hi,
now that we've all seen how to build a proper observatory, here's how to build a half-a$@ one...
not pretty, not level, but so far seems to work and withstanding what i call "hurricane winds" (probably gale-force at the most but that region between Braidwood and Bungendore does get VERY windy -tok down a tree last year)
not completely finished yet, only put a first coat of resin on the dome
will need more.
Basically:
- 4 meters wide, octogonal structure
- entire structure rotates on wheels sitting in a circular cement trench
- dome and walls are canvass covered in resin (the stuff you use for fiberglass)
- sliding roof door is sheet metal 93 cm wide running in a "track" of irrigation pipes screwd onto the sides of the wooden arches with a groove carved out on the inside surface with a small angle grinder and then widened with a drill bit...
- all screws no nails (so I can take it down someday (though the surfaces/dome will be written off then)
not quite finished but i will start using it soon and keep finishing it up slowly (flooring etc ) later on I i know should have done that BEFORE but what the heck...)
it was a prototype i was itching to try.
Learned a lot of lessons along the way ( I mean A LOT) and will incorporate when i build another one.
The horrible green structure around it had to be erected to act as a wind breaker before i started on the surfaces. Works but will soon be replaced by a nice wooden fence ( i just got the materials from an old fence being torn down...). The current one basically just recycles lots of pieces of zincalum etc i had lying around the property.
cost about 1500$ in materials (i lost track)
cheers
f