Jump to content

  •  
  • Home
  • Articles & Reviews
  • Photo Gallery
  • Members

CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.

Photo

Gold Mtn Observatory

Started by rwiederrich , Apr 16 2010 02:13 PM
This topic has been archived. This means that you cannot reply to this topic.
784 replies to this topic

#76 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 01 May 2010 - 10:31 PM

I'v considered what everyone has said and I know afixing the floor to the pier is not a smart idea if vibration is your enemy.......so I redesigned my sub floor beams and put them all on blocks....I am also going to add support on all of the walls in mid span with blocks and 4x4's. We don't have a frost line here..we have a rain line. It way get down past 32deg 4 days out of the year. Vibration isn't a real issue for me anyway...I generally view alone and am not worried. I am more concerned with the structure suport then anything else.

Tomorrow..I will finish adding the joist blocking and the lag bolts for all the corners and support 4x4's...then I will lay the 3/4" floor.

Here are some pics of todays work.

Looking out one of my office second floor windows.

Attached Thumbnails

  • 3780523-Picture_1529out the office window at the OB.jpg

#77 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 01 May 2010 - 10:36 PM

My beautiful wife standing by for reference. This is before the added 4 block and 4x4 suports for each side were in place.

Attached Thumbnails

  • 3780532-Picture_1533Vic standing my the OB framing.jpg

#78 andyschlei

andyschlei

    Viking 1

  • -----
  • Posts: 735
  • Joined: 05 Mar 2006

Posted 02 May 2010 - 01:07 AM

Great progress!

#79 astrotrf

astrotrf

    Not at all Mundane

  • *****
  • Posts: 1,455
  • Joined: 30 Sep 2007

Posted 02 May 2010 - 12:21 PM

Vibration isn't a real issue for me anyway...I generally view alone and am not worried.


The other vibration consideration is that wind will vibrate the building, which will get transferred through your floor supports and thus into the pier. It doesn't sound like much, but at high magnification ... well, I just don't want to see you surprised.

My house is built on a concrete slab. I can put a cup of water on the table by my chair and arrange a light so I can watch the light's reflection in the water, and then watch the vibrations from footfalls going down the hall.

#80 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 02 May 2010 - 02:09 PM

Vibration isn't a real issue for me anyway...I generally view alone and am not worried.


The other vibration consideration is that wind will vibrate the building, which will get transferred through your floor supports and thus into the pier. It doesn't sound like much, but at high magnification ... well, I just don't want to see you surprised.

My house is built on a concrete slab. I can put a cup of water on the table by my chair and arrange a light so I can watch the light's reflection in the water, and then watch the vibrations from footfalls going down the hall.


I used to set up my 6"f/15 on a 6in thick concrete slab and still when you walked on it you got vibration. On a windy day the scope would act more like a sail, and that was more troublesome then any building/floor vibrations.

I don't view in windy weather anyway. It messes up the view regardless of any vibration at high mag.

Todays further mods will be done and the floor will go down..... :jump:

Thanks for everyones suggestions.

Rob

#81 mikey cee

mikey cee

    Cosmos

  • *****
  • Posts: 9,602
  • Joined: 18 Jan 2007

Posted 02 May 2010 - 04:04 PM

Rob....Will the pier go up after the floor is laid? Who needs the hassle of muscling that animal through a door way. You'll have plenty of room to frame up the walls which will lay out on the decking. ;)Mike

#82 Steve Fisher

Steve Fisher

    Mercury-Atlas

  • *****
  • Posts: 2,806
  • Joined: 12 Aug 2006

Posted 02 May 2010 - 08:33 PM

During my High School days my teacher tried to teach me the Pathagorean Theorem. He tried in vain.

It was at this juncture on my first framing session where I learned how to put this principle to work. If A squared plus B squared equals C squared then the building is square.

