MMM Has the Bob'Servatory 2 been Conceived

[astronobob]

It has Been near a couple of years since I sold my Bob'servatory 1 which is located at Leyburn Dark Sky Site, Darling Downs SE QLD !
Astro-imaging halted to a complete Stop ! Tho I have a backyard 'Astro Area' It does Not compete with a Permanent Set-Up :poke:

Thinks me needs a new 'astronomical' relationship :D

[Dealy]

Yep, a nice roll-off roof obs would look good there :thumbsup:

[RB]

That's got huge potential Bob, and you da man !

RB
:)

[GrampianStars]

Hi astronobob (Bob)
Great idea
I just hope that tree isn't due north
if so a case of copper sulfate might be in order ;)

[astronobob]

mmm as a procrastinator i've only one thing to say Kev -
"Decisions decisions"
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Yes & thanx Andrew :cool2:
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It is to the Nth, fortunately they cut it down to fence height recently, had some disease they reckon - I Know Nothing :whistle: ;)

[astronobob]

Id really like another 3x3m Obs, but our living conditions aren't that free, as wife on disability and myself on Carers, fortunately we still in QLD Housing, the down side is : they only allow us one 3x3 permanent shed which is in the photo, my workshop, welding, power tools etc, , and I have two smaller sheds elsewhere !

So Im kinda thinking off a Roll-Away structure - Something like the 'ol Out-House', Lol, but on wheels, then its Not Permanent :nerd: :cool2:

Have seen quite a few of these around the web, keeps the Pier & Gear protected and saves on rigging up & down, plus all the other advantages, eg alignment etc :thumbsup:

Ive picked up a 1.5 x 1.5m garden shed (another one :question: ) which will go next to the fence (left side - above photo) for astro storage, Lappy control room maybe as well, so I need to make way for that 1st :thumbsup:

[astronobob]

Making a Little Progress, bit of gardening (on left) to make way for some 'crete patching' where a 1.5 x 1.5m astro store shed which can be seen leaning against the fence, bought from Gumtree - bargain and it has never been Set-Up, half price quick sale :thumbsup:

[RB]

Looking good Bob.
Nice bargain on the shed mate.

:thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:) Great start , keep us informed as the build progresses , wish I could do something like this :question: . simple and practical .
Brian.

[astronobob]

Thought to add a bit of Background to the area as before seen in above pics.

Back in 2010 I started the Backyard Astro Area which took about a month to complete !

1st pic) Before work started with a few 'makeshift' bits about for a rough plan to assess usage of space & where appropriate to set the Pier !

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th pics) Assembly and construction of Pier, all done in my humble 3x3m garden converted Workshop Shed. The Pier was made from 4mm wall 100mm x 100mm Gal box and 10mm thick blue steel plate, Stainless threaded rod, nuts & bolts for 'mouse cage' to secure the little Heq5p mount !

[astronobob]

Then came the Pier Foundation & the hole dig, not need any 'overkill' for this fit, tho very much adequate !

1st pic) Reo Cage using 50mm square mesh cut & tied appropriately, note: cutting gaps inline for the DynaBolts - make for assured easy drilling when concrete is set, blue metal aggregate is one thing for drilling with masonry drill bit, but tempered gal steel can skew your hole and cause locking your dynabolt before its hit all the way in !

2nd pic) 600mm Diam hole x 500mm deep with a square cut-out ontop, which was going to be formed with an extra 100mm above to meet up to top of pavers inc bedding sand.
The steel star picket is 600mm long with 300mm hammered and crowbar'd 'blunt end' 300mm into solid shale - its probably half rusted by now, tho the main purpose was to stabilise the foundation for 1st few yrs during season rains and dry spells so it has been firm during this time for good bedding/settling into the ground around it. Also note: at bottom left of
pic deep in hole is a shale outcrop which was left for further stabilisation, the dirt was hosed of this before pouring the concrete for maximum bonding.

3rd pic) Ready for 'crete pour 1st thing in the morn. The white 320mm diameter Poly pipe is used to cover the pier when not in use for protection against the elements.

4th pic) Pier foundation Poured along with a step edge and riser in the background and a channel drain at right next to existing shed, the distances between the edging and Pier Base was measured to suit a nice fit for pavers to exclude cutting pavers in third/halves or what have you. Also some sand brought in for paver bedding.

5th pic) Ive had my hand in Stonemasonry, its good to leave on good terms, so I was able to grab some excess 'Black Galaxy' slabs, cut to size 'all free' for my outside shelving, the narrow slice has the shiny surface facing out, behind it is the back of wider slice.

