# An Observatory for my Grandson



## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Started with a basic 3 X 3 meter garden shed, and we had to assemble this from scratch, have made a 25x25x2mm stiffener and have attached this to the roof, also have made 6 lugs to attach 6 x 4 wheel trucks to roll the roof away from the shed, have just finished the two 6 meter tracks and timber supports, a lot of time involved making this, started with two 6 meter lengths of 35x35x1.6mm RHS and spent many hours with a 100mm angle grinder and many cutoff wheels cutting a slot in both steel sections, tomorrow I will start two post holes for the support posts to hold the rail and track.

the worst is over, I think.





























The blocks on the rails are to stand the rails away from the roofing ribs and when attached to the shed walls, should allow the rails to lightly press against the ribs in the roofing iron, well that is what I hope.

More photos hopefully when I get the roof on tracks.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

What a great project for your grandson! Definitely keep us posted on your build.


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## ColoradoTJ (Jun 1, 2019)

And the grandpa of the year award goes to......

Pretty cool project.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Still trying to convert those metrics........  Naw, looks like a super project for sure. Can't wait to see him playing in there!


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

In photos that is!


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

From what I heard about the weather on the news this morning Fred, you may want to leave a little room in there for your new snow blower!!


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

pogobill said:


> From what I heard about the weather on the news this morning Fred, you may want to leave a little room in there for your new snow blower!!


We are in the tropics Bill and if we ever get snow here, I will move further north, naw!!, just kidding about moving, we have been down to around 4°C overnight but not very often, thank goodness, our colder weather is usually from cold snaps from the Antarctic that comes up on the South Westerlies.

Could you do a favour for me Bill ?, I placed an extra "O" in Observatory in the heading, would you mind fixing that for me please if possible, thanks.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

I should have shown the young bloke's telescope and motorised mount with the original post, this mount, once tuned into the heavens can track a star or Galaxy and take photos how ever he adjust the camera, forgive the yellowish background, my grandson photo







shopped the photo and this is his result.


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## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

FredM ...
If I live long enough to actually cross the Texas border and wander halfway across the globe: Is there enough room for my sleeping bag on the floor when I visit??


JW


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Just Wondering said:


> FredM ...
> If I live long enough to actually cross the Texas border and wander halfway across the globe: Is there enough room for my sleeping bag on the floor when I visit??
> 
> 
> JW


JW, you wont ever get any time to travel if you don't walk away from some of those repairs you have lined up, yep !!, plenty of room.


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## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

You make it sound like an addiction. lol
I'll bet there's a t-shirt for that with a great saying.

JW


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Done deal Fred!
I had a telescope when I was a youngster, but it was nothing like that! My folks bought it for me back in 1960, and it was a white cylinder, about 75 cm long and about 4 cm in diameter. It had a a tripod about 20 cm tall. It was so cool!


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Been a bit slack, but here is an update of where we are at now, today I had a trencher bloke come out and do the power, Ethernet and security camera cable trench, hopefully we will be all powered up by next weekend, this depends on how quick I can get our electrician to do the job.

I had uncovered 3 irrigation lines and solenoid valve cabling so the trencher bloke wouldn't damage these, ended up nicking the main inch and a half supply line and that is leaking and will need to be cut and a new joiner fitted, and he just caught the cable at the next water line and busted that and found another two water lines and a cable I didn't know about and busted those, not worried to much about the water lines, but I will have about 28 solder joints to make with the addition of extra cabling to make those repairs, them's the breaks I guess. 

A couple more photos soon.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

That sucks Fred, with all the damaged lines and cables, but you seem to be taking it in stride.
That is going to be a great observatory, for sure!


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

I have to admit that I thought you were building something so that you could observe your grandson.  I had no idea that you were building a literal Observatory. WOW! That's impressive! That is for sure quite the set up. My folks bought me a telescope back in the mid 1970s, same type of deal Bill, but mine did have a lense for looking at the sun. Had to manually walk it into your target.



pogobill said:


> Done deal Fred!
> I had a telescope when I was a youngster, but it was nothing like that! My folks bought it for me back in 1960, and is was a white cylinder, about 75 cm long and about 4 cm in diameter. It had a a tripod about 20 cm tall. It was so cool!


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## Just Wondering (Mar 25, 2018)

You'd think that next year being 2020, that our world of entrepenuers and engineers would have figured out a *simple, inexpensive* way to know what under the ground for the average homeowner.

Hmmmm

Are you sure there isn't a phone app for that yet?

lol

JW


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Just Wondering said:


> You'd think that next year being 2020, that our world of entrepenuers and engineers would have figured out a *simple, inexpensive* way to know what under the ground for the average homeowner.


There are apps for stud finders and water pipes in walls, haven't found one for ground work, the rejoining of the poly pipe is nothing, I have four 1 inch barbed joiners on hand and have to buy the 1.5 inch joiner for the main outlet, and soldering the wires is nothing neither, my problem is getting down on my knees or squatting on my butt, the job has to be done so I have to deal with the physical outcome.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

a couple of photos of the next stage of progress, I am kicking myself I didn't go and hire a trencher myself, I am sure I may have done a cleaner job and less damage apart from the two unknown lines and cable, my daughter, grandson and myself spent quite a few hours yesterday cleaning the trench, and about 6 feet had only been trenched to around 16 inches, so we had to dig that out to 24 inches, anyway, we got it all cleaned ready.

So last night it decided to rain, can you believe it, so far just drizzle, so if it stays like that, that will be ok and the trench wont collapse, just hope we get sun out soon to dry the area and make for it to be workable.
View attachment 47059


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