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drofos

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Everything posted by drofos

  1. There has been a fair hiatus since I last worked on the tripod thanks to Xmas, holidays and finally Covid but I am pleased to announce that it is finally finished. Since the last update, I have focussed on addressing increasing rigidity by built a hub with spreader limbs hinged and lockable at both the leg and hub sides. The hub slides up /down the central shaft when opening or closing the tripod. At the leg side, the hinged articulation is comprised of a little cart like device that slides in a large t-track routed into the back of the moving central leg element. This again is lockable in position and allows variation in how wide the legs can go. I had hoped that routing out the large t-track in the legs would cut some weight...it probably did but it remains a fair monster tripod weighing in at a svelt 27kg (including the Giro Ercole alt-az mount). Definitely not overly portable, but that was never really the intention from the outset. For scale, the dowel rods for the spreader are 30mm diameter. My plan was to have a tripod that will be as rigid/stable as possible...and make it myself. Although the spreader can be locked out at any angle and therefore the leg angle is infinitely changeable, ideally they go a fair bit wider than a lot of off the shelf tripods to maximise lateral/horizontal stability. The hub locks against a socket like attachment at the bottom of the shaft. The plan is to have a removeable and extendable walking pole that locks into the bottom and essentially converts the whole set up into a 4 legged tripod or quadpod and maximising vertical rigidity. As you can see even when in the collapsed leg position, the footprint is fairly massive but it is solid as a rock even without the removeable extendable centre pole. As a test before I put anything expensive on the top it needed a solid test and I am pleased to report it passed with flying colours in that it can withstand my weight (85kg) without any significant signs of strain or flex but I guess this should be expected given the legs are comprised of about 20kg of solid ash. Demonstration of the potential height. Here the legs are extended about 75% of their maximum. Legs are not spread as wide as it could go, but the alt/az mount is at 1.9m. I like the idea of being able to use a reasonable sized refractor straight through without sitting on the floor or bending down too much. Overall, I'm very happy with how it turned out. It took longer than I had planned, is massively heavy and probably not as ergonomic as a bought tripod although is immensely stable, will take any scope that I am likely to ever own (probably all at the same time) and is open to adaptation if ever the need arises. Plus, as it was made from a solid (although fairly large) ash board and random bits of mild steel (I bought the feet...and the mount), it was considerably cheaper than a bought alternative. Just looking at the pictures, I have noticed I am yet to paint a couple of screws!!!
  2. My tripod is probably larger (certainly heavier...need to stick it on the scales!) than their top end model but I do not doubt that theirs will be far more professional, ergonomic and overall better than what I have produced. All in, the materials (most of what I had anyway) probably come to around £150. What is not costed though is my time and although I could probably do the subsequent ones quicker, I don't think I could compete with a professional outfit, even if people were willing to pay a premium for a more solid but ultimately probably inferior product. All my construction time is in the evening when the kids are in bed and there is only so much time you can spend in a cold/unheated workshop. 🥶
  3. How did you know it was a Black and Decker? You are bang on the money from seeing only the legs! Surely other companies make them? This one is approaching the end of it's working life and will be the second one that I have had...they have decreased in sturdiness over there subsequent iterations but as you say they are great little pieces of equipment!
  4. Thank you for the link- Yes, I have seen similar and the price is massive! What I really want is something like the EQ-6pro but without the legs. Apparently that is not a thing. I would have thought a mount only option would be offered. For those that have a tripod or pillar, and you want an EQ mount what do you do? I suspect though if you have an observing pillar though you might be able to afford a mount such as that though. I think building a mount, particularly with go-to/tracking is well outwith my skill set.