Final pic) Pier mounted, under white poly pipe with a lid. Pavers down, Black Galaxy Granite edges shaped, ground & polished looking purdy on the Bessa Block stands !

I've only used this area with a scope about about 6-8 times over the last 6 yrs - hopefully my 'soon to be' enclosure will see an end to this slack astro hobbyist, Lol

[strongmanmike]

Nicely landscaped observatory Bob, love the new shelves, enjoy :thumbsup:

Mike

[Somnium]

looking like it s coming along ! well done

[astronobob]

Just happened to look at the right time - the purchase is what has mainly started this 2nd stage :thumbsup:
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Cheers Brian & will do, always had my hand in building bits and pieces since teen yrs, never looked back !
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Thanx Mike :thumbsup: I recently made some Granite facers for them vertical slanted blocks for a more finished look to go on soon !
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Thanx Adian, slowly but hopefully surely ;)

[astronobob]

1.5m x 1.5m Astro Storage shed installed (not Ob's or Scope Cover)
Keeps astro gear close, cant/dont store gear in workshop shed as too much grinding, welding, sanding drilling, paint etc etc.

2 x cheap Bunnings shelving sets ($12-$15 if memory serves) secured with pop-rivets together and to the shed walls making both shelves & shed sturdier :thumbsup:

The Roll-Away-Scope-Cover will (when built) travell to the left grassed area exposing the scope set-up on the paved surface :thumbsup:

Was thinking of good pump-up barrow tyres/wheels x 4, tho with the scope cover being a pretty tight fit, Im also thinking of Gate Tracks so can guide back into place without hitting things :eyepop:

[Eden]

Lookng forward to seeing more great images from you Bob, in the new BobsObs™ :thumbsup:

[astronobob]

Cheers Brett, the Bobs'Obs, Simple, I like it :thumbsup:

[astronobob]

Theres always some small jobs in the Yard/Shed, tho when Larger works come by, one likes to have 'Full Unbroken Days, which is not often, a few days in a row is even betterra - so these upcoming Hol's I hope to see this project through, done & dusted ?

1stly need to score some Timber for wall frames - most likely from the Stone Masonry Yard tomorrow, !
They have plenty of FREE timber from 'packing' used to support Stone Slabs in their Shipping container deliveries :thumbsup:
Which is actually what I used for my Previous Leyburn Obs...

Bit of work needed readying them for use, Chainsaw and de-nailing, but every cut & every nailed extracted is saving this duck $$ :cool2:

Im onto it !!! :thumbsup:

[astronobob]

Am done with the 'Agonising' of the O'l Back - Tho happy is one man with someone else's 'Free Rubbish' as mentioned, from the Stone-mason yard.

Using the chainsaw in just the right places makes this job a lot easier, tho the de-nailing, even with a good jimmy-bar, wood-splitter and Lump-hammers etc still gives the upper body a nice work-out, them 5" nails are stubborn buggas hey..

Anyway, think I have enough to get me started - plenty more where this comes from :thumbsup:

[ZeroID]

Way to go !! Bit of a good workout and some usable results.
My Ob is a bought tinshed but the floor and most of the rest of the gear is 'repurposed' pallet timber, concrete pipe, chucked out PC's and electrical gear.
I actually scored a very long network cable chucked from work which has now connected the Ob to the rest of the world. First thing it did was tell me my copy of Windows is not Genuine !! It's a re-imaged DELL done with the OEM disks so should be kosher but I have others I can use.

[jenchris]

Do you want to borrow my drop saw Bob?
Also have some useful tools like holes saws that cut steel etc. Router etc.
I'd hate to see you do less than a good job due to tool shortage.
Feel free, no obligation.

[astronobob]

Great Going Brent, using initiative, being resourceful, compromise & ingenuity are very well exercised in your doings, , brilliant !
Makes for a very satisfying work :thumbsup: :cool2:
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Hey Thanx Jenni, ill keep in mind for sure :thumbsup:
I'm pretty well equipped, so, see how I go :work:

[astronobob]

Scratched out a bit of a 'rough-draft' sketch for near minimal space needed inside the Roll-Away-Cover to house either the 10" F4.7 newt or the 12" Meade Schmidt and from there working out what length timbers are, how high & long for walls mainly !

