For anyone who has experience assembling the 2021 model of NexDome.
I have been attempting to assemble the dome for my new NexDome. I have completed assembly of all dome components except the shutters. When I attempted to install the shutter (in the 2021 shutter NexDome CNC machined aluminum tracks), I discovered that the width of my shutter opening varied from 27" up to 29". When I attempt to close and open the shutter, the wheels and wheel struts get bound up on the aluminum tracks and the lateral lip of the shutter rides up on top of the aluminum tracks (see photos).
I have verified with photos with Babak that my dome assembly is correct. He has suggested that the shutter opening width may correct itself when I place the dome on the dome walls. However, the dome is currently sitting on my concrete parking pad with all edges of the dome in contact with the level concrete. I do not believe that sitting the dome on the wheels of the dome walls will in any way cause the shutter opening width to become smaller. In fact, it could become larger because the rotation wheels sit inside the diameter of the dome edge and will remove a small amount of force from the center of the dome that might push the edges of the shutter opening together.
I have loosened all connectors holding the dome panels together. I thought that that might possibly allow the dome panels to relax, allowing the edges of the shutter opening to move closer together. I have also adjusted the integrated shutter wheels to their maximum width. However, neither of those adjustments have had the slightest impact on shutter opening width.
Any suggestions?
I received the plastic shutter tracks today. My shutter now works; although there are still some relatively minor issues that will require some fine-tuning of things.
The plastic shutter tracks come in 4-parts with accompanying necessary hardware.
The plastic tracks are much less complicated than the CNC machined, aluminum tracks. E.g., the T-bolts for the aluminum tracks were a pain to install; and the connectors for the 2-piece aluminum tracks that installed on each side of the shutter were very difficult to put together.
The plastic tracks essentially met the criterium that I believe is crucial for the tracks (aluminum or plastic) to work: the tracks must fit into place with no pushing or effort or clamping required. Also, the plastic tracks have a bit of flexibility that the aluminum tracks don't. But these tracks seemed to have a pretty nearly correct radius of curvature, so the flexibility was not needed.
There are 4 equal sections of track, 2 for each side of the shutter. Each track section has a pre-drilled and countersunk hole on each end. The pre-drilled holes pretty much do not align with any of the pre-drilled holes on the shutter frame. So I had to drill and countersink about 7-holes (one hole aligned with a hole on the shutter frame). You have to countersink the holes so the bolt heads are flush with the inside of the track so the wheel hubs can pass by. CAUTION: The pre-drilled countersunk holes (even if they have a bolt in them) can trap the wheel hubs and stop shutter motion dead.
If you have problems with your wheel hubs catching in the unused, predrilled, countersunk holes at the ends of the track, I implemented a solution that worked for me. I will watch the forum for anyone with issues. I had to innovate with the stop-block also. The intended solution sent by NexDome didn't work so well for me.
I will post some pictures later when I've recovered from the 3+ hours of shutter track/shutter assembly.
That's too bad, for you and for NexDome.
I have had my dome, with motorized shutter and dome rotation and 4 bays, operating for a few weeks after 13 weeks of assembly; 4-weeks of equipment installation and calibration; and a few weeks of refamiliarization with drivers and software.
NexDome must come to grips with the reality that their product is not a simple matter of unpacking a bunch of plastic panels and installing a few dozen bolts and nuts. It's at least a 2 or 3 person job and requires some considerable patience and fortitude. Additionally, the new shutter track system is not ready for prime-time. It took me 4-sets of tracks, 2 assistants, and some 3M Bondo before my track system was usable. I honestly felt like an alpha- or beta-tester with the track system.
NexDome must forewarn its customers of the likely difficulties to be encountered with assembly and of the absolute need for at least one and very likely two mechanically-minded assistants for successful assembly of a NexDome, especially one equipped with more than one bay.
