Beulah

I used around 10swg (3.25mm thickness), just under an inch diameter (roughtly 22cm) tubes and they are pretty sturdy. If you are planning to connect the 8 truss tubes as one unit, make sure you don't overtighten the fixings as there needs to be some flexibility and movement when you construct the telescope. Once connected to the primary box and secondary cage (those fixings should be hand tight), the truss tubes are sturdy, trust me!.

The great thing is that parts can be replaced as you have made them and mods are never ending! I'm using metal wing nuts and have promised myself to replace with ergonomic plastic ones as soon as funds allow.

Pics, please!

2 minutes ago, davew said:

That's very nice of you to say. You've been looking very closely ! I did have to resort to a touch of noise reduction in Lightroom but I think I got away with it.

Dave

You're welcome. It's flipping hard work getting out there, especially difficult getting the composition right in the dark  - sometimes daytime recces can help to a certain degree but you have to have a lot of imagination! -  so can appreciate the effort required.... my last 'batch' was done in -10 wind chill and sometimes you don't even know if there's going to be a breeze interfering with the subs...

Number 3 for me. Excellent processing and compositon where you have brought out the stars but also used the ground light polluton to create interest in the hills. A fabulous image.

Nice haul, @Paz !

Most of my astro-reading is done digitally so not many books... Just wondering how many times SPM's Observer's Book of Astronomy is going to pop up in this thread...

1 hour ago, swamp thing said:

Where's ya build thread Sam?  

Thanks mate, I'll probably put one up if it all works out.

How about a potential dob? Ingredients below... 

Hoping to convert my Skywatcher 400p to a full truss...the company I work for gave me some 1 inch thick wood (very old spruce with some mega tight grain...) shelving that had been used in a laboratory for >50 years and was about to go to landfill...some pieces were warped but the rest were stable.

Mirror and rocker boxes have been weight tested and are very strong.

Still a long way to go but I am really looking forward to getting this made. I want to be able to take a decent size dob out in the wilds and still fit in a small car, or even hand pulled in a trolley...hoping to save some of the timber for my guitar building! All wood will be painted matt black and over-coated with exterior varnish.

6 hours ago, fiestazetecmk2 said:

My modified 200p skyliner.

 

I see you built a conservatory to match the scope. Very nice... 

Very original idea with the alt-azi movement mechanism with hand wheels ...love to see a vid of it in action.

The SAS are an epic bunch of people. Their outreach sessions at Attingham Park are amazing; such an enthusiastic bunch of people.

Good luck with your Salopian adventures - from my recent 20 years of existence in said county, the further towards the Marches is better as most of the street lit communities are part-night to save spondoolies.

Fabulously dark, too....even where I lived before (a dozen or so miles from the Welsh border) with the West Midlands conurbations' light domes. If I was shielded by a hill or house, the Zenith and right down to the Western horizon is pretty dark...excellent structure in the Milky Way, M13 and M33 visible with the MK1 eyeballs.

Good luck with getting a group together and I hope you enjoy the SAS sessions...

I'm drooling here.... sexy car engines, bikes and massive dobs...this thread owns!!

Sure you got enough BHP, there?!

20 hours ago, faulksy said:

 

ep height at zenith is 6-3"

Not BAAAAD! Even I could manage that with a small stepladder!

15 minutes ago, faulksy said:

 already been looking through it today at some leaves on trees around 50 meteres away, could see all the veins and a lady bird having a feed, it was yellow very strange

Peeping tom.

Gawd, she is a work of art. You are so talented.

I'd be lucky to mock something up in marine board...

Just watch those rubber cell clips aren't too tight on the mirror...

Just now, faulksy said:

is that on the mirror or on the cell

Hahah, dare I answer that?!

1 hour ago, swamp thing said:

Well that bit was your department. It'll fit in the mirror box  

If it doesn't send it round to me and I can set my angle grinder on it, FOC.  

Nice! Congrats on getting the mirrors and added benefits (coatings , discounts, etc.)

Not jealous at all! 

Wonder why we all have dumbbells in our workshops? I have some in mine...and use 'em...

Hmmm, I feel like popping up and watching the coming home procession. Shame the car has to be in the garage, later.  

1 minute ago, faulksy said:

very nicely put john

BUT  orion optics just phoned well 9.00 and said its done and ready for collection today at 14.00 cant believe im writing this

 

1 hour ago, nightfisher said:

I hope you stick with it Mike, but i would collect and give it a full inspection from all angles before taking it from there workshop

Absofragginlutely!

1 hour ago, faulksy said:

It's not finished,  told him I want to cancel the order.

Does anybody want to buy my dob complete with focuser and sips. Just need the mirror 

Sorry to read this.

I suggest you give yourself a bit of time so that you can think more clearly. If you have paid a deposit, that is very likely to be non-refundable.

If it is a matter of time, please heed the advice of others on this forum and wait.

14 minutes ago, DRT said:

Is this the one you are waiting on Mr Faulks?

Call back tomorrow to find out if it's finished

 

 

Naw, it's THIS one he's waiting for (I'd have more than a wan grin on my face if that was my mirror in the pic above ):

Ach, I am off to grout the bathroom, the suspense is too much...

Yep, just wait for bossman to arrive. It's five mins or so until you can ring back, so not long now. 

40 minutes ago, Moonshane said:

Yeah should use it more really

Good on ya Shane. It's like riding a bike, you don' t forget where all those treasures are...

I've had a Dob 'sabbatical' since April and I am in love all over again. Only studied 7 targets before the cloud came in but at least I got out there. Was too busy reacquainting myself with old friends...

What is the FL of your scope? You tower over it!!