January 18, 2004 was the day the dome was raised. Thirteen friends and family moved it nearly 300 feet from the garage to the Observatory. It was 14 degrees with 12 inches of snow on the ground. The trip was made without incident, and the dome was placed on sawhorses while we planned how to raise it.
The dome was placed starting with ten men outside and three inside. More moved inside as it proceeded. Care was taken to clear the caster wheels already on the base ring.
It actually fit!
Placing the upper and lower shutters completed the day. Chains are used for manual opening of the lower shutter, and a rope and pulley for the upper shutter. Teflon glides line the shutter track. It has worked quite effectively.
A Happy Day!
Aluminum weather skirting was added around the bottom of the dome and the top of the building. Blowing snow and rain are no longer a concern; it has been leak free since completion.
The stone sign was carved by a vendor I found at a County Fair in the Summer of 2004. A worthy final touch.
This aerial photo was taken by our neighbor Ken from his single engine plane the day after the dome was set. You can still see the path taken back to the Observatory.
The Dome Drive
My brother Mark independently fabricated the dome drive from spare machine parts in his basement. It works flawlessly.
The drive uses a snow-blower reduction gear transaxle with a 28:1 ratio. The 1800 RPM motor is brought down to 64 RPM and reduced further by pulleys.
The original chain drive was switched to a belt because of noise. Grease thickening in the cold was fixed with an oil lubricant and a stronger motor; it now uses a 1/2 HP motor.
The dome drive motor.
A double throw on/off/on switch reverses direction. It sits on an 8 foot cord, so the dome can be operated from anywhere in the Observatory.
The original 2 inch casters flattened and shifted. They were replaced with 3 inch roller bearing casters rated at 500 lb each, using three automobile scissor jacks to lift the dome.
The drive disengages by pulling a spring-actuated pin; no tools are needed.
A hand lever retracts up into the dome and drops down for leverage to move the dome by hand.
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All photographs © Rick Kazmierski unless otherwise credited. You’re welcome to share them.
