MORNING STAR OBSERVATORY
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Building a Kids Playground

If I've learned anything from building this playground set it is never volunteer to do another one. It has been way more work than I ever imagined.

​One important thing not mentioned before you buy such a kit is that although the wood pieces are precut and stained, they are not sealed against the weather. And the warranty is void unless you seal all the wood. Plus I read many comments onliine saying if you don't seal the wood it will look like crap in six month's time.

So the first order of business was buying a gallon of Australian Timber Oil and setting about sealing each individual piece of wood. That's most of four 6' long boxes for the set - hundreds of individual pieces. It felt like it took forever. I started in my free time last fall, a couple hours at a time here there, and didn't finish until this summer. I used about two gallons of oil altogether.

​The second step was preassembling some of the components such as the ladder, roof and floor panels, swing section, straight slide, and the rock climbing wall.

Picture
Finally, we are ready to start building the main structure itself. The first thing I didn't agree with was the instruction stating to build the base on the ground. The wood wouldn't last long sitting on the ground before it started rotting so I set it on concrete patio bricks and filled the base area with gravel. I kept the bricks close to the building edges so they wouldn't protrude and present a hazard and it will all be packed around the outside with at least six inches of mulch.

Picture
Day 2 of the actual build. The first floor is done and starting on the second level. I didn't realize until now that there is no floor in half the bottom. My grandson asked where the floor was, and when I said there wasn't one, he told me I needed to call them. I suppose it was meant to be a sandbox, but I don't want sand in the middle of the playset.

​I have some decking left over from my front porch so I am going to fill in the open half-floor after I finish the rest of the build.

Picture
Day 3 of the build, but not the third consecutive day. I got rained out yesterday. The upper walls are going on.

Picture
Day 4 and the second floor is done, the windows are in, and now starting on the roof.
Picture
On days 5 and 6 I got the roof finished, the Crows Nest built, the swing rail connected, and started installing the slides and rock climbing wall. A lot of day 6 was assembling and installing the tube slide.

Picture
I just got a small fortune in "kiddie litter" wood chips delivered. This is two truck loads totaling 20 yards. Hope it's enough!

Picture
After more rain interruptions we're at Day 7 and spreading mulch. But before putting the mulch down, the swing, slides, rock wall and ladder needed ground stake tie-downs installed. But because I raised the main structure off the ground a couple of inches, all the attached pieces are raised an equal amount, which gave me space to install pressure treated boards on the bottoms of them first. Then the stakes were installed. Raising the set also allows for a thicker bed of the mulch.

Picture
The half floor was finished using pressure treated deck boards. Now he has more finished play area inside. He's already telling me I need to "paint" it for him.

Picture
It's done. Plenty of room for my grandson to play safely now. And the little guy is a happy camper. I also put a free-standing swing in a rear corner so we can watch him and relax too.

​Now maybe I can get started on the observatory dome.

Page created 8/4/2022
​Last edited 8/12/2022
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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Astrophotography
  • The Observatory
    • The New Observatory
    • - About the ExploraDome
    • - About the Lancaster Dome
    • - Building the Lancaster Dome
  • Equipment
    • CCD Cameras >
      • Orion Starshoot Pro
      • QSI 683WS
      • ZWO ASI-178MM
    • Eyepieces
    • Filters
    • Mounts >
      • Orion HDX-110 (EQ-8) >
        • New HDX-110 Setup
        • Orion HDX110 EQ-8
    • Observatory Computers
    • Telescopes >
      • Astro-Tech AT6RC
      • Celestron C-11 XLT
      • Zhumell 152mm Refractor
  • Projects
    • Arduino Focuser
    • C11 XLT Mods
    • Orion SSPRO Camera >
      • Disassembled Views
      • Noise Reduction Mod
      • Temp Controller Mod
    • Ultima 8 Mods
    • Zhumell Refractor Mods
  • Non-Astronomy
    • Amateur Radio >
      • Boat Anchor Radios >
        • BC-348N Receiver
        • Collins 51J4 HF Receiver
        • R-392 HF Receiver
      • DIY >
        • Station Boom Microphone
      • Ameco >
        • Ameco AC-1
        • Ameco OCM
        • Ameco PT-2
        • Ameco R5A
      • Heathkit >
        • Heathkit SB-102 Station
      • Knight-Kit >
        • Knight Kit Span Master II
      • Yaesu FT-817 >
        • Yaesu FT-817ND
        • LDG Z-817 Autotuner
        • Windcamp LiPo Battery
    • Antique Radios >
      • Building A Radio Workbench
      • Radio Dial Neon Clock
      • Radios >
        • 1938 Zenith 6-S-254
        • Echophone EC-1
        • Eltz Radione 2
        • Panasonic RF-5000A
        • Silvertone Model 4465
    • Geiger Counters >
      • AN/PDR-27G Radiac Set
      • Lionel CD V-700 Geiger Counter
      • RCA WF-12A Geiger Counter
    • Test Equipment >
      • DIY Test Equipment >
        • DIY Curve Tracer
        • DIY Signature Tracer
      • Military Test Equipment >
        • BC-221-AF Frequency Meter
        • LM-21 Frequency Meter
        • TS-323/UR Frequency Meter
        • TS-465 C/U Sweep Generator
        • TS-505D/U VTVM
        • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
      • Tube Testers >
        • Alternating Current Sink
        • Drug Store Tester
        • EMC Model 200 Tube Tester
        • Hickok Model 6000A Tube Tester
        • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
        • Precise Model 111 Tube Tester
        • Precision Model 10-12
        • Supreme Model 385
        • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
      • VTVMs and Multimeters >
        • B&K Model 290 Hi-Low FET Multimeter
        • Hickok 225K VTVM
        • McMurdo Silver VOMAX 900
        • Micronta 22-220 FET Multimeter
        • Simpson 360-2 Digital FET DMM
        • TS-505D/U VTVM
      • Hickok >
        • Hickok 19X RF Generator
        • Hickok 225K VTVM
        • Hickok 288X RF Generator
        • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
        • Hickok 6000A Tube Tester
      • Simpson >
        • Simpson 360 DMM
        • Simpson 360-2 DMM
        • Simpson 480 Genescope
      • Supreme Instruments >
        • Supreme 385 Automatic
        • Supreme 560 Vedolyzer
        • Supreme 560A Vedolyzer
        • Supreme Model 561 AF/RF Generator
        • Supreme's Model 562 Audolyzer
        • Supreme Model 562 Audolyzer circa 1941
        • Supreme Model 562 Audolyzer circa 1946
        • Supreme Model 563 Audio Generator
        • Supreme Model 576 RF Generator
      • Other Test Equipment >
        • Heathkit IT-28 Capacitor Tester
        • Rider 162 Chanalyst
        • Tektronix 326 O'scope
        • VU-Data Model 941B Oscilloscope
    • ---------------
    • Fossils
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Star Trek >
      • Star Trek Rock Mood Lamp
      • Star Trek Communicator