Photo By John Mahony
Photo By John Mahony
These pages cover the initial construction of the observatory in 2001.
These pages cover mainly the two roll-off-roof buildings.  For details of the dome construction in 2006, skip to here.
Construction
On the weekend of 6/2-3, with more rain threatening, we began putting the frame of the upper section of the first building together and constructing the roof trusses, and installed the wheels and the track on the first building.
The upper wall section of the first building is shown here.  It has been displaced to the side so the wheels can be attached.
Counting the plywood reinforcements at the joints, these are the first of nearly 100 parts cut for the roof trusses.
During the following week, the rest of the roof truss parts were cut, and the hardware to hold down the roof (in the event of strong winds) was installed in the first building.

On the weekend of 6/9-10, the roof trusses were finished and added to the first building.  The upper frame of the second building was built and the wheels were added, and then the trusses were attached.
Completed roof trusses.
Upper section of the first building, with roof trusses added.
Aligning the track.
Marking the position of the first wheel on the second building.
The upper wall section of the second building, with wheels.
The roof has been added to the second building.