Work has commenced on my home Obs - as you can see in the photo's I have put in a 1 cubic metre block of concrete to mount the pier a friend made up for me to sit the EQ6-R on.
I plan to make up a wooden frame with posts set in more concrete for the floor (just over 3m x 3m) - not sure yet if I'm going to use floorboards or just a couple of sheets of marine ply for the floor. I will put a hole in the centre where the pier is so that no part of the floor or its supports touches the pier or the block.
I still haven't decided on the actual shed yet. I can get a 3m x 3m shed from Bunnings for $429 and modify the roof so that it becomes a ROR but I wonder if I would be better off building the shed from scratch so that I can insulate it and design a better ROR for it? A dome would be nice but way too expensive for me.
Last edited by Trekrider; 18-11-2017 at 08:50 PM.
Reason: Typo
You will want good stability in your floor so use tongue and groove structure ply, which is intended for flooring. Plain sheet ply will flex at the joint between panels, the tongue and groove stuff diesn't flex. Make sure you put in enough cross beams. Have a look at the photos of my build in the Obs forum. I built mine on the floor a wall panel at a time, then raised them and screwed them into the support beams and floor. A timber shed will not sweat like a metal shed and is cooler, much cooler, in summer.
Have fun.
You will want good stability in your floor so use tongue and groove structure ply, which is intended for flooring. Plain sheet ply will flex at the joint between panels, the tongue and groove stuff diesn't flex. Make sure you put in enough cross beams. Have a look at the photos of my build in the Obs forum. I built mine on the floor a wall panel at a time, then raised them and screwed them into the support beams and floor. A timber shed will not sweat like a metal shed and is cooler, much cooler, in summer.
Have fun.
Thanks Glen, I had a look at your build which gave me some good things to think about. Great tip on the tongue and groove too.
After leaving it a week the plinth was good to go for drilling as I wasn't using expanding bolts. Got the pier mounted using 200mm M12 studding held by Sika AnchorFix. It's turned out as good as I hoped and gives a nice dull 'thud' when I tap it.
I decided to give it a go and was impressed with the images I managed to capture - they certainly look sharper than when I was just using the tripod. It will be so nice when I can set it all up properly and leave it in place - a proper table would be good too.
Now to get on and build the actual shed - I've decided to go with a wooden frame and marine ply sides with a roll off roof.
Thanks Ken, I was looking at a tin shed to begin with but have gone away from that idea over concerns that it will get very hot in summer and will also suffer badly from condensation. The work involved to build a frame for the shed and roof to make it ROR also negates the advantages of just buying a shed from Bunnings - if I have to go to all that trouble I may as well just build from scratch anyway.
Barry,
I went through exactly the same thought process.
Yes, it can get hot in summer... but that's when to open the roof!
Never had any significant issues with condensation, even in UK winters.
The additional support frame is no more than basically a few lengths of 2" x 2" and one sheet of 6mm ply cut into strips to make the side and end seals.
The "trick", if there is one, is to find a suitable shed with a slightly gabled roof which can be removed leaving only the walls.
I'm sure Paul can supply more detail.
For the overall investment a few hundred $$$ - I think around $350 all up the TSO has given ten years of satisfactory performance, and hopefully has another ten ahead of it.
Edit: from the photo you can see the simplicity of the inner frame....
+1 for the tin shed conversion. Mine is a slightly back sloped roof cheap Chinese thing ($400 ) with a timber frame around the top edge braced in the corners and a few stiffeners down to floor level at the corners. Hasn't blown away yet. The supplied roof was useless, it now has a centre split roof system that just slides along the top edge 'rails'. I can keep most of the roof closed during an evening with minor adjustments every hour or so.
It's been a while - more planning and then finding the time to get the work done.
As you will see in the attached photos, I cleared the ground under the obs and put down weed matting. I then put the joists in and made the floor from marine grade ply lined up with the joists so that it doesn't creek when you walk on it
The walls went up on rather a windy day which was fun but with five of us not too bad. I was able to bolt it all down through the flooring into the joists then made up an angle iron frame for the top of the walls.
Today I finally got the roof on and it works a treat - rolls nicely with one hand.
Next up are tie down points so that the next big wind doesn't see the roof sailing off into the distance - I've put ratchet straps over it for now, just in case.
After that will be shuttering around the roof/top of wall area to stop horizontal rain getting in.
Last edited by Trekrider; 11-01-2018 at 11:08 PM.
Reason: typo
Looking good. You definitely won't regret it. I use my gear anytime there is a bit of clear sky.
Been chasing sunspots over the last three weeks ( pretty quiet ) and I can power up, check the sun, take an avi, close down and be processing the video in about 30 minutes. No way I'd do that if I had to setup the EQ6 every time.
Good effort Barry - did you finish protect the exposed edges of the ply deck at all?
I only ask because the obs I built in 2007 has had significant rot in exposed endgrain areas of (heavily painted) exterior ply. I'm busy at present replacing some rotted panels (luckily fascia only rather than structural).
... was there any consideration as to how the block of concrete was to be removed ? Looks like a PITA for a future owner who doesn't want a shed there...
Good effort Barry - did you finish protect the exposed edges of the ply deck at all?
I only ask because the obs I built in 2007 has had significant rot in exposed endgrain areas of (heavily painted) exterior ply. I'm busy at present replacing some rotted panels (luckily fascia only rather than structural).
Yes, this is a real problem, ply endgrain wicks in water and lead to delamination, at the very least black fungus. Marine ply helps prevent delamination but should still be sealed on the ends ( a good boat building epoxy is great sealant). I had a little but of end grain wicking on my obs floor at the southern wall junction, but caught it quick and duct taped over that section, still it took me six months to dry it out completely. A moisture metre helps locate it.
... was there any consideration as to how the block of concrete was to be removed ? Looks like a PITA for a future owner who doesn't want a shed there...
A shed like that is pretty easy to dismantle. What are the building regulations for it in WA? In NSW, if it is small enough council permission is not required, but it will not show up on your lot plan if your trying to sell later with it in place. Re the concrete, my footing is there till the next ice age gouges it out. I figure it could be a bird bath base.
Good effort Barry - did you finish protect the exposed edges of the ply deck at all?
I only ask because the obs I built in 2007 has had significant rot in exposed endgrain areas of (heavily painted) exterior ply. I'm busy at present replacing some rotted panels (luckily fascia only rather than structural).
I have to confess i haven't done anything with the exposed ply so far - every time I look at it I tell myself that I must but life just seems to get in the way I really must though.