It is looking good. :grin:

#83 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 02 May 2010 - 09:37 PM

Rob....Will the pier go up after the floor is laid? Who needs the hassle of muscling that animal through a door way. You'll have plenty of room to frame up the walls which will lay out on the decking. ;)Mike


Man I'm tired...I'm building this thing by myself...so huffing lumber around is tiring. Yes I will build 3 walls first...then bring in the pier and bolt it down. Today I did all the mods I wanted to do and had to lay some blocking to support butting ends of sheeting...It was also drizzling..to make things real fun. I will have to go get another 10ft 2x10 to add another joist. I made a modification to my subfloor and it caused the joist to be moved...so Now I have to support the floor seam with anothr joist. I'll be ordering the wall materials...ie.. 2x4s and siding tomorrow.

I needed to get the scope disassembled so I had my daughter and the nieghbour help....OH DEAR LORD! That tube is freeking heaving with the spotters mounted and the lens in. :shocked: Befoe I remount it I'll again remove everything and then mount it...way much easier.

Here is the scope just before we broke our backs getting it f down. I daughter got on the roof...I was on the ladder(to open the tube rings) and James was on the ground taking the weight.... :bow:

Rob

Attached Thumbnails

  • 3782510-Picture_1539James at the EP just before we disassembled it.jpg

#84 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 02 May 2010 - 09:41 PM

And now some pics of the floor being layed.
Here I'm beginning to lay some floor.

Attached Thumbnails

  • 3782518-Picture_1543sheeting the floor new piers added.jpg

#85 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 02 May 2010 - 09:56 PM

As you can see..I added the additional blocking for all the center suports...bolted them to the 2x10's at all locations and added additional floor blocking. The floor is exactly level with the top of the concrete pier. Kinda like I planned it.. :smirk: I'll add some more blocking by where the steps will be bolted to the outer 2x10 on the North side(shallowest side) After all the sheeting is layed I will snap lines where the joist are and nail away. I put a leading nail at the edge of each sheet on a joist..so I can simply snap a line from it. I'll snap lines on the first sheets layed first...then nail. (easier I think)

I'm beat!

Rob

#86 Sky Captain

Sky Captain

    Metal Whisperer

  • *****
  • Posts: 12,465
  • Joined: 07 Nov 2004

Posted 02 May 2010 - 10:15 PM

Thats incredible Rob! Nice job. :bow:

#87 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 02 May 2010 - 10:30 PM

Thats incredible Rob! Nice job. :bow:


Thanks bro..I hope to have 3 walls up by next week...then I'll borrow my daughers friends to help take the Cave head off the pier...so we can relocate it to the OB pier base.

Thanks again.

Rob

#88 Chris Schroeder

Chris Schroeder

    Cosmos

  • *****
  • Posts: 8,533
  • Joined: 11 Dec 2004

Posted 03 May 2010 - 06:43 AM

My back hurts just looking at the OTA of your refractor.

#89 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 03 May 2010 - 10:26 AM

My back hurts just looking at the OTA of your refractor.


Well I'm feeling super today.... :jump:...I'm guessing the tube weighs about 250lbish. Taking it down was waaay harder then putting it up..since I added everything after the tube was cradled. We got'er down and now I'll finish some touchups and tinker on the dew cap before it is once again completely disassembled so it can be again reassembled in the OB. The tube weighs about 120 by itself(including spotter brackets and baffle system, and back plate/lens cell adapter) :shocked:

Lumber for the walls and roofs external support arrives on Tuesday...giving me today to finish up the floor.

Rob

#90 Aircrftr

Aircrftr

    Apollo

  • -----
  • Posts: 1,215
  • Joined: 29 Sep 2006

Posted 04 May 2010 - 08:09 AM

WOW!! that is one big honkin scope!!! Just.... Wow :shocked:

#91 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 04 May 2010 - 08:31 AM

WOW!! that is one big honkin scope!!! Just.... Wow :shocked:


Thanks...and it NEEDS a nice big ROR OB......I disassembled it and removed the OTA to the scope garage..so I can dismount the Cave head and get the 8ft pier in the OB.