Have come up with some proportions that works well with the lengths and also the idea of a 'pitched roof' so all does not look like one weird looking tall Box

Thus working out the pitch of 45* degs allows the use of naturally square timber for the center top rail - keeping things at 45's & 90's makes life easier in my books

In the 2nd Pic, there are some old Roofing offcuts in which two of these come to a width 1600mm - so this is going to be how long the roll-away will be !

The 3rd pic is a 'Mash-Up' of whats to come. Also purchased some Auto Gate rolling Rails and wheels which the whole caboose will roll on. These rails will be secured onto two 5 or 6" wide concrete footings which will run inline with the SCP so to accommodate the scope 'Parking' inline with its housing and significantly reducing the overall height of the narrow Roll-Away..
Also will be weatherboards for the walls as demonstrated in the pic.

Last pic of a 90x80mm timber cut at 45* length ways, with a power saw which only cut 2/3rds the way through, so needed to turn timber over and match up the second cut to keep the cut flush. These to be use to Join/marry up the Roof to Wall Top Rails :thumbsup:

Bit of a Start until some wet weather ahead clears !

All the best over the festive season

[astronobob]

Have cut and mitered the wall frames, bar the middle 2 studs (one each side wall) needed to help secure the weatherboard panels. All these & roof frame have had two coats of timber oil.

Looking a bit wet tomorrow here - need a garden rain worthy day...

[astronobob]

Been a bit slack last few days, tho managed a little more progress, slowly but surely !

I need to put in some 'crete' foundations for the Caboose track/rails and ultimately need these running due celestial south as the scope will be sitting in the Park posi, so the pitched roof will be aligned aswell for a snug fit !

Unfortunetly I dont know exactly where Sth Celest Pole is here, have only ever roughed it for viewing purposes, because I have two rather large Reg Gum Trees in front of the SCP & any compass does not work well with the sheds & steel close by !

Tonight I will do some Star Trails and hope to pick it up close enough through the trees so I can dig the Caboose foundations in the right direction, which will travel out from the area another 2 meters or so !

Anyway, a couple of pics of current capers :
1st) the dig-out and form - I've decided to remove half the pavers and 'crete the area in one piece with a step to the grass on the right, bit more respectable looking ..

2nd pic) the two wall frames (Timber Free) in the little workshop, out of the frequent showers lately !
Hope you find it interesting ,,,,

[astronobob]

Been pre-occupied as we are over the New Year ect, btw, all the best to all for '16 .

Although it took me a couple of efforts to 'Discover' the SCP here, I eventually found it right in the middle of all the circling stars :P
The 1st try didnt work as was not enough stars (because of the Red Gum 'tree') to be accurate for this duck, Out with the 6m ext Ladder & chain saw - dropped a couple of branches and a few little bits :thumbsup:
Then 'plumb bob' <-- :lol: down and run a stringline to the Pier.

Also have the River Sand, Pebble & Cement tho will be letting these rain/showers clear before pouring - hopefully Weds :whistle:

[RB]

Yeah make sure it's 'plumb Robert' .... :lol:

[astronobob]

haha :D

Tho for some reason your sounding like a mother-in-law :eek:

[RB]

:lol:

[astronobob]

On a more serious Note -
Concreting, like riding a bicycle, & just as much fun , , :work: , , :drink:

1) One dude with a mission
2) Mission accomplished

[jenchris]

You didn't get the helicopter on it then?

[astronobob]

:rofl: haha, was thinking of the 12 foot screed tho ;)

[astronobob]

The Cosmo Caboose Station foundation sitting pretty

[astronobob]

Decided to hand sand the Cedar Weatherboards taking the splinters off which turned them a little lighter in colour, tho timber oiling them brought back the redness as seen in the 2nd pic (stacked up) which was good.

Joined the two side walls together which needed some packers in some joins to keep the frame square as using 120mm long Gal hex head screws, which were pulling in on my uneven hand held power saw join cuts - jack of all trades, profession at none :P

Roof frame just sitting on top in the pics, so to contemplate what on earth to figure out for the next step :question:
Most likely get the wheels on, then the tracks down and make sure the whole Caboose frame rolls evenly weight distribution wise & squarely while the framing is still pliable or able to adjust if need - would be quite the 'Mission' if all the wall coverings & roof were secured on :confused2:

I also need to obtain some 50 x 20mm Gal Steel Box framing which I'll weld together & screw into position on the inside to help keep the caboose square at all times - this needs to be in place as the door opening can Not have a top or bottom rail as the whole pier and scope has to have clearance through it when the caboose is moved away :question:

An interesting little project and a nice challenge :thumbsup:

[astronobob]

Happy Days.

