Thanks for all the great feedback! I managed to finish the floor framing and 5/8" ply flooring. (Update pics coming soon.) Will start on the wall sections next week, though I still have to design the door frame stuff. It's coming along!
Quote: Hey, I like those footing concrete blocks you're using. Dont' think I've ever seen any quite like that before.
Hi Tim, it's called "deck block", sold at my local big-box building store for about $7.50 each. It's also known as "floating block", I think, as in floating foundation (rises and falls with frost heave). To minimize frost movement, I usually dig out 12" underneath them and fill with coarse gravel then limestone screenings -- the drainage keeps 'em level. I did this with a 9'x9' deck and it hasn't moved at all over the past 2 winters.
Quote: Looking good! I'll be watching this thread for sure, since I've just about decided on an 8'x8' myself. I've got my pier ready but still need to pour my concrete footing. It will probably be a year before I start the building. I'm still deciding how I want it. I see you have your pier off centered and I was trying to decide if I wanted to center mine or do like you did. Would you mind sharing some dimensions like where the pier is located, how tall your pier is and how high your walls will be? Thanks.
Thanks Randy. Yeah, I went with an off-center pier for a couple of reasons: 1) I wanted room on one side of the observatory for a small desk, and this seemed to be the best floor-plan compromise, and 2) it affords a slightly better south view from my particular location.
The pier's concrete base sits flush with the plywood floor, and the pier itself will be roughly 48" high (at the mount base). I say "roughly" because I haven't fabricated the two top plates yet -- one will be welded to the pier column, the other will bolt above this via 4 nut-adjustable rods of stainless steel. With my HEQ5 mount, this should afford just enough height to view over the 6' walls up to ~24 degrees above the horizon (my horizons are obstructed up to that in all directions anyway).
Hope this helps! Looking forward to hearing about your project as well, please post pictures when you can!
Cheers,
Adam
-------------------- WO 110 FLT
WO 66 Triplet
Modified Canon 450/XSI
Celestron C11
SkyWatcher EQ-6 Pro
Backyard (urban) roll-off observatory
One small but fearless dog (observing companion)
my astrophotos on flickr
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I'll be watching this thread for sure, since I've just about decided on an 8'x8' myself. I've got my pier ready but still need to pour my concrete footing. It will probably be a year before I start the building. I'm still deciding how I want it. I see you have your pier off centered and I was trying to decide if I wanted to center mine or do like you did. Would you mind sharing some dimensions like where the pier is located, how tall your pier is and how high your walls will be? Thanks. 
