Refurbish, March 2014
After almost five years of constant weathering, the radiation shield for the thermo/hygro sensor was showing serious signs of decay. To remedy this, the base and roof were replaced; the body itself seemed to be in reasonable enough condition to survive another few winters at least, but was thoroughly cleaned to maintain its reflective gloss. The rain gauge was also cleaned out, having built up a considerable layer of moss and dead insects within its internals. Learning from previous errors, the new components should last longer - the wood is of higher quality, is better cut, and more robustly painted. The refurb project took several weeks of planning, purchasing (~£100 for marine wood, paint and assorted ironmongery) , building, and painting (five coats!) in late 2013, followed by a full weekend for the actual replacement and cleaning on 30th March 2014. How successful it has been remains to be seen, but it certainly looks more professional than my 2009 attempt.
Overview
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Rotting old roof, with rain gauge funnel on top
![Photo 1...](/photos/wx_refurb/1.jpg)
Dirty, but structurally sound, body, ready for cleaning
![Photo 2...](/photos/wx_refurb/2.jpg)
Old, deformed and filthy base
![Photo 3...](/photos/wx_refurb/3.jpg)
Another view of the rotted roof
![Photo 4...](/photos/wx_refurb/4.jpg)
Discarded roof and base
![Photo 5...](/photos/wx_refurb/5.jpg)
Close-up of the rot
![Photo 6...](/photos/wx_refurb/6.jpg)
The core seems fine, but around the edges the water damage is evident
![Photo 7...](/photos/wx_refurb/7.jpg)
Rusted ironmongery ready for discard
![Photo 8...](/photos/wx_refurb/8.jpg)
Post-clean body drying in the sun
![Photo 9...](/photos/wx_refurb/9.jpg)
Preparing the new roof, fitted with cleaned and re-funnelled rain gauge
![Photo 10...](/photos/wx_refurb/10.jpg)
The new base. Nice and thick so shouldn't deform like the old one
![Photo 11...](/photos/wx_refurb/11.jpg)
New base attached to cleaned-and-dry body and sensor post
![Photo 12...](/photos/wx_refurb/12.jpg)
The door lock is still a bit shabby...
![Photo 13...](/photos/wx_refurb/13.jpg)
Fully-assembled and refitted to support post. Could do with touching up the body paint
![Photo 14...](/photos/wx_refurb/14.jpg)
Roof close-up
![Photo 15...](/photos/wx_refurb/15.jpg)
Base close-up. New brackets for extra sturdiness
![Photo 16...](/photos/wx_refurb/16.jpg)
Gauge close-up with new, larger funnel.
![Photo 17...](/photos/wx_refurb/17.jpg)
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