John,
I got an Orion XT8i dob for my birthday a couple months ago (my first scope ever) and I'm super impressed. The only thing it's lacking (for now) is an EQ Platform, so I started researching and found TONS of useful information in a LOT of different places! I read through your guide (stellar DIY instructions, bro - good job!) and I'm leaning toward making a VNS platform like yours (or very similar). I'm curious about the pivot "bearing" for the South side... All the other VNS style EQP's I've seen so far have a radiused / latitude-angled south bearing, except for Reiner Vogel's. Do you still recommend using a pivot-type South Bearing, or looking back, would you change to a radiused / angled one? I'm about to start gathering the parts and start fabrication, but I thought I'd ask first. Again, awesome build, and I'm looking forward to this project more than I have on any other one in many years! Cheers, Chris in Vancouver Canada. (49° N. Lat if that helps for your answer - I know from reading a bunch that the pivot mount likes to be used in further north latitudes, but I'm not sure if 49° is far enough) Thanks and CLEAR SKIES!