This Ain't No Rat Box!

[Scorpius]

No offense - as it seems to be a popular design – but opted for the owl’s nest instead. Took nearly a month and half to receive the AVX adapter from Dan’s pier plates – then another week and a half for the machine shop to make and weld the baseplate. Still fighting the weather – seems like rain every other day – and there’s always the 40 hr. a week job to slow you down - but the wheels of progress are slowly beginning to turn.

The goal of this pier is stability - with minimal deflection – but also adaptability since I’m hoping the AVX won’t be the last mount I ever own. The ½” steel baseplate is welded to the 8” dia. - 3/8” wall - steel pier and the holes are the same as the ones in Dan’s 8” aluminum baseplates. With this set-up –if I ever upgrade the mount – I just get the adapter plate from Dan, then bolt it on and done – no further mods required.

This is a surface to surface interface with no vertical bolts to induce deflection and all the fastening is done through the owl’s nest. The cables from the warm room (USB, etc.) will be routed through a conduit inside the pier and then exit through the hole to keep them off the floor. Still need to cut a small hole near the bottom for the power cord which will be routed down through the pier to a 110v receptacle beneath a small "trap door" in the floor. Cutting that hole should be easy compared to the owl’s nest which I cut by hand with an oxygen/acetylene torch.

Here’s a good article on pier design and although I’m not a member of that particular forum – it’s the best research material I could find. http://www.cloudynights.com/page/articles/cat/articles/how-to/pier-design-fundamentals-r1236

Starting to get excited now...

Adapter Plate - Top

Bottom

Baseplate

Inside the owl's nest

Where's that darn owl?

Think it's gonna work

Paint job comes after the concrete

Look at those clouds - it's been like that here for weeks

[wxsatuser]

Look at those clouds - it's been like that here for weeks

but the grass is nice and green.

When you consider a lot of imagers image using a relatively flimsy tripod I think we tend to over do our piers.

Anyway nice job, hope your clouds go soon.

[Pompey Monkey]

When you consider a lot of imagers image using a relatively flimsy tripod I think we tend to over do our piers.

Tripods that we have to tip-toe around in case we spoil our subs... 

It's only paranoia if the gremlins are not out to get you

[Gina]

WOW!  That's a great pier

[wxsatuser]

Tripods that we have to tip-toe around in case we spoil our subs... 

It's only paranoia if the gremlins are not out to get you

I still creep around the obsy although the pier is isolated from the structure.

[JamesF]

Looks like a very nice pier

James

[laser_jock99]

Looks nice and sturdy (no wobbly 'leveling' bolts!!).

[Scorpius]

Thanks to all for the words of encouragement. Now I need to build the forms - shutters I believe they're called over there - and install the conduit and rebar and get it set in concrete. Once that's done, I hope to start a build thread. Any potential pitfalls with setting a pier that I should be aware of?

[skybadger]

I tend to stand on my pier to clean the cobwebs off the dome. Can't overdo the pier - unless it comes to moving house that is.

M

[laser_jock99]

 Any potential pitfalls with setting a pier that I should be aware of?

Make sure you set it in the concrete level- once it sets there is no adjustment!

Also you might want to drill another hole near the base of the pier so you can run your cabling neatly up inside it.

[laser_jock99]

Can't overdo the pier - unless it comes to moving house that is.

M

Mine pier is flanged and bolted to the concrete mass - so could easily be removed if required.

[gnomus]

I really like the star-shaped bolt that you are using to attach the mount to the pier head.  This is what I mean:

Where did you get that, may I ask?  At present, the only thing I have come up with is a cut down piece of threaded rod.

[Scorpius]

Hi gnomus,

That bolt came with the adapter plate for the AVX. It’s a ½” dia. aluminum shoulder bolt with M10 threads and it’s a custom made item as far as I know.

If your mount attaches with standard threaded rod, it’s possible your local home improvement store would carry something similar to this - which could be used with a piece of threaded rod to create a similar kind of bolt. Actually, I think they may even sell one with the threaded rod already attached to the knob.