7.11.2021 Shutters and imaging.

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Sunday 7th 45F, early sunshine became cloud and then heavy showers in the late morning.

Tried imaging, on and off, but the seeing was mushy all morning. 

Then I worked on the dome. To try to get the shutters working without the 2x10" slit baseboard. 

First I checked the centering of the observation slit opening using cords. These were tied between a post outside the dome and the central shelf bracket at the back of the dome. 

A central pole/pipe had been checked with the laser rangefinder. Then hammered into the ground at the exact center of the dome. The cords brushed the sides of this pipe as a further check. The image looks as if the base ring is misaligned. This is only because the last arc has not been trimmed with the router. I did not have a pattern left. Having just used it in building the base ring.

The drawer slides were fixed to a 2x4, resting on a narrow edge on the base ring and bracketed to the slit ribs. One shutter rib was rubbing on the base ring as it closed. So I sawed it off higher. Still sticking. More work required when the rain stops.

It became even wetter. With heavy showers. So I closed the shutters as much as possible and gave up. I need the shutters open to be able to work on them. No point if it is raining and making everything, including myself, even wetter. The bare mud on the floor of the dome becomes very slippery when wet. I don't want to add gravel. Because it would damage the mower when the dome is finally lifted onto the observatory walls.

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