|
Ian,
I constructed the entire building. Each and every component came in singular lengths and I fabricated it all. I did get some help from my friend Tony to dig the pier hole and lay the outer wall cladding, the rest was just me. Being a builder (ceiling fixer) has provided me with a lot of skills.
The stud work walls are easy to make yourself. I used 1.15BMT steel studs by a company called Studco. Similar products are Rondo Steel wall framing. You need to cut it on site and the stud lengths can be bought from 2.7 and up. I made my stud centers 450mm and added noggin track to it too.
As for cost, well I got these through my own account and I think materials for walls and roof were around $900. Steel of that strength is not cheap. Even if you get it at 36% off the price.
In terms of the whole observatory, not including the mount; I would say that this building with furniture cost over $8000. I would have to go through the list of materials to count it all up. By way of example the carpet I laid on the weekend cost $219.00. The metal for the skirts outside cost $319.00. It is remarkable how quickly things add up. You can skimp by not putting in formply linings. That was nearly $1000 for all the sheets alone or maybe it was more. I just don't remember now.
The gable roof was real easy. I bought the lengths. I cut them almost in half; just enough so I could bend them up to a pitch of 300mm from the bottom of where the bottom cord would normally be. I then used off cut and screwed these to the stud when correctly set. I used 6 tech screws on each truss. I then fixed the top hat sections onto the truss which I plumbed up.
Yep it has been an interesting process.
|