Wheels Mounted in there 'Aligned' Recesses and Fastened with 6mm x 100mm hex head Gal screws .
Caboose frame 'Plum & Lined' up with pier & South Cellest Pole - inc Pic of Star-trail to show the sighting line.
Scope set up for space allowance both inside caboose & relative to where the track starts & ends. The tripod used to imitating the pier height & location.

Looking Snug

[skysailor]

Looking very good Bob, you have done a great job...
cheers

[jenchris]

Are you going to fit a drop down seat in the front of your sentry box?
A little drop down table on the side for your lappy?
Shame they don't make drop down beer fridges... lol
Looking really sweet. Looking forward to the next instalments.

[GrampianStars]

Great roll off Obs project going on :thumbsup:
Can the southern tree be trimmed?

[RB]

Looking so good Bob!
Very exciting to see it all come together.

RB

[astronobob]

Thanx Peter, :thumbsup: Wood is not the normal medium for me apart from mainly burning the stuff, but a bit of thought,, measure twice and cut once goes a long way, I'm actually quite pleased with the way its going considering ...
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Sentry box, Lol, ,
No 'drop-down' thing'o's Jenni, it may have a convenience shelf tho :thumbsup: but Ill hopefully set myself up in the recently added Shed with the usual 36" plasma screen, Buffet Hutch for quick snacks, water bed and yeah, a Bar Fridge - - so I can Drop this & that , , Lol ;)
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Cheers Rob ! The tree/s wont be trimmed any, they are each side 'Est & Wst of the BBQ area providing much loved shade through the long summery days,, also higher Light pollution in the Sth & Est direction, 'suburbia' so will be mainly utilizing the darker sky from the Zenith to the WNWst :thumbsup:
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Thanx Andrew, and yes looking forward to some quality 'astro-time' without tearing down & setting up, tho I didnt do that much, easier to leave in bits :whistle:
Oh boy, can even practice on moonlit nights :cool2:

[astronobob]

Caboose preview, think it needs some 'distraction' on the walls - a dummy window perhaps ? and/or an outside shelf ?
Heeyy, maybe a set of Chrome V8 Extractors - why not ? ? :rofl:

[jenchris]

Paint blue and put a blue light on top. Change your name to " The Doctor".
It then becomes your time machine.... Time and Relative Distance In Space. Otherwise known as telescope. ....

[astronobob]

ha ho, yes, tho it has been done before !
Thinking of : 'The Triple C Obs' or 'CCC Obs' at this stage, tho this might change :question:

[astronobob]

Havent had much time lately, tho most of the outside is done, doing the remaining roof section tomoro, , and try working out how to do a door, will look at recyclers, if nothing appropriate, then I'll start on the steel inner support bracing.

[astronobob]

Additional work to this has been slowed due to time, also have thought of how to proceed to the next step.
Ive decided to go with a Plywood door, 15mm standard with a good coat of timber oil, see how this holds up against the weather, can always recoat and/or change the concept ?

But 1st, as the caboose is sitting as is, its a little wonky, and adding a door now is not feasible, I need to work on some Supporting Structures inside.

Here is the start of cutting some angles in some angle, if you get my 'angle' :rolleyes:
These will 'criss-cross' each other and be screwed onto the lower timber 'caboose' framing to help stop it spreading and twisting. I will also be fitting some steel strap bracing on the walls to keep it as square as possible.

May add some further angle braces at 'mid-level height just under the mount/scope if needed, which prob would not hurt !

1st pic) Temporary made 'Jij' for setting angle cuts, Also the second 'un-cut' angle showing the 'criss-cross' caper as will be in Situ! Also Note the circle representing the Pier base in which I intend to make/weld an additional caper to secure/lock the Caboose to the Pier from this steel-angle supporting frame - just incase someone gets the idea to push the thing around - not a good idea with gear inside close to the walls/roof !

Pics 2 & 3) some close-ups of angle cut which need welding and screw holes drilled.

Pic 4), 15mm Ply for door and for the separate extra triangle above the door, I cant make the door and top triangle in one piece as it hits the roof when opening - will figure something out ?

Pic 5) Door Hinges, Latches & Locks

[Cimitar]

Hi Bob, this is looking awesome! Love following your blog :). Keep up the great work :thumbsup:

Cheers, Evan

[astronobob]

Hey Thanx Evan, always encouraging hearing feedback :cool2:
Started off with just a pitcher in the head, hopefully figuring it out appropriately as I go and maybe some ideas for others in here somewhere :thumbsup:

[astronobob]

Nothing like a little challenge on Aus-Day , , Welding under the Influence, in the safety of the backyard workshop of course, :question: ;)

Pic 1) Where it all 'Happens' ! One of today's weld/angle pieces in the vice under the window, which I scored from an old ute canopy yonks ago.

