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Telescope Custom Wood Stand Fix?
I need a creative idea to solve a SEEMINGLY simple challenge. I own a large telescope called a Dobsonian. It's a large cylinder that sits in a stand I had custom-made (many people do this because the stand that they ship with are particle board and thus flimsy and unnecessarily heavy). The stand is great except for one issue. In the photo you see how the scope fits into the stand. On each side of the cylinder there are metal mounts that are U-shaped and they sit in a U-shaped cut-out in the wood (the image shows just one side). The black knob you turn clockwise to lock the scope into the tilt-angle you desire once you've locked onto a target object in the sky. The problem is that the U-cutout isn't correctly sized. It's a bit too big which results in the metal U drifting back and forth in the wood. That's horrible with a telescope as even the slightest movement makes a huge difference with trying to look at objects so far away. As you can see, I tried filling the space with velcro felt tape, but that didn't work. It either ends up too loose or to thick to allow the metal u-mount to fit back into the u-shape in the wood (you need to remove the cylinder from the wood stand for transport each time you take it anywhere). Does anyone have a good idea for how to deal with this? I thought about using a pancake-head hex screw that I can tighten to the right thickness, but a) I couldn't find a galvanized one online, b) they'd likely scrape the crap out of the metal swivel piece. Remember, any solution would need to allow the scope (and swivel assembly) to be raised out of the wood stand for transport, but be supportive enough to allow no drift when seated into the stand. ANY ideas would be appreciated. This issue has killed my enjoyment of the hobby out of pure frustration. Thanks. https://preview.redd.it/9c9cr9y6yfoe1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e2e19d18e8235db89fe5cc6cb5588e7a98e149c submitted by /u/pcserenity [link] [comments]
| | I need a creative idea to solve a SEEMINGLY simple challenge. I own a large telescope called a Dobsonian. It's a large cylinder that sits in a stand I had custom-made (many people do this because the stand that they ship with are particle board and thus flimsy and unnecessarily heavy). The stand is great except for one issue. In the photo you see how the scope fits into the stand. On each side of the cylinder there are metal mounts that are U-shaped and they sit in a U-shaped cut-out in the wood (the image shows just one side). The black knob you turn clockwise to lock the scope into the tilt-angle you desire once you've locked onto a target object in the sky. The problem is that the U-cutout isn't correctly sized. It's a bit too big which results in the metal U drifting back and forth in the wood. That's horrible with a telescope as even the slightest movement makes a huge difference with trying to look at objects so far away. As you can see, I tried filling the space with velcro felt tape, but that didn't work. It either ends up too loose or to thick to allow the metal u-mount to fit back into the u-shape in the wood (you need to remove the cylinder from the wood stand for transport each time you take it anywhere). Does anyone have a good idea for how to deal with this? I thought about using a pancake-head hex screw that I can tighten to the right thickness, but a) I couldn't find a galvanized one online, b) they'd likely scrape the crap out of the metal swivel piece. Remember, any solution would need to allow the scope (and swivel assembly) to be raised out of the wood stand for transport, but be supportive enough to allow no drift when seated into the stand. ANY ideas would be appreciated. This issue has killed my enjoyment of the hobby out of pure frustration. Thanks. [link] [comments] |
