03/09/09

It is no small decision to build ones own personal observatory, I think the hardest part was deciding just what kind... a dome, a roll off roof, a combination of the two, but I always thought to myself that it was a bit of a waste to have a nice building, but to use it you had to remove the roof, and couldn't take refuge on a cold winters night, even for a few brief moments just to warm up. So I thought to myself, why not build an observatory that (a.) was fully functional and reasonably “cheap” to build …that would make Glenn Kukkola happy…(b) could house a 10” telescope and work station, a sleeping bunk…that would make me happy… and (c) could be used as a warm room on those cold nights…as well as a refuge from the summer onslaught of bugs and flying critters…..So I thought, why not build an observatory where the WHOLE building rolls off?...the only problem was….HOW????

I went on the internet for ideas, but much to my dismay, I could find nothing, the closest thing I saw was a building where “half’ of the building rolled off, but it still left you prone to the elements.

So being the dreamer I always have been, I put my mind to work and started thinking….and came up with all sorts of ideas….but would have cost a small fortune. As luck would have it I went to Home Depot one afternoon to look for something totally unrelated and found the answer to my dilemma…a Royal Plastics Garden Shed!....and here is the story in pictures and  through brief description.

The first thing was to select a suitable location and size to build the ‘pad”. I decided on an 8’x10’ x 6” thick concrete pad, that was anchored to the ‘Canadian Shield” with tie rods. I also decided to put in a 7” dia. stovepipe “pier” that was also anchored and “isolated” into the bedrock with threaded rod and filled with concret

I then put in 2” PVC tubing to run the electrical connections to the telescope under the pad so as not to create a tripping hazard and also allow me to remotely control the telescope from inside the comfort of a closed/heated/bug free environment.

It took 52 wheelbarrow loads of hand mixed concrete to complete the pad!....would have been easier with a cement mixer, but then...where would the challenge have been?

Next was to design a building….here are a few drawing of some early ideas….great on paper, but very involved and expensive to build….and HEAVY!

A lot of work and materials, and ultimately too heavy to be able to “push” off the telescope by a single person....and I didn’t want to get into having to move it with motors or winches….that’s when I saw the 8’x8’ shed that Royal Plastics manufactures…and here was the final plan…

The first thing was to design and build the rolling platform. I decided to use pressure treated lumber and 3” ball bearing casters to provide movement for the base. There were 3 casters on each side where the platform met the “track” and a caster on each side of the opening where the platform  rolled past the pier.

The platform rolled effortlessly and very smoothly. The “track” was made from 2”x10”x 16’ P.T lumber and was attached to a 4”x 4”x16’ “runner plate” and tapcon screwed into the concrete.

Next…assemble the shed on top!

Once the Shed was assembled…the critical question…would it roll easily….and to my complete satisfaction…it rolled smoothly and with little effort!!!!

The next thing was to put in the “finer details”…First…a cover to cover the opening that fit around the pier…that was fairly easy, then a window in the side to look through..( totally non functional other than to be able to look out and see the sky while I was huddled up all warm and bug free inside!..)  I also put in a solar panel to charge the batteries and an inline charge controller to ensure that no damage to the system occurred, along with 6 cigarette lighter adapters and a 115 volt converter.

 I also put in a folding computer desk to allow me to close the door on one side and be able to go in an out without moving the desk...Under the desk is the access panel to retrieve the underground connections that power the scope. They can be easily removed to allow the building to move freely without the hassle of running long lengths of cord.

And here are some pics of the finished product!!!