Looks like we _will_ have the auger available Saturday morning, so
we'll be starting at 8 am.

-John


--- In pg_obs@yahoogroups.com, "John Mahony" <jmmahony@...> wrote:
>
> 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
> >
>