I sympathize a bit with NexDome in that on-site technical support is probably the best answer but that such support is very difficult from a cost perspective when Domes are going out around the world. At least they should mandate that local dealers undertake sufficient training in dome assembly to assure availability of technical support in regions where dealers exist.
Sorry to hear of your plight.
I have been experimenting for the past 4d with using either JBWeld Professional KwikWeld Epoxy or 3M Bondo body repair compound on the new NexDome HDPE (high-density polyethylene) shutter tracks. I have to admit that Babak is correct, nothing appears to adhere to HDPE.
And, after reading the fine print on the packaging of several epoxy compounds at my local Ace Hardware this morning, several manufacturers (including JBWeld Plastic Weld) specifically warn that their epoxy is not useful with polyethylene.
So much for reinventing the wheel.
CS, Rod
I was able to install the shutters with the new track. Is there a positional reference to where the upper stop block goes that does not refer to electronics that is not yet installed (and won't be for some time)? My guess from the picture is that the block is centered on a rib. Is that good enough of a location that the sensors can be adjusted later to work properly? When you mounted your stop block did you drill and tap the block for the bolt coming up from inside? As I continue to tweak and adjust the shutter I wish the back side of the wheel mounting bolts had a screwdriver slot. It would be _so_ easy to adjust the wheels if it did. Now that it's installed I'm loathe to pull it off to cut a slot with a dremel but I may just have to.
I have been through similar pains with this door. I have the plastic tracks and everything seems to be running better now. The shutter opens and closes certainly more smoothly and the motor does not seem to strain doing so. Has anyone tackled the 1" gap in the back of the door. I am considering some industrial wind skirt like the brushed weather seal seen here: https://www.northshorecommercialdoor.com/actind-weatherblock-weatherseal-standard-b07-block.html#video-tab, but am having trouble with the irregular shape. Wondering what others are doing with this new shutter system. I am not having a ton of faith in keeping rain out. Plus wasp nests are a real potential issue for me. I'd like to have something in place to assure a better weather seal
I am just using 2 bolts per track section. That seems to be sufficient.
The stop bolt that I had was a track attachment bolt that I just reversed direction of so that the nut would stop a wheel. But I don't plan on using a stopping bolt when I have filled up the unwanted countersink holes with Bondo. I used the bolt only to stop the wheels short of a countersink hole.
Right now I'm awaiting a couple of replacement track sections before proceeding. One of the track sections was sufficiently deformed on one end to interfere with wheel passage.
See attached pdf photos for additional clarity.
We have had the shutter and tracks and motor fully assembled and operating and we have experienced many difficulties with (1) wheel hubs catching in the countersinking and (2) with a deformed end of one of the track sections where wheels have difficulty passing. We have spent a lot of time aligning and straitening wheels within the track and I believe we have been successful getting the shutter to move smoothly. I am replacing the one deformed track section.
Additionally, pay attention to bolts and nuts holding dome sections together that lie along the path of the motor mounting board. We found the motor mount board hitting the nuts/bolts and forming a hard obstacle to motor mount board passage and shutter movement. The bolts are all 1" bolts and we replaced them with 1/2" or 3/4" SS bolts and flat nuts (without plastic locking material) to create space for the motor mount board. The other solution for that might be to trim the end of the motor mount board, but I haven't done that.
I will be filling and sanding all the pre-drilled holes and countersinking with Bondo body filler and be as sure as possible that all surfaces that the wheels and hubs touch (or might touch) are smooth and unbroken. I will drill my own holes to match the position of holes in the dome. I will also likely fill and smooth the transition between track sections with Bondo body filler.
Make sure that the 2 track sections meet at zenith and that the joint is smooth and even on the surfaces that the wheels and wheel hubs touch (or can touch). If there's a shortage of track I would err on the side of the track joint being in a position that assures that the shutter can be within 3/8" of the magnetic sensor at full closure.
I hope that's clear, but I don't think you'll have a problem from the track length perspective.
