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Monday 9th 58F, overcast and windy with more heavy showers forecast.
It finally feels as if I am making progress on the new dome. The shutters are aligned with the observation slit. The zenith board is ready to be reinforced with fibreglass. The slit ribs can be glassed in once I have abraded the inside of the dome. I shall leave the outside until the inner work is completed. This will provide a more solid base for external fibreglass. Rather than starting outside and having resin run through the gap.
Working from the outside will require ladders to be leaning at 45° or less against the dome. With my full weight resting on the tops. Which is bound to distort the dome without some serious internal reinforcement applied first. Internal props are all but impossible and very localised in their support. They also get in the way. I have been propping the zenith and slit ribs since removing the slit cut-out. Which means a constant battle when moving the stepladder.
The dome will not gain any stiffness from the slit ribs until they are fully glassed in. The dome remains independent of the woodwork so far. I certainly don't want to "glass in" any dome distortions. Which would leave the dome constantly stressed. Perhaps even leading to delamination of the new GRP work over time.
The unstable weather has now become a serious handicap to further progress. The frequent and often heavy showers demand shelter for any fibreglass work. Resin doesn't stick to wet fibreglass. Nor to wet plywood. So it needs continuous shelter and warmth from brief sunny periods to dry it all out.
Previously I have been stapling small sheets of clear, net-reinforced tarpaulins over the slit ribs. However, staples make countless holes where the rain pours through. It is also difficult to remove the staples even with sharp pincers. Now the shutters are blocking access to the slit ribs and won't take staples themselves.
Clear tarpaulin allows the sun's heat in. To warm everything up quite nicely. Equally importantly, it passes lots of light for continuing interior work. Instead of the deep gloom from coloured tarpaulin covers. Or having the shutters closed. Which can't happen [not easily] until the drawer slides are fitted. After the zenith board is fibre-glassed to the top of the dome.
Another insight: Instead of trying to support the plywood base ring with unsteady stacks of timber offcuts: I'll use 2"x1" wooden posts hammered into the ground. Mark them all out at the correct height with the 360° laser and run a screw through them at that height.
While I was buying the posts, tarpaulins, coarse abrasive pads and rubber gloves I purchased a number of rubber, plumbing washers. These were to seal the bracket fixing bolts against rain intrusion.
Why do the big shed, DIY chains lie through their teeth about stock levels? I drove 10 miles to purchase 10 packs to find only 6 packs on display. And, no, the fact that their own website shows 30 packs at that particular store means nothing at all. According to their staff all of their stock is on display.
Exactly the same occurred at the big shed, DIY store next door. I checked again when I returned home after driving a further ten miles. That branch still has 30 packs in stock. It hasn't been automatically updated to show my own purchase cleared the shelves. So, let's call stock levels "click bait" and be done with it, shall we? They want you through their door at any cost [to you] and are prepared to lie just to get you there. So that you can be inconvenienced by their corrupt behaviour.
Translate: 30 items in stock at this shop. Name withheld for personal privacy reasons. Stock levels checked at 17.22 on today's date.
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