Roll off roof observatory help!

hi, can anyone help on how to construct a 8x6 or 8x7 roll off roof observatory with an A roof. does anyone know where their is very good instruction plans on the net? or has anyone here built one already that can help out? i have to get my gear out of my house or i will be shot! whatever you do "dont mention the war"

mind you it's not the time of year weather wise for this type work but i will have to start something in the mid spring months.

wet skies tonight!
james.

Hi James,

I can't help directly with your roll off roof, but its a very common method of converting a wooden shed into an observatory, so there must be plenty of info out there. The apex roof structure would need to be beefed up to maintain its structural integrity, then channels for the rollers, and a frame to support the roof when rolled back etc. My approach was much simpler, I attached a scoperoller to the tripod and I wheel the scope out to my observing deck (my shed has a double door) I have registration bolts which gets me more or less polar aligned immediately. If I'm taking pics, I can tweek the polar alignment in 2 or 3 mins and I'm good to go. The inside of the shed has my computers sheltered from dew, which is where I sit when imaging, more comfortable than a sliding roof design which you are exposed to the elements imo. Setup time is as fast as any "proper observatory" design, cost is much less, and very little work req', and my 10x8 shed doesn't shout "Expensive Observatory".

World famous imager Robert Gendler uses this setup, which gave me the idea to try it, mind you, I'll never be able to take pics like he does

David.

Hi James,

We are building our Roll-Off Roof Observatory. We got the Sky Shed plans on CD, and found them very useful.

We modified bits here and there, i.e. making the foundations hurricane proof!

See: Sky Shed website

hope it works out,

John

Hi James,

My own observatory is built loosely around the skyshed plans which John mentions. It really is a good design. The key is to get a concrete pier in place. I used an 8" length of 14" wavin pipe sink 4" into the ground and filled with mass concrete (God help anyone who has to ever get rid of it!). Mine is also scratch built rather than modifying an existing building. I would be wary of modifying a 'barna shed' as the examples I've seen seem to quite flimsy, But I suppose you could line with ply. However the roof support needs to be incredibly beefy to stop it flexing and sticking. Don't underestimate just how beefy this needs to be.

From experimenting with various mechanisms, I found that by far the best rolling mechanism is to use rail and rollers which are designed for gates on apartment complexes. You can get this stuff from castormart in Dublin. It is expensive (IIRC cost me €250 for everything) but it is the business. I can now open my roof literally with one finger.

If you can't stretch to building with the structural soundness required for a roll off, consider an arrangement where the whole building rolls. You lose the wind protection you get from having four walls but it is an easier build.

You can see some photos of mine here;
www.webtreatz.com/index.php/tutorials/35...4-raheny-observatory


HTH
Dave.

thanks for all the help david, john, dave,

i for sure have to make a very solid design as over here in the northwest it can get pretty wild! where i will be constructing the shed it will be right beside a large building shaded in order to protect it from storms! where the shed will be their is a very good view of the sky from northeast right to southwest. the sky sheds might be the rute to take! it will be about a 6x8 or so size, enough for me and my scopes. i must see if i can get a plan from sky sheds now and plan for the spring. will update you all!

p.s. great website Dave! fantasitic setup! your building sure is secure!

James.

Make it as big as budget and space allows. Remember to leave room for the computer bench etc. Mine's 10x8 and sometimes I wish it were a bit bigger.