrocked and painted a very dark navy blue.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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The storage/warm room area. There will be lots of inset cabinets between the studs which are aligned to make this space-saving possible. There will also be a desk/cabinets which can be accessed through from the observing room section so that it won't be in the way there.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Showing how the studs from both inner and outer walls align for cabinet space.
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Tomorrow we'll install the house wrap moisture barrier and start putting on the T-111 8" siding.
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Outside view of the OSB installed.
After the siding is up the next stage is roof framing, and since we have to wait a few days for the fixed wheeled casters to arrive we'll start on the non-moving roof section first.
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My Gallery
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Joel
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/08/04
Posts: 2586
Loc: Merrimack, NH
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Absolutely that looks like a great observatory! Looks very solid and well built.
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Joel
10" LX200GPS UHTC-SMT
Vixen 80EDsf
Canon unmodded 350D
QHY8
Turkey Hill Observatory
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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Definitely a lot of thought & planning has gone into your Observatory, & the building phases definitely show it!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks Carol and Joel! We get some serious storms in the winter so we're doing our best to protect the building from the worst of it so things last.
Today we got the moisture barrier house wrap installed -- we bought a 9 ft. x 100 ft. roll of Tyvek and used about 75 ft. of it in one continuous sheet. We'll give the excess left on the roll to some friends. Then the siding went up and the pics show the progression of the day's work.
The 40 lb. box of ten poly-wheeled casters were delivered -- getting here faster than expected! So, tomorrow the work will begin on the roof sections.
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Tyvek being installed...
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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It's wrapped in one continuous sheet and around all wall sections...
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Tyvek installation complete...then siding is put up...
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Siding completed. The observatory will be trimmed out and painted to match the house in medium grey with dark grey trim and white door.
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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One of the ten rolling roof section casters that will be used...
That's it until tomorrow.
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My Gallery
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40307
Loc: montana
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It's quickly becoming an Observatory!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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CarolG
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/16/06
Posts: 829
Loc: Oklahoma
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Maya, I can't believe the work you have accomplished in just a few days!! At this rate, you'll be observing from your new home away from home very shortly. It's looking wonderful!! If I were building my obs today, I would build the foundation like yours. It looks rock solid and made to last a very long time. I'm sure your project has given many others some ideas for their own observatory. I'm really enjoying watching your progress through your pictures. Please keep them coming in abundance!!!
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Carol
Cor Caroli Observatory
NS11 XLT w/ HyperStar
TV85 w/FeatherTouch/DM4/SC on a Scopebuggy
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RobertED
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/11/03
Posts: 1194
Loc: Johnston, RI
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Great pics!!! 
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Mel M
member
Reged: 05/04/08
Posts: 50
Loc: southern Oregon
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I'm two hours south of you and some winters we do get pounded with horizontal rain. You sure don't believe in just slapping things together. Even your Tyvek is straight. Wonderful project.
Mel
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1411
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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Wow, amazingly fast progress - particularly for being so thorough. Thanks for the photos, this is really instructive for anyone who wants to see the right way to build a rolloff!
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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WOW, thanks everyone for the replies!
I am hoping these pics and info will be of help to others. I have to give credit to our carpenter/builder/friend, Jay, for all the hard work he's put into the project -- the fine work you see is due to his attentiveness to detail and skill.
Well, with all the hard work done this week it was decided to just take the day off through the weekend and get back to the project on Monday. I don't have building pics today, but some items were laid out on the shop floor for the rolling roof section and here's a "still life" shot of one of the turnbuckles and some cable. There's a few of the casters in the background...
Also the steel pier design was submitted for an estimate today to get made at a company in town.
So, until Monday, then back to building! Everyone have a great weekend!
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My Gallery
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RobertED
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/11/03
Posts: 1194
Loc: Johnston, RI
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Way-To-Go-Jay!!! 
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Chris Schroeder
Postmaster
Reged: 12/11/04
Posts: 6566
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow
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Maya, your observatory is coming nicely, thank you for all of the photos you've been posting for all of us to share
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Chris
Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
10" DSH with SC DSC, CPC 800 XLT
M110 Doublet ED, AT 102Achro, ZS80FD 10th Anniv, ZS66SD, PST
CG5-AGT, EZ-Touch, Voyager
POD XL3 http://POD.SchroederCity.com
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Jamie_b
member
Reged: 12/06/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Kent, United Kingdom
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Such a beautiful construction, coming along nicely.
