WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Thanks, Rusty. The wife seemed to think it might be easier to trowel it without going to the top since finding two boards at Lowe's that arent bowed somewhat was impossible for us. I suggested we go to the top but we couldnt find any reason (not knowing anything about concrete) to not just stop where we were. Guess its too late to do anything about it now.
Jgw, When I went to Deans observatory he showed me how his were bolted in using sleeve anchors and it was as solid as anything I had ever seen, so we figured wed use those.
My pier is being constructed but I didnt know where to put J bolts without it being here, so I kinda had to go with the sleeve anchors.
Dean's sure felt solid and I just figured wed take the hammer drill once the pier arrived and drill some holes and bolt it down.
God know when or *if* Ill ever get to use the thing.
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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jgw12936
sage
Reged: 03/28/07
Posts: 353
Loc: The Woodlands, TX
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Sounds like a fine plan. You are making great progress and hopefully there are no more concrete bags to mix!
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Jim
C11 XLT
APM/TMB 80/480
AP 130 f6
Mach1GTO
Starlight Xpress SXVF-M25C
Starlight Xpress SXV-H9
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WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Thanks alot, jgw.
I think Ill have at least 2 more bags to mix to hold my posts up that the roof will roll onto.
Now I just gotta find something to do with 15 bags of 80lb concrete.
Think Lowe's will take em back?
Hopefully in the morning I can take the seats outta the wifes van and go after the flooring.
How exciting!
I just wish the pier slab would of turned out pretty like the dob slab did. I think the little holes must have been air escaping and coming to the surface.
Its still level though!
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 12070
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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Nice work...
And yes, Lowes will take back unused bags... They usually recommend you get more than you think you'll need so you don't come up short, and return the rest when done. 
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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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Spoonsize
Vendor/Clothing
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2184
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Quote:
Hopefully in the morning I can take the seats outta the wifes van and go after the flooring.
Won't she get mad if you take the flooring out? What ya gonna do wit it anyway?
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Steve Durham
www.margesmonograms.com
(Marge made me do it)
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cocobolo
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/27/07
Posts: 1550
Loc: british columbia, canada
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Nothing to worry about with the little holes WM, that is just a result of the air bubbles coming up to the surface after you were whacking the form. Next time, just keep going back and running the finish trowel over the surface HARD at an angle before the concrete sets up. That will get rid of the bubbles and provide a smooth surface.
Your concrete will be plenty strong, have no fear.
And your anchor bolts will be OK too.
You're doing a heckuva good job there so far!
Keith
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WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Thanks alot, yall. I couldnt sleep all night worrying about my new slab and if it was acceptable. I thought someone may come in and say something like 'OMG the bubbles and swirls mean its gonna be flaky, whatever you do dont set anything on it or drill into it!'.
Quote:
Won't she get mad if you take the flooring out? What ya gonna do wit it anyway?
Naw, I mean take her seats outta the van so I can try to load up the flooring for my obs. Everything but the driver and passenger seat come out so hopefully I can get those big sheets of tongue and groove flooring in there.
Quote:
Next time, just keep going back...
Next time?! It better be years down the road before I even consider something like this again! How dare you! 
Seriously though, the wife wondered about going over it with the rubbing stone thingie to kinda sand it down, what do you think? Leave it alone?
The sun is shining, coffee's brewing and once the wife and boys get back from church (im not allowed on holy ground), we hope to finish the floor joists and put some flooring down.
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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Chris Schroeder
Postmaster
Reged: 12/11/04
Posts: 5098
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow
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You have done well so far and you should be proud of yourself
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Chris
Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
10" DSH with SC DSC, CPC 800 XLT
M102ED S.V., ZS 80FD 10th Anniv, ZS 66SD, PST
POD XL3 http://POD.SchroederCity.com
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THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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The bubbles and swirls are purely cosmetic I would just leave it alone. once you get the plate in place it won't even be noticed.... Can I just add, you and your wife are two of the most incredibly amazing people I have had the pleasure of coming across. Looking forward to further up dates on this project....  
