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WidowMaker
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 666
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Oh, and look at that fufu hat she wore most of the time!
At least we were hidden in the back yard! 
Its behind her to the left on the fence. Ickky!
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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Sky Guy
member
Reged: 04/08/07
Posts: 60
Loc: Hannibal, MO
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Definitely cover it to protect it from the rain. I am going to be very interested in how this all turns out. So far, its looking great!
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Mike
Meade 8" LX200 GPS
Orion 120ST
Meade LPI
Meade DSI Pro
Canon 350D
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 11791
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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And given the SIZE of that thing, I would wait a WEEK for it to set up before you remove the bracing...
Were you keeping the plywood "Box" around it? 
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Neo... (Jeff)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10" LX200-GPS/SMT UHTC "Draco"
 Rockford, Il.
NeoDinian's Eye on the Sky!
Coming soon:
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Manny Myles
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/29/05
Posts: 2058
Loc: Flatlandia
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Heaven help you if you ever have to break that thing apart.
Finishing concrete is like frosting a cake.
You have one heck of a family there, job VERY well done and your bed will never feel better tonight.
m2
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Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 2343
Loc: Colorado
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Very nice work and yes heaven help anyone who ever wants to remove that thing. Jeff's point is quite important ... that much concrete will take a little while to fully set and cure.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED
Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s, 8x56s, T-Mount Light, and Mark 1 eyeballs
Modded 350D, SPC900, Mallincam
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cocobolo
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/27/07
Posts: 1550
Loc: british columbia, canada
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Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. WidowMaker. Great job!!
The concrete might feel as though it is set tomorrow, but it takes 28 days to cure. After 7 days it will have more than enough strength to remove the forms if you wish. But the longer you can leave them there the better.
Once again, excellent job. Hats off to you both.
Keith
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WidowMaker
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 666
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Hey yall. Thanks for the kind words.
Ive looked everywhere. Ive got nothing to protect such a big square from the rain. It already feels hard to the touch, could rain really hurt it?
Quote:
Were you keeping the plywood "Box" around it?
Well, I might not have much choice depending on if it sticks to the concrete slab much. Theres just a tiny bit of nail sticking into the slab from all around the box, not even a quarter inch, but it left me wondering if the concrete will adhere to it.
*sigh...
I tried wrapping some plastic around it very gently, it may keep it dry, but if the rain comes a pelting it real hard, theres not much I can do.
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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Spoonsize
Vendor/Clothing
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2055
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you really know how to show a woman a good time! I like that!
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Steve Durham
www.margesmonograms.com
(Marge made me do it)
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Digital Don
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 837
Loc: Manteno
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You'd better treat her right or YOU might be wearing that hat for the rest of the project!
Don
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Manny Myles
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/29/05
Posts: 2058
Loc: Flatlandia
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Removing the forms today would not hurt a thing except maybe the finish if you were to start building on top of it.
We would pour concrete and start driving on it the next day with less than 24 hours without damage.
We would also pour floors for slab homes and the wood butchers would start building on it the next morning without damage
Concrete is amazing stuff.
Now you will read about keeping the forms on to help keep the moisture in and wrapping it with burlap or similar material and keeping it wet for extended periods of time to help the curing of it.
Its your option of stripping the forms or leaving them on, personally I'd strip them off and have a nice fire with them and let the pier breath.
You could also strip it and seal the exposed concrete with a cheap floor wax which works great.
Then while the pier is still green I take a rubbing stone and round off the top edge to give it a finished appearance instead of the chipped sqaured off edge that will be there.
Concrete generates heat and cures itself whether its covered and kept wet, with the forms on or au naturale.
Nothing speeds the curing time of it with the exception of having used a richer mix using more Portland cement, a plasticizer or Calcium Chloride
m2
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Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak
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csa/montana
Astro Ambassador
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 26974
Loc: montana
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This is one of the best threads for CN! It shows that with a desire, help from CN members, the "impossible" can be done!
You & your wife are greatly admired; Bless her! She dives right in alongside you, in helping your Observatory come true! With your children's unique needs, you two still find the time to work hand in hand to make your Observatory happen
I know I'm speaking for all of us on CN, when I say the two of you are the essence of what CN is all about! 
Carol
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
AstroTech 66ED / Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Tak LE 5mm
7mm Pentax XL, 10mm Pentax XW
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
22mm Pan, 35mm Pan
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2963
Loc: Bolton, MA
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I'm with Carol, on this, Michael...
I'm LOVING this saga. Your wife is amazing; there is ZERO chance I'd see mine "messing with crete!" 
If y'all ever move, I'd love to see the looks on the faces of whomever tries to get rid of that monolith
That is going to be one very stable dob platform!
How far above the ultimate wood flooring/deck have you decided to have it be? Or are you going for "flush"?
Reason I ask is: if you decide to have it be slightly ABOVE your ultimate floor level, if you ever get a dob (or EQ Platform) that wouldn't fit on it, you could always build a "mini decking" on top of it (overhanging your main floor w/o touching it) that would "size it up" enough...
Now, the downside of course would be it might be a tripping hazard... Though you could probably take steps to alleviate that with rubber step guards or something.
Just a thought... Cos with an obs as nice as this ones gonna end up, you just might want to "upgrade your aperture" someday!
Keep this story and photos coming!
clear enough skies
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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dgs©
Postmaster
Reged: 03/29/04
Posts: 13622
Loc: West Monroe, Louisiana
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Geeze, a good looking woman who doesn't mind getting dirty doing good old manual labor! 