I can't wait to see the finished masterpiece.
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Celestron C11 SGT (XLT)
CG5 Goto Mount
Canon 350D unmodified
Neximage CCD
Meade DSI Pro 2 color imager CCD
Observatory (almost complete)
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks RobertED, Chris and Jamie b!
Although we started out intending to just take the weekend off, we can't seem to stay away from it and have been working on the rolling roof section! We've gotten quite a bit done on it -- the frame, the joints, the adjustable cabling with turnbuckles, are almost done and next will be working with the angle iron tracking and casters. I'll have more pics later tonight of the parts used and the assembly steps.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Here's pics of the start of the rolling roof section framing and parts used for the turnbuckle tension adjustment so the frame can be warped back to true alignment for the casters if it gets out of true for any reason. I'll have more pics later tonight for a complete view of this section.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Getting ready to cut corner joints for frame...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Router bit used = 1" dia. x 3/8" shaft, carbide pattern maker's bit...
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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The cuts have been routed and smoothed with a wood chisle...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Corner joint has been fitted and is square. It will be glued in with Gorilla wood glue -- wierd stuff, it foams and expands to fill joint and is incredibly tough -- then fastened also with screws.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Turnbuckle tension cabling parts...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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The thimbles have to be bent open slightly to put on the turnbuckle eye loop.... We used about 25 ft. of 1/4" dia. steel cable cut into lengths for each end of the turnbuckles.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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One end of the cable assembly... Always tape cut cable ends to prevent unraveling and getting stuck  from wires.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Installation of a completed cable/turnbuckle. The whole wooden frame will be flipped over to install the second turnbuckle assembly so the two cables won't interfere with each other when adjusted.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Close view of a corner joint with cable attached...
I'll have more pics later tonight.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Here we go -- first I'll mention that the Gorilla wood glue foams out from the joints (a little of this glue goes a long ways and buying it in small quantities is wise as once the bottle is opened it begins setting and won't last very long) and we found it easiest to clean off the wood by letting it set an hour then just trimming the excess off with a wood chisle...if you get it on your hands wipe it off quickly or it will become part of you  yuck...
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Here's the completed assembly of turnbuckles/cables for the tension adjustment of the rolling roof section. We used 17" size turnbuckles and each cable length is approx 6 ft. long. Bolt cutters cut the 1/4" steel cable just fine. The corner joint eye bolts are 6" long.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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The turnbuckles/cables are about an inch apart/above each other so they do not interfere with each other in adjustments.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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We applied medium strength locktite type adhesive to all the cable clamps bolts and on the ends of the 6" eye bolts in the corner joints. If high strength locktite was used they could never be taken apart.
That's it until tomorrow -- the plan is to attach the casters and start drilling the recessed holes in the angle iron rails, perhaps attaching them to the building also.
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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We did have 2 observers today while working on the roof section -- couldn't get them to help, though...they just chewed their cuds and hung out. 
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My Gallery
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EddWen
sage
Reged: 04/26/08
Posts: 367
Loc: Here or There
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Holy cow !!
Are you sure Paul is not "Norm the Master Carpenter" ??
Everything looks very well designed and crafted. It will be great when done.
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Edd Weninger
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**** Lightshield Observatory SoCal ****
Nexstar 11 GPS Questar 3.5
A-P 900 A-P Traveler
**** Blackdog Observatory Arizona ****
A-P 155EDF A-P 1200GTO Coronado SolarMax 90
Orion ED80 Baader Mk V bino-viewer
CGE STV Canon 18x50IS
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Thanks, EddWen!
Here's some pics from yesterday about the casters and getting the rolling roof installed -- progress ongoing today and Paul thinks both roof sections will be completed by the end of the week, then next week the electrical work will be done and we can begin on the interior!
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My Gallery
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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Aligning trick with string...
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Crow Haven
sage
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 448
Loc: Above the glistening waters of...
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