  5. Thank you- I'm not exactly sure how professionally made tripods ie Berlebach keep the legs together but I suspect it is along similar lines. It keeps everything in line nicely with the double tracks but is proving a little sticky. Probably could have gotten away with just one channel per leg rather than two. After clamping down, the dowels are getting a bit caught in the channels. I suspect this is due to the furniture wax and that a little polish will solve it. It's not the end of the world as they are not too bad to free up and I prefer it this way rather than being too slippy and the clamps not holding
  6. I was wanting to make a spreader to push the legs apart. Hoping to have the spreader design slide down the central column so the legs will open evenly as at the moment it is very much adjusting each one to roughly the right angle then finer adjustments to level. The plan was for a spreader at mid leg level then a chain around the bottom of the threaded bar at foot level. One part to push the legs out and the other pulling in for a super rigid system. I like the idea and probably the look of the brass chain, I just can't figure a way to make it adjustable to tighten things down other than have a karabiner or similar to move between chain links. That would unfortunately leave a dangly bit. I thought instead of using black nylon webbing and cam buckles to be able to cinch it tight but again, there would be a dangly bit...
  7. Thank you. I can't see it ever becoming a financially viable business. I take too long to do anything and looking at the Berlebach tripods, without having ever seen one in the flesh to see how big the legs are for how much wood is needed, I don't know how they make them at that price!
  8. That's the hope although in all honesty I will probably make other iterations in the hope to reduce weight a little. I am also not entirely happy with the hub so might redesign it a little first.
  9. I see nothing wrong with an agricultural looking tripod...it's probably the way I would have gone but I spent more time making it pretty looking in the hope that I would be able to keep it in the house for the odd bit of terrestrial viewing...wife says no.... I'm just south of Dundee so yeah, you were in my neck of the woods. Not the best for viewing of the sky given the glow from Dundee but significantly better than when I was in Glasgow!
  10. Hello all, this is my first post on stargazers lounge! I recently posted a few questions about tripod construction and leg angle on cloudy nights but was also wanting to put it up here as I am still after some advice on a potential Eq mount that can be fitted to a homemade construction and thought that being from the UK, it might be more appropriate here. I constructed (am in the process of) my own, partly out of cheapness, but also as I have reasonably good wood working, metal fabrication skills and thought it would be a nice project. Plus, I had heard about the fantastic vibration dampening properties of wood. I heavily adapted the Berlebach design for my own purposes and made something that is neither lightweight, nor portable but a tripod that will live at the house and take whatever I can mount on it. I started with two planks of ash from the workshop and an old ikea table (glued oak strips) as well as various scraps of mild steel. I wanted to be able to extend the legs to various heights for leveling and I wanted them to be big so that I could mount a future large refractor and still have the eyepiece at a sensible height. In the non-extended setting, they are 120cm long and can extend another 60cm. In order to keep the legs sliding in line with each other, I routered channels down both the inside and outside components before attaching dowels to the inner piece. All articulation points are reinforced with mild steel plates...because it is not heavy enough already. The hub is almost a mercedes benz shaped 3 pointed star made from table legs and later with steel inserts. There are steel discs on the top and the bottom to increase strength (and weight). I don't have any of the in between construction shots but, I made clamps out of steel angle iron welded to size and tapped to accept a bolt (I made wooden handles for aesthetics). The bolts when screwed compress the legs together and prevent the sliding mechanism. I went for two on either size for security but it turns out I could have gotten away with one. The legs sliding is actually at present a little sticky after the varnish and wax so I propose to polish them a bit more to free things up. Attached to the bottom of the hub, I have a removable wooden tube that covers the changeable mount bolt (currently it has a M10 cut to size to secure the Giro Ercole alt-az mount) and secures a centre rod that will at a later date accept a sliding spreader plate...exactly how I am going to do this, I am not entirely sure but I was thinking of routing a t-slot down the back of the central leg component with a captive rotatable nut and appropriate stops. On the bottom of the central leg component, I have inserted and epoxied a m22 extension bolt to allow interchangeable feet. In the house for terrestrial viewing or on hard ground, I have 100mm wide non-slip plastic feet. For grass, I have a modified (sharpened) M22 threaded rod spike. Here are the pictures of the tripod as it currently stands, the leg clamps and central hub attachments. Would love any feedback or suggestions to construct the spreader. Also I am looking for a EQ go-to mount although cannot find one that can be purchased without the tripod legs or that is not daft money. What I would like is something like the SW EQ-6 pro without the legs but I am struggling. Many thanks.
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