Tweedledee Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 I have recently caught up with a long lost friend from my teenage years, thanks to SmithySteve. Jim, who is also big into astronomy and not (yet) on EMS, had seen my old dome on my website and had visited Steves dome. His ambition was to have his own dome. I knew of a 3 metre domed observatory which, in my late teens over 40 years ago, I had visited several times observing through a 12.5" newt. The newt was home built old style on a massive german EQ made from 2" solid steel prop shafts running in roller bearings with a home made clock drive. I had kept an eye on this obsy over the years, driving by it and having a nosey every so often. I had heard that the old astronomer had died back in 2004 and watched the now unloved dome getting dirtier and growing more algae as the years went by. So, on Jims behalf I knocked on the door a few weeks ago to enquire about the situation with the dome. I met the astronomers 80 something year old widow and her daughter, and after some discussion, they were amenable to parting with the dome, providing I put a roof over the existing blockwork walls so it could be used as a storage shed, and replace some damaged fencing panels behind the obsy. Jim found a guy with a HIAB who would lift and transport the dome and Jim was more than happy to pay for the roofing and fencing materials, if I could organise it and do most of the graft. Today we got the job moving. As always with these projects, things turn out harder work than you expect, with unforeseen, time consuming complications. We've been grafting non-stop from 9am till 6pm and I'm aching all over after climbing about the dome, removing rusted up dome rollers and fittings and making it ready for a new roof, and then fixing the new fencing. The dome was successfully lifted and transported about ten miles to Jim's house. I am absolutely shattered and aching all over, but we still have to put a new roof on the remaining walls yet. I'm a driving instructor, used to sitting in passenger seat all day not a builder! Anyway, the exercise will do me good, and it has been an extremely satisfying day The dome will need a bit of maintenance on the shutters, but otherwise it is of very solid construction having been built to last, way back in 1975. Jim is over the moon now that he has the dome safely in his garden. Tomorrow, he will be busy pressure washing and scrubbing it till the aluminium is gleaming again. I have been nominated for the design and construction of the new base and support structure for the dome. Here's some pics... Jim - proud owner of a 3 meter dome ... w Smithysteve, tuckstar and BAZ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Wow, that's a nice bit of kit, there's a few rivets in that. Well done Pete. Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Looks really impressive. I bet with a lot of cleaning it will look fantastic. Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithysteve Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 What a find! Well done Pete and Jim ? i know Jim has been looking for a dome for some time. His dreams are starting to come true! The dome looks like a solid piece of kit. I am sure your labours will breathe new life into It. no doubt I will be seeing it soon... ? Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Bino-viewer Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 It looks in pretty good nick considering its over 40 years old. Should be a fascinating project to follow...... Good luck Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Fabulous project Pete - looking forward to seeing pics of it all set up and working. Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 23, 2016 Author Share Posted May 23, 2016 1 hour ago, Smithysteve said: What a find! Well done Pete and Jim ? i know Jim has been looking for a dome for some time. His dreams are starting to come true! The dome looks like a solid piece of kit. I am sure your labours will breathe new life into It. no doubt I will be seeing it soon... ? Cheers Steve, bring your overalls and work boots. 2 hours ago, BAZ said: Wow, that's a nice bit of kit, there's a few rivets in that. Well done Pete. Cheers Martyn, aluminium and rivets was the way to go in the 70's. Smithysteve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Watson Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 That's fab. often wondered when moving a big thing like that, how much do they charge for one of those crane hires? (No reason, just idle curiosity). Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astronigel Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 Looks Great. Great find, nice its being put back into its intended use ?. Any other info on the scope it used to house? Or if it still in use (hopefully) somewhere? Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 24, 2016 Author Share Posted May 24, 2016 8 hours ago, DeanWatson said: That's fab. often wondered when moving a big thing like that, how much do they charge for one of those crane hires? (No reason, just idle curiosity). I think it cost round about £100 for 2 blokes and HIAB truck with crane, but that was mates rates. 4 hours ago, Astronigel said: Looks Great. Great find, nice its being put back into its intended use ?. Any other info on the scope it used to house? Or if it still in use (hopefully) somewhere? Cheers, definitely better than just leaving it to deteriorate. The old lady said she had a tear in her eye when it went, but was happy that it was going to be put to good use again. I know her husband had put an awful lot of time and effort into the scope and observatory, and spent many happy hours using it regularly over 30 years. I gather that the old telescope and mount was given to Chesterfield Astronomical Society a few years ago. Don't know what they did with it. I think it was a 12.5" Newt on a heavy German EQ mount. I know it was a very heavy but rock solid build, and a bit of a dinosaur by today's standards. In its day, it was one heck of a good scope, a longer than average F6 or F7, I think, so it was big, heavy and long, requiring a big dome. It was one of very few amateur observatories around in the 70's, and the owner was very highly respected in astronomical circles. Smithysteve and Astronigel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astronigel Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Yes back in the early 70's there would be very few such scopes/observatories about. I don't have a dome but I have a scope that's very similar to what would of been in that dome ?, its an early 70's 12" on a German Equatorial ? BAZ and Tweedledee 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 4 hours ago, Astronigel said: Yes back in the early 70's there would be very few such scopes/observatories about. I don't have a dome but I have a scope that's very similar to what would of been in that dome ?, its an early 70's 12" on a German Equatorial ? Can we see some pics of your scope and mount please Nigel? Astronigel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astronigel Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Can we see some pics of your scope and mount please Nigel? When I get time on a decent dry day I'll take some pics of course ?. The mount is made in part using a vehicle rear axle, I remember reading a couple of telescope making books about 30 years ago and I think using car axles/differentials and such were quite common. Scope mount needs some work on it really tho. Its 3 motors are old 12v Montpellier motors (I think that's the name, may need spell checking!) basically old meccano motors ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) Put a roof structure over the hole that the dome covered today. It is a bit of a bodge job from a mixture of old second hand carcassing timber, but it is rock solid. Not meant as a proper shed, they just wanted a simple weatherproof covering on so they can store some odds and sods in there. Tomorrow we should get the roof and side timbers finished. That will then leave us clear to start building the walls and support structure for the dome at Jims house. Edited June 30, 2016 by Tweedledee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Graham Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Watching this with interest. Looking at that building is giving me some ideas for my set up. I am going to need a larger dome for the new scope but after reading this I might build a larger base section and use the top off my dome. Keep the updates coming Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Nice one Pete. It looks pretty substantial should do the job just fine what are you covering the timbers with? Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 14 hours ago, Graham said: Watching this with interest. Looking at that building is giving me some ideas for my set up. I am going to need a larger dome for the new scope but after reading this I might build a larger base section and use the top off my dome. Keep the updates coming Cheers Graham. I'm really not sure how you're going to use a 2.5 metre long scope in a 2.5 metre dome even if you enlarge the base area. Perhaps you've built in some characteristics of a TARDIS. 6 hours ago, Doc said: Nice one Pete. It looks pretty substantial should do the job just fine what are you covering the timbers with? Thanks Mick. It is even more substantial after today's little bit of work getting some cross bracings in. Didn't get much time on it today due collecting materials and then getting rained off early. We needed a cheap way of doing a simple utility roof. After pricing several methods the easiest and cheapest method turned out to be using Wickes corrugated plastic roof sheeting. 9mm ply will clad the side walls which are a maximum of 400mm high tapering down to 100mm with the 1 in 10 slope of the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 Well I'm glad that job is finished. These jobs are so much more difficult and time consuming when trying to work with second hand timber of all different shapes and sizes. We can start on Jims dome now, but that will be done using all new timber in the sizes we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Well done Pete. Are you going to paint it Grey? Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 (edited) Cheers Mick. It is not a professional job when you look close, but it is a very solid and will serve the required purpose. We left a brush and 5 litres of wood preserver inside. Would have coated ourselves had we not been working right up to the rain clouds, fitting the last few screws in the rain. The lady's relatives are happy to paint it for her. Edited July 8, 2016 by Tweedledee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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