Regulus! Astronomy Education: NRO

Observatory Construction

Arrival of the Dome:

The day of the observatory's arrival was certainly interesting. I and a bunch of friends waited for the 45' van to arrive. When it did, there was rejoicing, then bewilderment, as we determined how we were going to get a 600 pound crate off of a truck. The driver was helpful, and even assisted in lowering the crate to the ground. It was easier than we had first believed. Click on the images to see them in full size.

It arrived in a 45' truck. We were rather terrified by a 600 pound crate full of dome. How were we going to move this? We ended up using a pallet jack and a crew of willing people.

Once the crate was brought to the edge of the truck, we used the trucks lift gate to lower it down smoothly while a group of us held the other end from falling. Supporting 300 pounds is not too bad.

We took a short break after getting the crate off of the truck to investigate how we were going to move it down the driveway.

It was determined that the dome was not too heavy for all of us to lift.

Here is a preliminary test of overall heaviness.

The dome slid rather easily down the driveway...thanks to snow!

With more snow and freezing rain in the forecast, we covered the dome with a tarp.

Here it sits until time for assembly.

The construction of the unit was an easy affair. It was somewhat interesting uncrating the various parts. With snow, we used tarps to place the various pieces in an attempt to avoid losing things. As it turns out, the nuts and bolts required to assemble the observatory were missing from the shipment. Oh well. A quick trip to Home Depot solved that problem.

The observatory is seen here as it is removed from the crate. We worked our way from top down. The crating worked well as nothing was damaged in shipment

The various parts had to be inspected prior to assembly. We used a tarp to keep track of everything in the snow.

To give the relative height of the dome, here is Greg looking over the edge. The base was assembled first. A hole was cut with a jigsaw for the pier, then the walls were bolted onto the base. Once the base was complete, the top was attached and the dome placed on top.

Greg by the finished project. The last steps were to seal the edges with caulk and make sure all the bolts were tightened. Silicon spray was used to make the dome rotate easier.

Me by the final project. The structure is complete and works well. A cord is used to raise and lower the hatch. The doors all lock and seal well.

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	It arrived in a 45' truck. We were rather terrified by a 600 pound crate full of dome. How were we going to move this? We ended up using a pallet jack and a crew of willing people.
	Once the crate was brought to the edge of the truck, we used the trucks lift gate to lower it down smoothly while a group of us held the other end from falling. Supporting 300 pounds is not too bad.
	We took a short break after getting the crate off of the truck to investigate how we were going to move it down the driveway.
	It was determined that the dome was not too heavy for all of us to lift.
	Here is a preliminary test of overall heaviness.
	The dome slid rather easily down the driveway...thanks to snow!
	With more snow and freezing rain in the forecast, we covered the dome with a tarp.
	Here it sits until time for assembly.

	The observatory is seen here as it is removed from the crate. We worked our way from top down. The crating worked well as nothing was damaged in shipment
	The various parts had to be inspected prior to assembly. We used a tarp to keep track of everything in the snow.
	To give the relative height of the dome, here is Greg looking over the edge. The base was assembled first. A hole was cut with a jigsaw for the pier, then the walls were bolted onto the base. Once the base was complete, the top was attached and the dome placed on top.
	Greg by the finished project. The last steps were to seal the edges with caulk and make sure all the bolts were tightened. Silicon spray was used to make the dome rotate easier.
	Me by the final project. The structure is complete and works well. A cord is used to raise and lower the hatch. The doors all lock and seal well.