Pics 2-6) Close-ups

Pic 7) Inside the Caboose. Installed wall strapping & the just made black 'Criss-Cross' Angle Bracing Support - one looks thicker, but this is just the (oh here we go again) 'angle' of the photo :rolleyes:

Pic 8) Close up of the far back corner.

Next deed tomoro will be sealing the top of the pitched roofing iron - think I have it sorted, so should be one more job out of the way, and a further update on completion.

Hope its interesting...

[jenchris]

Excellent workaround. That should stiffen it up a bit and stop the base spreading.

[astronobob]

Cheers Jenni, definitely a sturdier Caboose now, yep :cool2:

[astronobob]

Another 1/2 day at it, sorting the roof top - never done the likes before, tho think this will prevent any rain entering ?

The roof sheeting corrugations has been an unexpected challenge, tho once the remedy was seen, it was just a matter of doing it.
I employed a length of timber in this situation which serves two purposes, a) to fill in the gap, & b) to further secure roofing and the capping. the semi circle capping I scored from the roadside, 'council-kerbside-cleanup' about 3 months back, came in very handy !

Fotos tell the story :

Pic 1) A piece of cardboard to represent some 120mm wide angle flashing, which was my 1st original intention, tho as seen, this would not be very successful in a cross-wind rainstorm :rolleyes:

Pic 2) After cutting, filing, rust proofing and paint/sealing the roofing cuts to accommodate the timber to slide inbetween, I then screwed the roofing to it, both sides, to reduce gaps and secure the timber in place. Then used clear roofing Silicone along the entire edges both sides, about 2/5th's a cartridge.

Pic 3) The Semi-Circle 'Capping' was then screwed to the timber at the Top, then each side to the roof-iron using hex-heads with rubber grommets. I also applied clear Silicone liberally to each screw after they were in place.

Pic 4) The semi-circle capping is looking like a pretty neat finish ?
I will be cutting some wood circle disc to cover the ends, maybe half circles , for final roof weatherproofing and to hide the ugly bits :thumbsup:

Hopefully the Door will come together and be installed sooner than later ?

All the best.

[ZeroID]

You going to be putting some floor over that bracing to slide around the pier base ?
Might help stop critter invasion if you can make a flap to fold over and seal the slot in the front part. A bit of soft carpeting or similar could give you a reasonable seal for humidity and nasties.

Nice work btw, very impressive solution for the situation. :thumbsup:

You roof cap solution is excellent but I'd leave it so it could breathe along the bottom edge to get rid of heat. Roof seems steep enough to prevent water moving up over the top and is high inside the cap. Again, nice solution.

[strongmanmike]

Your new outback dunny is lookin great Bob, bet ya can't wait to sit in it all night lookin at the stars :D

Mike

[astronobob]

Good question brent, i have thought about 'closing up around the base tho in a very much simpler fashion, that being just some 'rubber stripping' tacked on the base and just reaching/rubbing on the concrete ground, may also place a flat strip of something on the crete so the rubber does not hit the abrasive crete and give it a pretty good seal, see how that goes for now ?

Yeah, worked out real good mate :thumbsup: There is venting right along each side where the roofing and the wall tops meet, tho I may incorporate another vent and/or fan at the very top of the pitch as heat will hover up there.

Appreciate your comments and input, as there is a lot to consider and easy to miss some things,
Cheers :thumbsup:


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:thanx: Mike, plenty of great ideas, quotations & even $Million inventions from all over the world have come from inside dunnies, :P
Getting there !

[Somnium]

it has really come along well Bob, well done

[astronobob]

Between storms & heavy showers I have finally come up with a way to incorporate and build a Door. I had no idea how this was going to be done at the start, didnt even cross the mind..

Having considered which way its best to swing, what side to be on, will it clear the little astro gear shed, granite benches, the roof & having it weather proof, There has now come to the forefront a Plan.

Have decided it needs to be in two pieces, one door and a removable top triangle piece as the scope's highest point sits approx 3-4 inches under the highest point of the roof - It was either to build a higher 'caboose' by nearly 2 feet or cut my Peir down a couple of feet. high caboose will look like an eyesore and catch more wind - lower the pier also makes for rather awkward viewing sessions, & lose sky altitude with sheds & shrubs being so close ...