Rob

#92 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 04 May 2010 - 08:29 PM

Amidts the rain and wind I finished the floor of my OB today.

Yesterday my sweety wanted to go shoping at the mall instead.... :foreheadslap: of let me work on the floor.

I know when to tow the line..... :grin:

The lumber for the walls and roof support arrived today...so I'll begin tomorrow building walls... :jump:

I'm gonna need help for that I'm sure. :confused:

Next...3 walls. :grin:

Rob

#93 RobVG

RobVG

    Viking 1

  • *****
  • Posts: 921
  • Joined: 09 Jan 2006

Posted 05 May 2010 - 08:19 PM


I have Saturday morning/afternoon free. I you need an extra mule PM me.

Rob(VG)

#94 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 05 May 2010 - 10:17 PM

I have Saturday morning/afternoon free. I you need an extra mule PM me.

Rob(VG)



Rob..my sweety says I will be available after 12:30....

She has Friday off and so she said she'd help me too....

Just let me know if you still want to make it for an afternoon gig. I can use you to help take the head of the pier...so we can move the pier into the OB.... :jump: so we can finish the South wall... :grin:

I put up the framing for the North wall...all by myself today. The walls will be 2.5" shorter then the siding so there is room for the rollers to be hidden behind the siding.

Here are some first pics.

Rob

Attached Thumbnails

  • 3788880-Picture_1544framing the first wall.jpg

#95 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 05 May 2010 - 10:21 PM

And one from the North side. I'm going to recess the 4x6x18 beam 2ft into the wall. I didn't set the door header..yest cuz I'm not sure what hight I want the door yet. No problem to hang the header later.

Attached Thumbnails

  • 3788890-Picture_1545front view of framed wall.jpg

#96 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 05 May 2010 - 10:28 PM

And one with the lumber pile. I have everything in there for the walls and the support frame for the roof..just not the roof material. That will be next after the walls are finished...

Fun fun fun. Those are 8ft walls..same hight at the steel pier.

Rob

Attached Thumbnails

  • 3788907-Picture_1546lots of lumber to build with.jpg

#97 mikey cee

mikey cee

    Cosmos

  • *****
  • Posts: 9,602
  • Joined: 18 Jan 2007

Posted 06 May 2010 - 01:36 AM

Give or take a few inches that's just what I did. Ya' gots to have high walls when ya' has a refractor....no two ways about it. :bow:Mike

#98 Galaxyhunter

Galaxyhunter

    Mercury-Atlas

  • *****
  • Posts: 2,942
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2006

Posted 06 May 2010 - 05:58 AM

Nice job Rob, Looks like your coming right along. :jump:

#99 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 06 May 2010 - 07:48 AM

Give or take a few inches that's just what I did. Ya' gots to have high walls when ya' has a refractor....no two ways about it. :bow:Mike


Hey Mike....Exactly how big is your OB?

Rob

#100 rwiederrich

rwiederrich

    Goldfinger

  • *****
    • topic starter
  • Posts: 13,638
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2005

Posted 06 May 2010 - 08:00 AM

Nice job Rob, Looks like your coming right along. :jump:


Thanks....I'm building the South wall today.

I was talking to my wife about the build and I mentioned I will be putting in a small window on the East side so I can see to the house....then while saying it it dawned on me....wait! A window means any light she may want to turn on will quickly and easily shine into the OB. I don't want that..I want as much darkness as possible. What am I thinking....it isn't just a warm room...its the inside of the OB....

Neadless to say...I'm nixin the window.

Rob
Back to Observatories

CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.


Astronomics discounts for Cloudy Nights members

Recent Topics




  1. Cloudy Nights
  2. → Equipment Discussions
  3. → Observatories
  4. Privacy Policy
  5. Terms of Service ·


Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics