Converting my POD to a ROR POD

[Carole]

As I am sure most of you know I have a SkyPOD, and whilst there are many features of this I love, the restricted view to the Zenith is a major PITA and after 3 1/2 years I can stand it no longer.

Yes - I know what you are all saying, why didn't I just get a ROR obsy. Well of course if I was starting now and knew what I know now I would do just that, but I have a POD, and can't face all the upheaval and expense of replacing it, and so I am hoping this will cure my problem and I will have in effect a ROR POD.

The kit that SkyPOD supply is just the hardware and you have to make the table top yourself anyway. However I have a restricted space as the POD is close to next door's fence, and there is a shed close to the end of the Bay on the north easterly side and you can only pass between the shed and bay if you are standing sideways. There would be no possibility of passing through this gap to screw on the table top once it is in place (using SkyPOD's kit) if you had to bend underneath it.

So I was faced with 2 options.

a) Put the PZT (POD Zenith Table) on the South/Western side - really didn't want to do this as the dome is still in the way as the objects fall to the west.
b) Do a DIY construction constructing the table top in sections that can be screwed on a bit at a time.

When Skypod failed to deliver the hardware after waiting 2 months for delivery from Canada, I decided to go for option b.

Although I like a bit of DIY and carpentry, I decided to enlist my friend Ian who is a retired engineer to help with the heavy stuff.

Firstly the door had to be moved because it would have ended up beneath the PZT. this was no easy task because the POD walls are interlocking and finally stuck down fast with a sealant called Lexel, which doesn't want to be unstuck. Anyway, between me and Ian, we managed to pull the walls apart and re-position the door in a new position.



Door in new position. I will have to re-Lexel the "moved" sections to stop rainwater leaking under the walls.



We worked out the plans and materials and went and got the materials that we could carry (they are going to deliver the rest) and while Ian was starting to cut up some of the timber I got stuck in moving the stepping stones on the lawn which now needed to go to the new door position. Why oh why did I buy ex council paving stones, they weigh a ton, they are about 3" thick!!!!

[Carole]

A couple of photos demonstrating the tight space we have to work in with the neighbouring fence and the shed adjacent to the decking.





The frame (almost complete) but some pieces will be removed whilst we fit the difficult corners and then put back again once those bits are complete:

[Carole]

Meanwhile I changed over the dome brackets for "quick release brackets".

The original bracket:



The quick release bracket



Quick release and main brackets re-assembled

[Carole]

These are the plans:

Black are uprights
Yellow are horizontals



This next plan shows the table top in two parts, and as explained above this will need to be constructed in sections because of the restricted access.

PINK = plywood painted with yacht varnish. I was going to get marine ply, but the timbershop said that wouldn't be much better as it would need varnishing anyway and would cost a huge amount more, they recommended Asian Ply (I think it was called that, or something similar)

Mauve = Decking strips

[Mike]

Carole, none of your images are visible.

[Carole]

I can see them OK.  I linked them from Astronomy Shed where I also have a thread on the project.  Didn't want to fill up the gallery.  

Any-one else got a problem seeing them?

The plans I had to put on the gallery as they were too large when linked from AS, so if you can see them but nothing else, I'll have to upload the rest to the gallery.

Carole

[Mike]

The plans are visible, everything else is not.

[Carole]

I wonder why I can see them then.

Carole

[Mike]

I wonder why I can see them then.

I have to go out now, so will upload the files to the gallery when I get back.  Or maybe I'll just do one or two before I go. 

Carole

A lot of forums won't allow linking to files or images. Plus I'm not a user on Astronomy Shed so maybe they are only visible to registered users. It's always best to upload pictures to Flickr, Dropbox or Imgur. Linking to images on other websites is always a bad idea, especially as over time the links become broken anyway. There are hundreds of posts on this forum which have images in that are no longer visible as they have become broken over time and it's irritating to go back to try and look something up in an old post to find the images no longer work.

[Carole]

OK, I've uploaded them to the gallery and now replaced them on this thread, you should be able to see them now.
I think I'll have to get myself a flicker account as my current website (google site) doesn't seem to link files either.

Can you have folders in Flicker as I don't want to get things like this muddled up with images I have on there?

Carole

[MarkS]

It looks like an excellent solution to that problem that you've mentioned ever since building your POD.

[Carole]

Thanks Mark.  I just wish I had been a bit more savvy before I bought it though, I'd have got a ROR, but I'm making the best of the situation.

Carole

[Mike]

So instead of purchasing the POD solution to roll the roof off you're making your own?

[Carole]

So instead of purchasing the POD solution to roll the roof off you're making your own?

Yes Mike.  Several reasons:

1. As explained above we can only use their method if the PZT was placed on the SW side due to restricted access, and there would still be dome in the way as things drop.  I much prefer the NE aspect as the house is in the way anyway.  

2. Secondly the kit they supply is only the hardware, you still have to buy and cut out the actual table.  However their hardware consists of angled brackets and much screwing has to take place under the table.  because of the restricted space we have we would not be able to get under the table in order to fix it to the brackets.  PLUS the brackets are designed to have a much larger table and so we would have had to have modified the brackets to fit the new angle.  

3. Finally.  Skypod charge something like £395 for the hardware only.  The table would cost another £120 so approx £515 in all, doing it DIY should cost me £300.

Carole

[Carole]

Just re-lexelled around the base of the POD.