29.03.2021 Wet weather pastimes?

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 Monday 29th 44F, overcast and wet. Chapter 2.

"Meanwhile, back at the ranch:" I need something to do when it is wet. The dome is certainly large enough to be used as a modest workshop. Albeit swinging only one cat at a time. Very dark too. 

Could I be cutting plywood arcs with the router? The dome's "acoustics" might add interest! "Whispering gallery" it certainly is not! They might need to send in cave rescuers to save the "trapped animals!"

I had plans to raise the dome on the stands I bought to work on the last dome. What I really need is to build the trolley I had planned. So that it [the dome] can be made mobile, liftable and rotatable. It would probably need the boat winch to move the dome around  even on the double jack wheels.

The important thing is to build the trolley strong enough. So that the wheel jacks do not rotate the timbers to which they are bolted. Logic suggests the wheel jack clamps be placed in the corners of a square timber frame. The dimensions of which would support the dome skirt twice on each length of timber. 

Once built, the dome still needs to be lifted onto the trolley. There is a minimum height to which the jacks can be lowered with the wheels still clear of the supporting frame. So the timbers could be placed under the raised dome and lifted once in place by levering. Until the wheel jacks can be fitted into the clamps. Biasing the jack clamps to the next timber will place the torque on only one timber at a time. Triangular reinforcement in the corners can be bolted down through the depth.

The only thing I don't really like is the raised timber across the doorway. This might be removable if the weight can be taken up by another means than the wheels. Temporary blocks would help to relieve the torque applied by the offset wheels.

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