CS, Rod Michael
Here are some photos of my NexDome with the plastic shutter tracks installed.
Image #1: Basic NexDome, no motors installed, shutter installed
Image #2: Shutter with plastic tracks
Image #3: Stop Block, keeps outer (back) shutter from traveling too far forward and exposing inside of observatory. I have bolted the stop block to one of the dome panel seams. I think this will serve better and is more stable and solid than using the pre-cut notch on the block that's intended to slide into the dome seam just below and behind the location I have installed.
Image #4: Stopping bolt in track. I have drilled another hole through the track and the shutter frame and placed a bolt through from the inside with the nut in the track to stop backward travel of the shutter and prevent the wheel hubs from getting caught in the countersunk bolt holes.
I have been working to assemble my new dome as well. I have the same problem with the shutter rails. Without the rails, the width of the slot is reasonable. I can install the rails with significant effort to force the dome to match the rails but when I do it pinches the width of the slot and prevents proper motion of the shutter. With an assembled dome, just setting the long rail on the flange where it is supposed to go there is clearly a significant mis-match in the radius of curvature. I totally agree that the crucial factor is the radius of curvature of the tracks. I posted a problem report after my experiences during assembly over the weekend but still have not received a response. This isn't the only problem I've been having but it is by far the most significant.
I have been through 2 sets of machined aluminum tracks. The first set of machined aluminum tracks clearly had the wrong radius of curvature and caused the dome window to bulge out, thereby widening the window/slot that the shutter is supposed to cover. The slot width was 27" at the top end and the bottom end and was about 29" in the middle. The edges of the inner shutter were forced to ride on top of the tracks instead of outside the tracks and the shutter was very difficult, virtually impossible, to open and close. In fact, I only ever closed it once (about 90%) and had such difficulty getting it open that I was afraid to close it again.
The second set of aluminum tracks that Babak sent me had a larger radius of curvature than the first set but still not equal to the dome and therefore the tracks caused the slot width to be between 27-1/2" and 28" in the middle. As a result, with the tracks installed, the edges of the inner shutter were still riding on the aluminum tracks (but less so than with the first set of tracks) and the shutter was still virtually impossible to open and close. The width of the slot at each end is fixed at 27" (bolt head to bolt head). That width must be constant for the full length of the shutter so that the shutter edges ride outside the tracks and not on the tracks. When the shutter edges are outside the tracks, the shutter wheels can ride in the tracks and the shutter can operate easily and smoothly.
Babak is sending me a third set of plastic tracks that they have just newly developed. The plastic tracks should arrive next Tuesday by DHL Express. I will try those to see if they solve the problem.
The crucial factor is the radius of curvature of the tracks. If the radius of curvature of the tracks is less than the radius of curvature of the dome along each side of the slot/window, then one must force the tracks into place and hold or clamp them into place while inserting the T-bolts into their holes. The act of forcing and holding the tracks into place deforms the dome and the slot/window, making the slot/window wider in the middle. Successful installation of the tracks and shutter requires that the tracks (plastic or aluminum) must set into place and align with the bolt holes with no pushing or effort or clamping required.
I just removed the CNC machined aluminum shutter tracks from the dome. When I did so, the shutter opening width became normal.
I thought to do this because when I installed the aluminum tracks I had to lift the dome inside, effectively reducing the radius of the dome roof, so that I could install the aluminum tracks which seemed to have a smaller radius than the exterior surface of the dome. Once in place, I had to clamp the aluminum tracks to the dome so they would stay in place while I bolted them to the dome. I suspect this whole maneuver for installation of the tracks deformed the dome roof sufficiently to cause a 2" widening of the shutter opening.
I just spoke with Babak. He is shipping me an alternate set of CNC machined aluminum tracks to try, hopefully with the correct radius. He also said they are manufacturing a new track system that is more "flexible" that he will send if the new set of aluminum tracks don't work.