Gina

Maybe I won't build one then 🤣

That's a thought.

I reckon if anyone can do it Chris, you can!

Cheap Chinese lathes costing under half a grand are pretty much rubbish! Decent lathes are very expensive. But then so is decent astro equipment!

Well I haven't added to it lately - been concerned with other things. Really need to get back to it - Peter has already been extremely patient and I'm very grateful. Actually, I think I shall abandon DSO imaging and get back to solar when weather permits. First though I do need to get PA right.

It's a refractor about a metre FL plus a modified Coronado PST. Currently on loan from Peter Drew - sale or return. Project so far is covered in my Blog.

I'm hoping to get into solar Ha this coming spring/summer and have a scope on approval.

Not planning to buy anything astro nor to sell anything in spite of the weather.

I've come to the conclusion that the problems I'm getting are down to the groovemount fitting to the extruder. It's worked loose. I'm going to replace it with another top for the Precision Piezo unit - screw-mount version. This should be a lot more rigid. If this doesn't work I may go back to manual bed levelling.

I'm thinking of packing it in anyway!

Nearly put this in the general 3D printing thread but thought it better in a new thread. As in the title I use the Precision Piezo system with nozzle Z probing and I know there are others here who also use piezo probing. Question, do you have any problem with the Z height sensing on Z Homing and the following printing?

Plywood Cutting.

Don't know what's funny about it but...

Currently printing a part for my latest All Sky Camera.

If you feel a tickle off your mount it isn't earthed properly and should be attended to!! URGENTLY!! A hazard to both yourself and your equipment! For my observatory I have a 4ft copper ground rod and run 10mm² earth bonding cable from that to my mount and from there to the power distribution box in my warm room. Incoming mains power goes through an RCD and fuses to supply power and lighting.

I currently have a 4.5Kg reel of white PLA in my printer I've just started - should last a while. 🤣

Says AC O/P is 110v so won't run UK mains devices.

Can't remember what order I bought mine in but I started with a Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ MD Newt but in which order I bought other scopes, I can't remember. I have a fair selection - mostly refractors.

Finished clock. Apart from changing to gear drive from the motor I've cut out the ball bearing on the moving hours gear - it's sufficient to run PLA on a stainless steel bolt with washers either side of gear. With such a low speed, wear will be insignificant. (Bolts and washers are not shown in this model.) Fixed hour and minute gears are attached to base plate with three countersunk bolts. Then washer, moving hour gear, another washer and all retained by a 6mm SS bolt into the base plate.

Seconds gear drive.

Now for some calculation for a pair of spur gears for the seconds drive. Seconds wheel wants to turn once a minute = 60s. Stepper motor driven by TMC2100 in it's quietest mode takes 3200 microsteps per revolution. With a 6:1 reduction ratio (16t motor pinion and 96t seconds wheel) motor takes 10s per revolution. This means 320 microsteps per second. In the Arduino sketch above the 1600 pulses in a half-second becomes 160 (which agrees with the 1/10th speed of the motor).

Now looking at another clock to go in the kitchen. Just slightly smaller dial and hands. May go for spur gear drive to seconds wheel rather than ratchet. Maybe a slightly smaller gear unit would look better in the smaller space.

With glowing valves, at least you know it's switched on! 😄

I went for a walk up the hill and back this afternoon. First time in weeks. Nice weather makes a BIG change!!

I see. Not printed in one piece then.