The weather has stopped me cutting the plywood down to size, oiling and drying time ect, tho with the door concept finalised, I was able to modify some hinges as they need to have a larger base plate so to accommodate the swinging path which now needs 270 degrees from a closed posi to right around to shed outside wall, this enables an 'entry point' on the near side of scope gear shed but also as a closed barrier with another latch at the 180 deg posi

Sounds a little much to pitcher at the moment but will see it in action down the track...

Anywho, : as usual, a couple of pics of the new modified hinges and small a piece of timber 'same thickness as door' to show how it fits when closed, the hinges will also be counter sunk into the timber frame & door will also have a thin rubber membrane for better weather sealing,,, hopefully...

Rgrds

[astronobob]

Another bit done.
Some adjustments and size reductions to the door for a good fit, also needed to cut back some roof overhang on the far side so the door could swing under it and all the way around to rest/latch against the far wall, this gives me another more convenient way out of the area, I can also have the door 'as shown in the 2nd pic' positioned to close of this corner if need, but leave access to the scope from the garden shed with the white chair which will have the Astro-Lappy and be the Control Room :thumbsup:

Also needed to 'pack out' the lower door hinge as the 'Caboose Front' door frame is not quite plum :rolleyes:
And purchased some soft rubber matting which I 'knifed' into strips for a pressure seal around the door frame, will attach these another day along with the Triangle top section above the door.

Getting there :drink:

[dylan_odonnell]

Looks good mate :) Inspiring stuff. There's no way I'll be able to pull of most of that myself, will definitely need a kit or pay someone more knowledgable! I'm thinking I might start the ground prep for a slab though and start putting in the braces and concrete wire, level it all off etc so the spot is earmarked and I can do bits here and there over the months like you are. Those planets are just about ready for ya !

[strongmanmike]

Yeah a great little project to follow this, really enjoying it, cheers Bob :thumbsup:

Mike

[astronobob]

Very advantages for some of us mate, speshly in the Burbs with small yards, yeah, take it one step at a time = slowly but Surely !
Me, Trailer & Cement Mixer are available if you want to save a few pennies :thumbsup:
, ,

Thanx again for your feedback Mike & glad your finding it interesting :cool2:

[astronobob]

Thought the 'Cosmo Caboose' needs to look a little more like a Caboose, and needed to revamp the Pier for aesthetic purposes !
I have further additional Decor in mind, like railway caboose stuff etc, a sign for the 'Cosmo Caboose' and another stating 'Galaxy Station' :P

Maybe if I adjust the wheels, I could take it for a spin on the Gold Coast's Light Rail Network :lol:

1st Pic) Neglected Pier
2nd Pic) Caboose and Revamped Pier
3rd Pic) Web Pic,,, Might add a Train Buffer Stop & utilize/modify to double up as an outdoor table/bench thing - that'll work me thinks !!!!

Rgrds all ...

[jenchris]

Got all sorts of tools Dylan .... just ask.

[astronobob]

Wohoo, Dyna Bolted (5x12mm) the Pier on today and man is it solid..

When this pier was out Leyburn I had a couple of washers as packers under each dyno bolt hole as the base had warped from welding the Gussets on, These washes never really made the Pier sit real solid, even tho all was tight, there was a fine vibration & a ringing sound when hit with something solid, like a 4x2 !

As seen in Pics 1) & 2), I decided to Diamond grind the Pier's concrete base into a hollow with approx 3mm sagittal depth so that only the circumference of the steel pier base would be in contact with the 'crete ! This took about 5-6 times to get just right so the pier sat firm without any movement when sideway pressure in two directions was applied by hand to the top of the pier.

I also decided to cut out a '2mm perspex gasket' to fit between the steel and 'crete for Two Reasons :

A) to create better contact - as this perspex can squash under load, I found this out by testing in the Vise to see if it would crack under load - simulating the force of being tightened in situ with the dynobolts, which it didNot, but the vice instead left indentations on it - good stuff !

B) To create a barrier for the painted surface from being scratched which would expose bare steel,, & also from moisture coming in contact with the steel base, especially during them multi day rain events where ground and 'crete slabs etc just keep sucking up moisture until waterlogged, so to speak.
I have also applied 3 beaded rings of silicon under the perspex, plus around & on each dyno bolt hole as the bolts were placed and subsequently tighten very tightly

I have hit the pier with a 4x2 and it just gives this 'short dead sound' now, no vibration and definitely no ringing :thumbsup: