[Ian Robinson]

Starting ....

Got a machinist lined up to make an Atlux pier leveling adapter plate to go ontop of my concrete pier , just need to measure it up and give him some drawings .

Will do that tomorrow and hope to have a quote in next few days.

I have a spare CG5 tripod head , I'll use that for the CG5's pier and attach it to a suitable sized steel blank frange, might be some welding needed (6 bits of steel angle). It wont be pretty but I'm pretty sure it'll work a treat.

Once I've have the leveling adapter plates in hand , I'll settle on where to set up the two peirs , dig my two holes and will "pour" them (fine gravel quick set cement with some rebar maybe). After New Year I think.

Then it's either a slab or a off ground deck ???? 5m x 3.2m I think now (to give two piers and two scopes , and one fat astronomer plenty of elbow space). Not decided on that yet.

If I do a timber deck for the ROR shed , I'll do two the same size - we have always wanted a timber deck on the back of the house for entertaining , hanging out and bbqs, two BIYO decks at once at will work out cheaper than doing them at separate times (if I have to hire any tools).

If I go timber deck(s) route - for a deck about 1.7m off the ground what's the best option ?
- Treated pine poles concreted into the ground ? One of my neighbours did a similar deck , still finishing it off , a little worried about giving a easy path for termites to get to into the house if I use timber piers.
or
- piers made from galvanised steel hollow square sections of suitable size - welding needed maybe - bolted to concrete footings in the ground ? (I'll have to dig out my old Steel Designers Handbook to size the steelwork up - very rusty on those calcs).
or
- reinforced concrete support piers (formatube style) with suitable sized in ground concrete footings ?