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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csa/montana
Astro Ambassador
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 28619
Loc: montana
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Quote:
Can I just add, you and your wife are two of the most incredibly amazing people I have had the pleasure of coming across.
I will definitely second that!
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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 B/TMB 3.2
7mm Pentax XL, 10mm Pentax XW
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
22mm Pan, 35mm Pan
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Thank you very much, Geoff and Carol! Thats a very nice thing to say, you just made my day!
Ok, we started bright and early. I cut off the remaining end post with the sawz-all, went after tongue and groove flooring, and we finished all the floor joists, and little brace beams that go in between them. Yes!
And just as the sun went down, we were able to starton putting our floor in!
Hopefully well have some nice weather to finish the floor tommorrow 'cos I will be in the hospital with josh from Tuesday on, depending on how his surgery goes.
My wife is such a hard working woman, I cant thank her enough for helping me with this project.
Heres some pics showing where we are now.
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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See how far away my pier slab is from my dob slab?
Im glad I listened to the wife and added more space.
Every board has been anchored in with those little anchor thingies and feels very sturdy when we walk across it.
It doesnt even creak like a few places in the house does!
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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We got the van parked in the back yard with everything in it ready to go! I hope we can finish that floor tommorrow!
I had to have the floor cut in 4x4' sections to get them in the van.
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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John Fitzgerald
In Focus
Reged: 01/04/04
Posts: 1253
Loc: AR
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It is good practice to stagger the joints on a floor like this one.
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?
Observing since 1966
Messier Cert #898
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 2453
Loc: Colorado
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If you painted that dob pier black you could tell everyone it's the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. 
Nice work
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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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WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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Thanks yall!
Well, the floor is done! It was suppose to rain all day until Wednesday but we got blessed with a beautiful, cool breezy blowing type of day instead.
My only problem with the floor is that not all of the tongue and groove stuff would go into themselves perfectly.
Im thinking we could go back with some silicone and fill in the few little spots where they didnt go exactly flush.
But its done, and strong too!
Were so happy.
Next is walls, then a roof and were done!
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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WidowMaker
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/29/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Frankfort, Ky
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We went ahead and covered the pier up with wood and we measured out where it is, and put a big black square there with a sharpie so when my pier gets here, we can trace it, and cut our wood a hair larger to accomodate.
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Sleep is the Cousin of Death
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TeleTex
member
Reged: 01/27/08
Posts: 55
Loc: Texas
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You could of persuaded the tongue and groove to with a sledge hammer and a scrap of 2x4 to keep from marring the edge of the plywood. I would treat everything that is exposed right now with a water sealant such as Thompson's water seal or any other decent brand. Good job on what you have done so far. keep up the good work. This tread will be a very valuable resource for anyone planning to build an OBS.
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Stan
Meade ETX-60AT-BB (60mm Achromatic Refractor)01-30-08
Meade NG-60 Jupiter (60mm Refractor) 12-25-07
Meade 70AZ-A Land & Sky (70mm Refractor) 02-13-08
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John Fitzgerald
In Focus
Reged: 01/04/04
Posts: 1253
Loc: AR
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Quote:
Next is walls, then a roof and were done!
Please don't even think that. You will be disappointed. Please, let's be realistic. I was at your stage when I stripped the forms off the slab on March 29th. Since then I have put in 13 days of hard work, and still lack a day to finish. On two of those days, we had three people working, and two on most of the rest. If you and your wife are doing this, and not being experienced at construction, expect it to take at least two months of weekends. 
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?
Observing since 1966
Messier Cert #898
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THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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It's looking very good, and with your determination and the help of your wife it will be finished in no time. I just love reading this story, the sheer guts and will to succeed that you show, will serve as a lesson to all who read this thread.... GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SON ON TEUSDAY..... 
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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