Custom made eyepiece case

[gooseholla]

Hello  all,

I thought since I have a serious sized telescope now and my eyepieces are becoming ever more expensive I needed something to protect them in. I got some offcuts of oak and ash from my local timber yard that had some splits and bows in for cheap. Thought I would make a box to keep my eyepieces in. Cost in total £12.

It is oak and ash stained to look like walnut - so that the colour differences between the two woods would be minimised. I have left a contrast of the natural oak finish inside. After several coats of stain to build a nice finish I sanded it and then applied Tru-oil, a really glossy oil finish for gunstocks and guitars. Inside the lid is a ledge where I am going to put two little bits of metal to keep open a star atlas or book. I am also going to install a red light into it.

Really pleased with how it turned out. Looks lovely in person. I feel like a 17th century explorer setting off to discover new worlds!

John
 

[L8-Nite]

Nice case !  

Not sure if you plan to insert a block of foam to hold your eyepieces (?), but if you do, its a simple matter to make a 1.25" or 2" hole cutter from an aerosol can of the right size. Just cut the top off and file the burrs off the inside lip. The walls of the cans are razor thin, and with a twisting motion as you press down the cutter will make a perfect hole in solid foam, and an "almost" perfect hole in pluck foam.

Hope this helps.

[gooseholla]

Thanks for that. The plan was to make a kind of shelf to go across and drill 2" holes in it so the eyepieces stood up just off the base of the box and stayed in place during transport. the left hand part is to hold my beast of an eyepiece the Maxvsion 82 degree 24mm. This has to lie down. Then the right hand will have a compartment for collimation equipment. The middle will be for the eyepieces and filters to go in.

Really good tip for anyone doing foam though. Thanks for sharing.

John

[Stub Mandrel]

Beats my woodwork skills hands down!

You should be OK with EPs but beware that oak tends to rust anything made of unplated iron/non-stainless steel.

Just found this - aluminium and stainless steel (and gold) eyepieces should be Ok :-)

See section 4.

http://www.npl.co.uk/upload/pdf/corrosion_of_metals_by_wood.pdf

[gooseholla]

Do they even make eyepieces out of iron?! Man that really would be a beast lol

[Stub Mandrel]

I'm sure my cheap bresser ones are chromed steel tube with a plastic body.

[gooseholla]

Just an update on this box. After a few days of finishing the box, polishing it etc. I installed some of the bits to see what it was like.

Still got to install the bits in the middle section to hold each eyepiece in place.

I went a bit overboard and wanted to learn how to French polish.... I have one smooth sleek shiny box

Fortunately the shiniest part is on the underside! I wasn't that silly to make it mirror like on the top!!

John

 

[Tonynexevo925]

Very elegant

[Astro_Baby]

Thats great work there - love the french polish and the antique look to it.

[gooseholla]

Now that I built it and I look at its shiny goodness, part of me doesn't want to keep eyepieces in it anymore, in fear that it might get muddy or damaged in the field! I must admit, I have been polishing anything in reach these past few days... it is getting to the point where mdf and plywood might end up being French polished...

[mapstar]

Hi John,

Again nice work and the box looks nice. I had thought about doing something similar myself but with all I have got going on at present it's on the back burner till next year!

Can I suggest you put stain or some sort of finish on the inside as a general rule of thumb if you finish one side of wood and not tho other it tends to absorb moisture and split or cup through expansion. As dew will be a big addition it may just be a good idea.

Good stuff keep the builds coming

Damian

[mapstar]

Nice case !  

Not sure if you plan to insert a block of foam to hold your eyepieces (?), but if you do, its a simple matter to make a 1.25" or 2" hole cutter from an aerosol can of the right size. Just cut the top off and file the burrs off the inside lip. The walls of the cans are razor thin, and with a twisting motion as you press down the cutter will make a perfect hole in solid foam, and an "almost" perfect hole in pluck foam.

Hope this helps.

Like it lots top cheap tip

[gooseholla]

Hi John,

Again nice work and the box looks nice. I had thought about doing something similar myself but with all I have got going on at present it's on the back burner till next year!

Can I suggest you put stain or some sort of finish on the inside as a general rule of thumb if you finish one side of wood and not tho other it tends to absorb moisture and split or cup through expansion. As dew will be a big addition it may just be a good idea.

Good stuff keep the builds coming

Damian

Hi.

One side is stained but both sides have the same amount of linseed oil and polish.

John

[Stub Mandrel]

Nice - instant antique :-)

[callump]

Looks great - I have had plans to do something similar.

Here's my inspiration:

http://www.wood-wonders.com/Eyepiece.htm

not that my wood-working skills are up to that...

Callum

[mapstar]

Hi.

One side is stained but both sides have the same amount of linseed oil and polish.

John

Good stuff John, and keep up the great projects. I should get around to posting mine soon

Damian

[gooseholla]

Good stuff John, and keep up the great projects. I should get around to posting mine soon

Damian

Can't wait to see it. I got around to adding another coat of paint to my second scope build today. Hope to get back to it in the coming days now other things are out the way for a bit.

John

[gooseholla]

Hi,

So let me walk you through the finished box.

The filters stand up at the back. They simply slot in behind the strip of wood. This minimises the space they take up and allows me to see which one I will be selecting. The next row is 1.25"  eyepieces. Space for three of them and also a 2" slot for the adapter and a 1.25" eyepiece to sit in. The front row is 2" eyepieces. They sit in a 20mm thick bit of ash which has the holes drilled in. They are quite sturdy and won't move about. The tool behind the eyepieces is for adjusting the collimation on the secondary spider. This box will not hold every single eyepiece  I use - I rarely use them all at the telescope at the same time. The only significant thing missing is my 2" barlow. I may put this in the place of the Cheshire collimator as that doesn't really need too much protecting!

The red torch isn't one I use at the telescope but it can sit in there for now as a red light until I cannibalise one of my red led tube lights to go in there.
 

John

 

[mapstar]

Excellent stuff John

[Stub Mandrel]

A nice piece of craftsmonkeyship :-)

[gooseholla]

No prizes for guessing what is happening on the next box I am making...

John

[Stub Mandrel]

Watch it, you'll end up with a subscription to 'Router World' or 'Drill User' ;-)

[gooseholla]

I've already signed up for an adult community learning wood working course... is that nerdy enough?!   This next box is the project for that by the way.

[mapstar]

You'll end up with a garage full of woodworking equipment! It's a slippery slope!

[mapstar]

Ps you know when you've got it really bad as you end up with a pile of ply in your lounge resembling a half built dob!