For reasons I won't go into, the original project for my observatory became quite traumatic. One issue that always plagued me was having an enclosed garden, and therefore having to lug all building materials (and the part-built shed!) through the house. In fact we lifted the roof over a 6' fence from an adjacent footpath. But the consequence was that I decided against doing a concrete base and pier mount, and instead opted for paving slabs and a tripod. You can see a photo log of the build on the main observatory page.
That served me well for a year, but I'm increasingly noticing the lack of space and also slight flex when moving around the floor, especially when imaging.
So I decided to retrofit a pier. How hard can it be?
Cut hole in floor. Check.
Remove slab. Check.
Add extra support to floor. Check.
Start to dig hole. That's where it really gets interesting
So the pier manufacturer recommends a 45x45cm block, 90cm deep. The first 30 cm went fine, but after that a spade doesn't work.
One hole digger from B&Q later, and better progress is being made.
Hopefully will finish the hole this weekend, and be able to concrete next. Pier arrives Tuesday :)
Photo journal on the main observatory page.
Comments are closed.
|
Archives
January 2015
AuthorTales from an Astronomer constantly battling the Orange Skies kindly provided by Milton Keynes Council. Categories |