A slight change in plans, and many details...

The original plan was to start Saturday, but we'll be using the camp's
tractor, which has an auger attachment, to dig the post holes, and
Hoppy (the camp's ranger, caretaker, and everything else, including
tractor driver) couldn't make it in the morning, and Russ couldn't make
it during the day (he'll be back for the open house that evening), so I
figured with the hazard of having open holes on the observatory grounds
during the public open house that night, it would be best to just wait
until Sunday.

But on the other hand, I have nothing better to do Saturday, and since
many of you will be there anyway Saturday night it might be easier to
get some volunteers that afternoon...

So I'll be there Saturday afternoon laying out the plans on the ground
and getting the posts ready, and Hoppy will be there with his tractor.
The auger will go 3 feet deep and about 1 foot diameter, but the center
hole for the pier should be 4 feet deep and 18 inches square, so some
hand digging will be necessary. Hoppy has a post hole digger and we
have some shovels, but we found out when building the piers for the
first two buildings that a post hole digger is not very effective when
you get that deep, so I'll be checking into renting a small manual
auger to get deeper, unless someone happens to have one and can bring
it.

Last time, the top several inches of dirt were so hard we had to climb
onto the auger frame on the back of the tractor to get it started
digging into the dirt. There are parts of the frame on either side to
stand on, so I'll need an extra person to keep that balanced (me on one
side, you on the other).

I haven't set a definite time with Hoppy for this yet. I know he can't
be there in the morning, and I need to pick up some last minute things
at Lafayette hardware stores, and check some things at Kramer lumber in
Franfort, and not being a morning person that means I probably won't be
at the camp until about 2. I could use an extra hand mapping out the
ground plans, and digging will probably start around 4.

We'll probably only do the center pier hole and the holes on the south
side on Saturday- the new building will be on the south side of the
observatory grounds, south of the post that the binoculars are usually
mounted on- so these holes will be furthest from where people will be
during the evening open house.

The other holes will be done Sunday, starting at noon. Then we put the
posts in the holes, and the next step is tricky- the posts need at
least a skeletal framing between them to keep them straight and square
for the concrete that will fill the holes. We found out last time it's
tricky to get this started, because you need to hold several parts in
position before you can get enough parts attached together to hold it
all in position, so a few extra hands are needed for that.

Depending on how much gets done Saturday, we'll probably have things
together well enough sometime Sunday to start putting it together
permanently- carriage bolts for the frame, and putting in floor joists,
etc.

Russ should be there Sunday, and on all-day projects out there, he
usually has his wife bring out some food around 5 or 6 for anyone who
is helping out.

We can't get a cement truck on Sunday, so I'll be there Monday for
that, and to continue other parts of the construction. I may also have
Tuesday off work (this is our slow time of the year at work), so if
anyone has Monday or Tuesday free, I'll have plenty to keep you busy.

-John


--- In pg_obs@yahoogroups.com, "John Mahony" <jmmahony@...> wrote:
>
> Construction of the dome to house the refractor donated last year by
Buck
> Harley will start on Sunday, April 23. Volunteers to help with the
> construction would be much appreciated. Starting time isn't definite
yet,
> but it will probably be between 10 am and noon.
>
> -John
>