Roll off roof - how did you do yours?

[gregbradley]

I built a roll off roof at my property about 9 years ago or more.

The roll off setup never worked well but well enough that I have put it off.

Now the timber roll off structure has weathered and is warping and the roof is hard to get past a certain point.

I originally had 100mm C purlins in longish lengths counter sunk and screwed into the timber frame.

The roof itself rests on a pair of 100 x 50 x 3mm steel section.

I drilled holes in the side of the steel and installed wheels with 10mm bolts as axles. These were too weak and would eventually get bent from hitting things and would need the wheels replaced every 2 years or so.

So for sure the wheels need to be bolted to the underside of the steel beams not on the side of the beams.

As far as a track goes I have seen for gates etc a ribbed track a bit like a train track that the gates slide over. Perhaps that is the go. My observatory is in a wind shadow so it never seems to get hit by hard winds but I would still need to construct a bracket that would prevent the roof from lifting off the track.

Ideally I would install a motorised roof retractor. Panel lift garage door openers seem to be popular.

Any suggestions?

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

Call Brett Soames and have him build you one - I can highly recommend his work.

DT

[glend]

Greg this doesn't need to be complicated, or over engineered.
See the photos below for how mine is built. My observatory Skillion roof pushes open, and pulls closed, with one hand. It has withstood sustained winds of 90kmph, and cannot lift off. No steel was used other than the angle iron track on the wall top plate. The roof cannot escape the track, even though it is open on the internal side, because the wheels are held in place by the outside of the track on the other side of the roof, all you need to do it make sure you set it up correctly. Note my el cheapo hold downs and track stops, simple rated straps securing the roof and wall corner braces together, and a quick release C Clamp as a track lock. Keep it Simple. This observatory is over five years old, and has no structural or operation issues in that time.

[gregbradley]

Looks good Glen.

Where did you get that L angle from?

Greg.

[glend]

Haha, Bunnings of course, who also supplied the castor wheels, and all the timber, roofing, treated posts, etc. In fact I should call it the Bunnings Observatory.:lol:

[xelasnave]

Replacement of wheels every two years is not the end of the world really and adding additional wheels on the current system probably would improve the situation on the side may not be perfect but more wheels will certainly improve things I expect.

I think having a lot of small wheels works best from my experience..in my small observatory I think I have eight per side ..cheap and small but the load is spread over 16 wheels....making something via the track to prevent it getting blown off makes it un necessarily complex when you can just have some rope or chain that you tie or unclip.

All I am getting at is fixing and improving what you have could be simpler than a major change in direction.

If you are thinking motors...I ran into an unexpected issue..noise...my motors make a heck of a racket such that I feel uncomfortable dragging the roof closed at 2,3 or 4 am ...and I am rural...I am thinking how to sound proof them but I don't know that will be a success... my approach at the moment is leave it until morning having covered the gear, which I do roof or no roof...if it could rain well I shall close it. But unfamiliar noise at night could be very annoying to others.

The roll off only has two wheels each side and at some point I will add more but it will be a big exercise as they are inside box steel..so Jack up the roof, cut out a section drill holes for axle... but I would like at least two more each side..the rolling resistance will be so much less that it won't be as noisy and although at present manual movement is possible adding more wheels would make moving without motors a breeze...plus I think replacing the current wheels with something better would be useful...and there is no access the lubricate the axles...yes..I will start there.

In fact just putting in better wheels, probably no bearing in current ones, and making provision for lubrication would be a giant step in forward progress.
Good luck ..the key is not to put it off.
Alex

[Merlin66]

My original TSO (Tin shed observatory) moved with me around the world.
It's now up to TSO#4
Very simple, very functional.....

[gregbradley]

Very nice Ken. I like it.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

Thanks.

Greg.