Observatory Build – Day 1 and 2

This was the first couple of days I actually got started in preparing the observatory base. I have spent a few days browsing websites, talking to astronomy retailers and other observatory owners on the web.

I also drew up a loose plan of the observatory and what number of slabs and aggregates I required. I drew up an image in Fireworks (the Macromedia photo/paint program) which allowed me to draw lines, boxes and circles and move them all around to see what fitted.

Day One

I began my first day by moving the current shrubs in the border out of the way and re-planting them somewhere else, this basically took me the whole of day one.

Once the area was now clear, I then marked and measured out the area of the location of the shed.

Day Two

Today I took up the turf that was in the way and also measured out the central hole, where to concrete base for the pier is going to be. I have been advised by James at ScopesNSkies to dig a cubic metre for the base, so 1m wide, 1m long and 1m deep.

This is a fairly big hole, so I am considering getting a small 2 yard skip to take the soil. Instead of mixing the concrete by hand, or with a mixer, I am also going to enquire about the cost of getting the concrete delivered, then just using wheelbarrows to take the concrete to the back of the house. I have read that 1 cubic metre is about 20 barrow loads.