Progress on Dome

Hi all,

A while back I promised to bore you all with pictures of concrete etc. as I
(slowly) build my domed observatory. Recently, I completed the
steel-reinforced concrete pier with bolts set in. Here they a

http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...l_Cage_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...e_Base_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...nplace_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...d_Pier_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...mplete_800.jpg

Next stage is to assemble the 12 fibreglass sections (see
http://www.astro-sharp.com/dome_building_1.asp ) to the metal ring that will
hold them all together.

Regards
Ian.

Blimey Ian! That's all very professional looking workmanship.

How did you manage to bend the reinforcing steelwork so nicely?

Regards
Chris.B

Hi Chris,

I sketched it out and got a local metal-bashing company to make it up. I
assembled the bits with wire.

Cheers
Ian.

"Chris.B" wrote in message
ups.com...
Blimey Ian! That's all very professional looking workmanship.

How did you manage to bend the reinforcing steelwork so nicely?

Regards
Chris.B

Thanks Ian. Very neat job.

Do keep us up to date. Nothing like having a real dome to admire and to
daydream of owning one. I know of three home-made domes within easy
driving distance. All completely different and each containing a
different instrument type. One still surviving from the 70's is also
made of GRP. The dome itself floats on a ring tank of water built on
the top of the walls. If fibreglass cars can survive for over 40 years
then a dome should too, if properly made and secure in a storm.

I have a box full of sparkling inline skatewheels ready for my own
effort. One day.... ;^)

Regards
Chris.B

well thats an impressive dome in the making, I can only wait till kids leave
home
before i can attempt anything like that


simon
"Ian Sharp" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

A while back I promised to bore you all with pictures of concrete etc. as
I (slowly) build my domed observatory. Recently, I completed the
steel-reinforced concrete pier with bolts set in. Here they a

http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...l_Cage_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...e_Base_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...nplace_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...d_Pier_800.jpg
http://www.astro-sharp.com/images/do...mplete_800.jpg

Next stage is to assemble the 12 fibreglass sections (see
http://www.astro-sharp.com/dome_building_1.asp ) to the metal ring that
will hold them all together.

Regards
Ian.

Well done Ian - domes are great! It's awhile since I played with GRP but you never forget that resin smell;-). Keep up the good work.

The GRP dome Ron Johnson and I made had a different principle for the 10 identical side gores with 'radiant' at a horizontal position rather than the top to avoid trimming - the shutter track upstand incorporated into the gores themselves as

http://www.astroman.fsnet.co.uk/overview.htm click 'dome-types'.

We sold the two master moulds to a guy up north but never got any feedback. Ron's second dome [after a move] eg epoxy painted ply dome of hexagonal planform still looks hemispherical in profile as

http://home.freeuk.net/m.gavin/rondome.htm

Nytecam
******************
Hi all,

A while back I promised to bore you all with pictures of concrete etc. as I
(slowly) build my domed observatory. Recently, I completed the
steel-reinforced concrete pier with bolts set in. Next stage is to assemble the 12 fibreglass sections ...to the metal ring that will hold them all together.

Regards
Ian

Hi Gavin,

Thanks for that - a lot of good info on those web pages.

Cheers
Ian.

"nytecam" wrote in message
...

Well done Ian - domes are great! It's awhile since I played with GRP
but you never forget that resin smell;-). Keep up the good work.

The GRP dome Ron Johnson and I made had a different principle for the
10 identical side gores with 'radiant' at a horizontal position rather
than the top to avoid trimming - the shutter track upstand incorporated
into the gores themselves as

http://www.astroman.fsnet.co.uk/overview.htm click 'dome-types'.

We sold the two master moulds to a guy up north but never got any
feedback. Ron's second dome [after a move] eg epoxy painted ply dome
of hexagonal planform still looks hemispherical in profile as

http://home.freeuk.net/m.gavin/rondome.htm

Nytecam
******************
Hi all,

A while back I promised to bore you all with pictures of concrete etc.
as I
(slowly) build my domed observatory. Recently, I completed the
steel-reinforced concrete pier with bolts set in. Next stage is to
assemble the 12 fibreglass sections ...to the metal ring that will hold
them all together.

Regards
Ian


--
nytecam