Building My DREAM OBSERVATORY

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==Contents==
0:00 My Dream
2:25 Picking the Location
3:33 Demolition!
5:48 Staking out the footprint
8:43 Digging Holes
11:36 Mystery Historical Item
12:03 Making the Concrete Telescope Piers
16:27 What's Next?
16:57 Squarespace (Sponsor)

The video is sponsored by Squarespace.

[RosaStringWorks]

Someone probably already identified the metal parts. But just in case, it is a "work-horse" bridle. More specifically it is the "bit" the part that goes in the horses mouth. It probably was hand forged.

[brucea]

I glanced at the thumbnail and thought "That's one weird looking telescope on the right". Then I took a second look and said to myself "Oh. It's a cement mixer".

[TheNarrowbandChannel]

My 4 year old son get very excited to see your video because of the construction tools.
For a role off roof your choice of the the wind sheltered spot is a wise choice for a roll off roof. its also nice to see you did not take a chainsaw to your woods like most people do. It took a long time to grow those trees.
Your Mystery Iron item you dug up looks like some sort of horsed bridal or harness accessory.

[jasonpatterson]

Nice to see the steel toed Crocs. Construction footwear of discerning professionals. Great video, really enjoying the journey.

[zeendaniels]

I love to do things myself. Anything. Electronics, lighting, electrical wiring, building...
Things get ugly, often messy... But you really do enjoy doing them, and the sense of pride while using them is nothing you can describe. Even the imperfections seem like part of the plan... 😂
Get it done Niko, here's my view for the algorithm.

[olivierleger]

I think this is the first time i watch an entire youtube video without missing a second.... i feel like i just lived my dream trough it :D good job and great video, amazing project.

[DenisMartin]

Happy to see your going to get your observatory! Can't wait to see the big projects you'll be able to take on.

[creatd]

If there's ever a next time, take the blade off your recip saw and using it's now bladeless head, use it against the sonotube to get out air bubbles. MUCH quicker than tapping.

[JohnPegg]

I love your channel, and love the fact that you're now doing well enough with this channel to follow your dreams. Congrats on that, and congrats on being a homeowner! But now building your OWN observatory from scratch, by yourself, is a laudable project. I've been a DIYer for decades, and the personal satisfaction that follows after you finish your customized project is always worth the pain and hard work. Clearly you need lots of prior planning, and you almost can't overthink your wants and needs. My experience with using contractors to do projects almost always ends up with both concessions AND cost overruns, and their process focuses on just finishing, whereas your process focuses on perfecting. I can't wait to see the final result!

[fff]

Welcome to NH. Enjoy our rocky soil and semi cloudy skies. Glad you're able to be in bortle 3 though. I'm in bortle 5.

[vfxsoup]

Clean up that massive rock and make it a feature stone with a name on it for the house or observatory. Great video!

[aysolar]

Congratulations - always happy to see people leave the rat race and be successful working at what they love!

[fredericfogg]

Thank you for a well thought out and presented video diary. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[GRSALAD]

What an exciting project! I understand the feeling of "I woke up early for a full day of working with concrete". It's not like you can do some of it, stop and come back later. Once you're going, you're going and it doesn't stop until you're done :p

[Astropaesan]

Nico, enjoying your channel. You will have fun doing this yourself. Very rewarding. I have been enjoying your journey.

Tony, your friendly Canadian subscriber.

Thought I would send you a couple of thoughts regarding the dream observatory I recently just “more or less” finished. I build a 10x12 roll off. Love, love, love it. Some thoughts.

1) don’t cheap out on the fasteners that you use (screw everything. If you you can easily redo.
2) over build cross supports for your floor as rectangles are weaker than squares. Use lots of cross supports and 45 degree supports, for the floor structure. Use 2x6 for all your walls and floor construction. At least 1” subfloor. Glue and screw floor. That way, you will have a structure that does not flex, (less vibration).
I used a very strong and light roofing that Home Depot Canada sells. It is a wavy reconstituted thin asphalt roofing. Did I mention it’s wicked light, and very strong for Canadian winter.
Wheels for your roof track, use wheels with grease nipples, so they can always be maintained!

HD also sells a terrific pre primed mould resistant wood siding. It looks great and will save you grief down the road. Heavy, but makes your structure even stronger, when you screw it in.
Use bracing on your walls at 45 degree angles screw it in under tension. Makes the building much more resistant to wind and storms.
Makes it much stronger too.
Metal rolls are pre punched and easy to install, with screws.
DON’T BUY YOUR LUMBER FROM HD!
Their wood is shit!
Go to a lumber store, with a yard you can browse to pick out your wood.
All beams have a crown, not perfectly straight. When building your roof structure, ensure that all your beams are installed with the crowns one way. That way your roof will not have dips and valleys.
Incorporate ample ventilation in your roof. I insulated mine as it’s really only warm a few months of the year, where I am.
I added a big buddy heater with a 20lb propane tank outside the structure. It’s great for taking the chill off, if you work out there, for any substantial period of time. The 18, 000 btu model has a hose kit for using the heater with a 20lb tank.

I would invest in a combo set of Good quality CORDLESS Drill / IMPACT DRIVER/ hell: CIRCULAR SAW for your build. They will last for years. Every house needs some serious power tools. GOOD QUALITY HAMMER couple of HD SAW HORSES will serve you well for the project. 10x18, building is a lot of sawing, angles cutting, drilling, screwing.
One more MUST speed square. ( it’s a triangular tool that is indispensable, if you want to build a square, not lopsided building.
HEY, owning a home, those tools will pay you back in no time!
Do not cheap out!!!
Buy good tools, and fasteners!

Nail your walls together, but screw everything else.

Enjoy my friend. Have fun.
Take tons of pictures!

[athopi]

Good for you, Niko. Congrats! Hope you use that large flat rock as the outside threshold. It'll be a good memory for you.

[northeastoutrider]

Love this build idea. I just built a fairly large sliding wall using unistrut and unistrut trollies. Engineered properly, I could see using a system like this to make a small roof move.

[aw]

Clear skies forever and a day Nico. Take care, have fun and keep on looking up

[astromob]

my dream in some future … congrats and « bon courage » 💪

[astrolibrarian]

From one librarian to another, good for you, man! I’m envious…