The Construction
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Start Back Up Stop Top The construction started on May 5, 2000 Cinco de Mayo Click on images to see them full size! The site in its original state The camera and Astro-Pier arrive Day 1 - May 5th 2000 "The observatory floor is built and walls go up" As you can see - most of the walls were pre-built in the factory so things came together very quickly Unloading the truck and building the custom floor DEADMAN Home for the Astro Pier. A 4 foot deep hole to be filled with cement. Note that the shims will be removed and then the pier is isolated from the floor of the observatory. A quick wave and the work really starts to move along 5 hours from nothing to floor and walls up Day 2 - May 6th 2000 Trenches are dug and wires run in preparation for tying the observatory to the Internet Ethernet, phone, power and umm DTV..... The work continues slowed by the weather - Not a surprise in the Northwest The hip roof is up and shingled. The extra height of this type of roof was a worry but I had an extra tall pier so they balanced out. I learned that no matter how good intentioned the builders are you must remain in constant communication and assume nothing! The finished "Deadman" Note the care take to insure the base aligned. The bolt in the lower left points North The Astro-Pier still in its wrapper by its final home It took me half an hour to remove the pier from its box! They REALLY packed it well. I have had china shipped with less care! Great job! The DOME arrives! One delivery guy with a lift and a BIG dolly and manual forklift The driver positions the box carefully because it is missing one of the "legs" He figured someone knocked it off so put a palette under it to stabilize it Hmmm, some damage to the box by the missing leg, I took a picture ..just in case The box in the garage...waiting for its home.... Dome out of the box and roughly fit together. Per the Home Dome people it is better to build on the ground first before placing on a roof Days 5-9 - May 27-30th 2000 I BUILT THE DOME MYSELF but... ..nothing is sadder than watching a middle-age software bear having to do physical labor....except taking his picture! Adjusting the DSR access. Everything goes together with a drill and a socket set. YOU MUST BUILD ON THE GROUND FIRST! Building this on top of a tall wall would be extremely difficult and probably dangerous. *Note that the duct tape is used to hold pieces together and to keep the dome from rotating unexpectedly* Attaching the skirt to the walls. Note that my walls are 7'2" and with a hip roof to boot. I bought two 12' ladders in addition to this little one to make the job easier Attaching the base ring to the skirt.. do you see the rollers for the dome? Even though this was built on the ground, it was still a royal PAIN to get thing fitted together again. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you use lots of clamps to hold things in place Day 10 - June 3rd 2000 Setting the dome...at last! Setting the dome on the building. I did the rings and base but as it turns out it took THREE of us (5 counting the wives who handed the tools up) to get the dome set. As you can see my head may be in the stars....but my feet stayed on the ground! I don't BOUNCE well! My wife's friend Michelle stopped by to visit and brought her husband Jeff .... Jeff and I said hello, shook hands and he volunteered to help. Pretty darn nice for someone I met 5 minutes before!! Without Jeff's help I would have NEVER been able to set the dome. THANK YOU JEFF! I OWE YOU A BIG STEAK DINNER! An hour later, my friend Ed stopped by on the way back from fishing....Ed was on the roof with Jeff a couple of minutes later...Note how the ol' round bear has his paws on the ground. Ed's timing was PERFECT! It turned out we needed a second person on the roof to stabilize the dome while I set the bolts....THANK YOU ED! VICTORY!!!!!! Jeff, Ed and I are in a state of shock YES! Ooops, let's put Tomas in the middle. Were we really done??? after all - it is his dome The dome from the inside....boy, it looks high - but the pier is tall! THE DOME IS SET!!!!!!! A few screws need a bit of tightening. The shutter cables need to be mounted and the fiberglass cleaned. One small chip needs fixing... June 30th 2000 Painting Complete! The observatory now matches the house..... July 1st 2000 Fixing the dome rotation My neighbor - Mike "The Wizard" Costello fixes mounting problems with the installation of the motors which prevent the dome from rotating properly The drive wheels must float to compensate for uneven and less than level portions of the dome. Mike trimmed the aluminum arm and mounted the pivot arms correctly so that with springs they would always force the wheels against the dome with a consistent force. The trimming is only needed for the 6' dome. Also note that the motors are mounted horizontally on the DSR and not how they are shown in the manual! Mike peeking out of the dome The dome rotates PERFECTLY! Thanks Mike!!!!!! THE DRYWALL Oh boy... this is fancier than I planned Note the splattering on the lens-dramatic but accidental! SETTING THE SCOPE My wife, Elfie and son Joel standing by their inheritance! OH NO! Need to change my pier! 17.5" North, 40" Up Bill Shiffman to the rescue!