Hard to figure why she keeps this guy around at all. 
That is one heck of a monolith there. Should be pretty stable under your scope. 
I'd shoot for level with the floor to avoid the tripping thing, but accomodations could always be made, as Dave said.
Now I can't wait for the rest of the build to commence. 
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- david
8"Ø Newtonian on SVP, Moonlite CR2, Telrad
PST Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Orion Ultraview 10×50
Hand-me-down Sears Refractor (Discoverer) 60mm×900mm
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world, remains and is immortal." --Albert Pike
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DeanS
sage
Reged: 07/12/05
Posts: 423
Loc: Nicholasville, Kentucky
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Wow, to think I can't even get my wife to help with the mowing, and you got yours to do concrete work!!!
Good job to both of you!!
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8" LX200gps
AP1200GTO Mach1GTO
FS-60C Tak E160 C9.25
SXV-H9 ST2000XM STV
Meade 12" Lightbridge
Moonlite Focusers
www.doghouseastronomy.com
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Spoonsize
Vendor/Clothing
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2055
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The rest of you guys can learn a good lesson here.
Follow the example of a man that REALLY LOVES his wife to the ends of the world. What other kind of man would allow his wife to assist in a construction project? Not to mention finishing off the concrete! This man's love for his spouse shows NO bounds! I'd wager a bet he will even allow her admission to that most sacred of places...the Observatory.
I, myself, have allowed Marge to assist me in most of the more manly tasks that come to hand. The skill saw, drill, garden tractor, cement mixer, shovel, rake, chain saw, and yes, even my favorite sewing machine are just some examples of the tools I allow her to use due to my undying and forever love for her.
It takes a real man to admit his wife into the secret confines of our world.
Keep up the good work, (he said with an extremely large amount of humor in the tone of his voice, as he really knows who loves who, and how much )
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Steve Durham
www.margesmonograms.com
(Marge made me do it)
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WidowMaker
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 666
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Thank you all very much, for the encouragement!
Were very proud, even if we could have done things a little better here and there.
Were going to look into that rubbing stone thing you mentioned, Manny. having a cracking-off sharp edge will be ugly. Hopefully, we can sand it down or something a little bit and make it easier to deal with.
How long do you think I have to do something like that?
You said while its still green, but how long will that last?
Its been raining ever since about 2 a.m. lastnight, and just kinda took a break.
I keep going to the window to peek at it like a 16yr old with his first car.
My baby is sitting out there all alone! 
I covered her in two thin sheets of plastic which is the only thing I could find.
As soon as i woke up this morning, I put on a rain coat and ran out there with my level, still seems accurate!
Quote:
How far above the ultimate wood flooring/deck have you decided to have it be? Or are you going for "flush"?
I think right now it will be about a foot higher than the floor. We wanted it to be elevated to see over the walls we plan on building high enough for some astrophotography one day.
My 'New CCD Astronomer' book just showed up lastnight (thank you Dean for the suggestion!) and Im pouring over it with a highlighter. It reads like the bible of astroimaging, very informative!
Also, Bush just sent us notice saying that our borrowed chunk of change from China should show up in a couple of days and he suggested I buy a pier with it. Well get a about $1200.00 and im looking all over the place at piers.
Any suggestions? I saw piers for about $5-800.00 somewhere, but cant find them now. I plan on doing like Dean said and trying to make my pier slab about 2'x2' so It might be able to handle whichever way i go into AI.
Links or suggestions on a pier would be sweet! 
Thanks again, everyone! As soon as the rain goes away, im either going to start on the pier slab or continue with the floor joists.
I guess i should go ahead and do my slab for the pier first?
Oh, and the wife said when she pulled out this morning and saw the concrete driveway she wanted to spit on it.
I dont think she wants to do anymore concrete.
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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csa/montana
Astro Ambassador
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 26974
Loc: montana
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Contact Scott Horstman (BYO) for pier ideas & pricing.
There are others also, whatever would fit best with your needs & budget.
Carol
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
AstroTech 66ED / Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Tak LE 5mm
7mm Pentax XL, 10mm Pentax XW
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
22mm Pan, 35mm Pan
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2963
Loc: Bolton, MA
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On Piers: give Scott Horstman a call at BYO, he has a really sweet pier (calls it the "Big Bear Pier" that has an automotive quality paint job on it, and is filled with some sorta super secret damping compound so it doesn't ring... also has built in electrics... I believe Don (one of his partners in BYO Crime) builds em custom.
I found them to be MOST price competitive. He may have info on his website.
I love mine! It is quite sexy looking in all gloss black!
Clear enough skies
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2963
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Quote:
Contact Scott Horstman (BYO) for pier ideas & pricing.
There are others also, whatever would fit best with your needs & budget.
Carol
Dang, Carol, but you are FAST... beat me by 60 seconds!
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2963
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Oh yea, one other thing to keep in mind with a Pier.
Run AC conduit under the observatory over to where the Pier is going to be, so you can have the power come up/through it...
You don't have to run the actual AC cable (yet), but put some sorta rope/string through it so you can fish it through when the time comes.
In my case I just run a SUPER heavy duty extension cord out to the observatory (where I "plug it all in" under the decking of the obs) since I'm waiting until I save the funds to put central air into my house to do any major electrical work...
Otherwise, you'll eventually have lotsa cords underfoot to trip on!
clear enough skies
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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