Scroll through the construction

Start Back Up Stop Top

The construction started on

May 5, 2000

Cinco de Mayo

Click on images to see them full size!

The site in its original state

The camera and Astro-Pier arrive

Day 1 - May 5th 2000

"The observatory floor is built and walls go up"

As you can see - most of the walls were pre-built in the factory so things came together very quickly

Unloading the truck and building the custom floor

DEADMAN

Home for the Astro Pier. A 4 foot deep hole to be filled with cement. Note that the shims will be removed and then the pier is isolated from the floor of the observatory.

A quick wave and the work really starts to move along

5 hours from nothing to floor and walls up

Day 2 - May 6th 2000

Trenches are dug and wires run in preparation for tying the observatory to the Internet

Ethernet, phone, power and umm DTV.....

The work continues slowed by the weather -

Not a surprise in the Northwest

The hip roof is up and shingled.

The extra height of this type of roof was a worry but I had an extra tall pier so they balanced out. I learned that no matter how good intentioned the builders are you must remain in constant communication and assume nothing!

The finished "Deadman"

Note the care take to insure the base aligned.
The bolt in the lower left points North

The Astro-Pier still in its wrapper by its final home

It took me half an hour to remove the pier from its box!
They REALLY packed it well. I have had china shipped with less care! Great job!

The DOME arrives!

One delivery guy with a lift and a BIG dolly and manual forklift

The driver positions the box carefully because it is missing one of the "legs"

He figured someone knocked it off so put a palette under it to stabilize it

Hmmm, some damage to the box by the missing leg, I took a picture ..just in case

The box in the garage...waiting for its home....

Dome out of the box and roughly fit together.

Per the Home Dome people it is better to build on the ground first before placing on a roof

Days 5-9 - May 27-30th 2000

I BUILT THE DOME MYSELF but...

..nothing is sadder than watching a middle-age software bear having to do physical labor....except taking his picture!

Adjusting the DSR access. Everything goes together with a drill and a socket set.

YOU MUST BUILD ON THE GROUND FIRST!
Building this on top of a tall wall would be extremely difficult and probably dangerous.

Note that the duct tape is used to hold pieces together and to keep the dome from rotating unexpectedly

Attaching the skirt to the walls. Note that my walls are 7'2" and with a hip roof to boot.
I bought two 12' ladders in addition to this little one to make the job easier

Attaching the base ring to the skirt.. do you see the rollers for the dome?
Even though this was built on the ground, it was still a royal PAIN to get thing fitted together again. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you use lots of clamps to hold things in place

Day 10 - June 3rd 2000

Setting the dome...at last!

Setting the dome on the building. I did the rings and base but as it turns out it took THREE of us (5 counting the wives who handed the tools up) to get the dome set. As you can see my head may be in the stars....but my feet stayed on the ground! I don't BOUNCE well!

My wife's friend Michelle stopped by to visit and brought her husband Jeff .... Jeff and I said hello, shook hands and he volunteered to help. Pretty darn nice for someone I met 5 minutes before!!
Without Jeff's help I would have NEVER been able to set the dome.

THANK YOU JEFF! I OWE YOU A BIG STEAK DINNER!

An hour later, my friend Ed stopped by on the way back from fishing....Ed was on the roof with Jeff a couple of minutes later...Note how the ol' round bear has his paws on the ground.
Ed's timing was PERFECT! It turned out we needed a second person on the roof to stabilize the dome while I set the bolts....THANK YOU ED!

VICTORY!!!!!!

Jeff, Ed and I are in a state of shock YES! Ooops, let's put Tomas in the middle.
Were we really done??? after all - it is his dome

The dome from the inside....boy, it looks high - but the pier is tall!

THE DOME IS SET!!!!!!!

A few screws need a bit of tightening. The shutter cables need to be mounted and the fiberglass cleaned. One small chip needs fixing...

June 30th 2000

Painting Complete!
The observatory now matches the house.....

July 1st 2000
Fixing the dome rotation

My neighbor - Mike "The Wizard" Costello fixes mounting problems with the
installation of the motors which prevent the dome from rotating properly

The drive wheels must float to compensate for uneven and less than level portions of the dome. Mike trimmed the aluminum arm and mounted the pivot arms correctly so that with springs they would always force the wheels against the dome with a consistent force. The trimming is only needed for the 6' dome. Also note that the motors are mounted horizontally on the DSR and not how they are shown in the manual!