A homemade freestanding pier

[Bizibilder]

BIzibilder's latest project is a freestanding pier of his EQ5 mount. My observatory is all very nice but there are a few trees in the way , especially for observing the sun from the end of October (to around the end of February I guess).

So I have paid a visit to my local steel fabricators "offcuts" bin and have found a few bits and bobs to get this project underway.

I already had a piece of 5.5" OD steel tube (about 5mm wall) that was an offcut from my original pier (it will need cutting down to length) so all I had to scrounge was some 2"x1" steel box section and a couple of bits of 12mm plate 7" square. I had some 1.25" steel bar in stock already. Its nice to have a friendly steel fabricator! He has let me have the bits for now - I cut and shape them to size, he does the welding - then we decide what it has all cost .

Attached are a few pics of todays progress:

The hacksaw machine is homemade (and worth its weight in gold!). The legs in the second picture are 14" long. The steel "ends" are 2.5" high - everything is straight from the saw and is just resting in place.

[Stargazer51N]

Hi Bizibuilder,

Pier looks good. I'm majorly impressed by the home made donkey saw

[Aoraki]

As above, the pier is looking good but the donkey is first class. I haven't used one of those in ages, I'm all modern with a band saw and circular saw.

[Bizibilder]

A bit more progress - I've finished the ends of the legs (luckily I had a file of the correct radius!) and started on the two top plates. I have also rough machined the pier top "puck" to siut the EQ5 (60mm diameter by 20mm deep hole). The central through-hole is oversize as I made the puck from a piece of steel previously used as a small counterweight.

[Bizibilder]

I've finished making all the bits and have done a "dry run" before I take it to the man who melts metal. The first shows how I marked the two top plates (with the number 2) so I get them the right way round - they were originally marked out with a felt tip pen and ruler so are not truly "square". As long as I keep these two holes in the same corner and the same way up I will be OK. The main tube is a foot too long at the moment - the steel man will cut it for me on his big bandsaw.

[Bizibilder]

All the bits are now welded and await some paint:

[MjrTom]

That is some impressive fabrication, wish I had the kit and know how to do this myself. I want a pier but not a fixed installation so I can move it around the garden as I too have some awkward trees in neighbouring gardens to contend with.

Thanks for posting

[spaceboy]

That hacksaw is awesome

[Bizibilder]

I just weighed it - 70lbs or 32Kg - without paint

[Damo636]

Very impressive Bizi, looking forward to the finished pics.

[MG1]

That's awesome! What a saw!

And the pier looks great too! What's the solution for the levelling feet?

[Mav359]

Thats fantastic and as it happens just what im looking for, i just built a temporary obs (i posted in the DIY Obs section) because amoungst other things i couldn't have a permanent pier.

This would be perfect

Well Done BTW

[Bizibilder]

I've just finished painting the inside of the tube with a "brush on a stick" - I used a radiator brush. Worked rather well and the job was done in 5 mins. The light was essential as it was a bit like painting a Black Hole otherwise.

By the way, Bizibilder never used thinners to clean his brushes for this sort of job. £3.99 for the brush and £6 for 500ml of thinners!! (That you would use most, if not all of, to clean a brush properly). No brainer - just throw the brush away.

[Gina]

Yep! Thinners cost the earth! You can keep a brush from going hard for a while by putting it in water, of course. Or wrap in cling film.

[Ibbo!]

I have a lightweight pier for the GPDX and it is almost useless so much so that the GPDX now sits on a Meade LX200 Tripod (the old one)and is great for the 8" SCT for the planets with the x2.5 power mate and DMK

I just weighed it - 70lbs or 32Kg - without paint

I think thats the thing mass and low centre of gravity

Steve (who does want a pier for his obs mount)

[Bizibilder]

A few (three!) coats of white Hammerite later and the paint has had about 3 days to harden (I find that Hammerite needs at least 3-4 days to harden properly - anything less and the slightest scuff and the paint will come off).

I've put a brass azimuth pin in and assembled the bits with stainless steel nuts and studding and plonked the EQ5 on top..

I forgot - the welding and "offcut" steel was £35 and the studding, nuts and washers £37!! (I bought from screwfix and had to buy in hundreds!).

Now all I have to do is the feet and I'm debating whether to use nylon or aluminium - both are non-rusting and should prevent rusting from the ground up but I'm concerned that nylon will absorb water and cause rusting in the steel parts?

[Gina]

Looking very nice Paint does wonders for the appearance as well as giving protection

[spaceboy]

That is looking great Bizi. Very smart now it's all colour coded

[Bizibilder]

Had a pleasant couple of hours this afternoon machining the feet and caps for the tops of the "foot holes" (don't know what to call 'em!). In the end I used Aluminium - two definate Ali (birds nest swarf) and one from a bit I had in stock that looked like Ali but machined with a shower of swarf a bit like free cutting brass! Havn't a clue as to what metal/alloy it is?

I was going to araldite them in but then decided to glue them with silicone sealant I had lying around - should keep the damp out of the joints.

Also a pic of the azimuth pin that I forgot yesterday:

I'm now on the hunt for a plastic bin to make a weatherproof top cover from - either a waste bin or an animal feed container would do - anyone any other ideas as to what to use or Google for? I will make a "table" round the pier that the bin will sit over to keep the weather etc off the mount.

[fwm891]

Super job - great project. Weight lifting classes optional!

[Damo636]

Great job Bizi. I have all the bits gathered up for something very similar. If it turns out half as well as yours i will be well chuffed.

[Gina]

Excellent job I can see metalworking is your forte I'm much happier with wood - I like working with wood

[Bizibilder]

A little more progress this week:

First an OSB board cut into a disc and the centre removed. This has had three coats of outdoor varnish - hence the delay in progress. Second a brand new Tesco's waste bin! (Cost 19.95!!!). And a couple of assembly pictures. The board is bolted under the upper pier plate and the disc cut so that it fits exactly 2" up inside the bin. This should make the thing waterproof! All I have to do now is decide on a way to secure the bin to the mount. (The weights and weight shaft will be dismounted for storage). I'm not entirely sure the bin will be uv stable so the whole thing may end up with a heavy duty cover - maybe one of those designed foe a bar-b-q heater?

[Gina]

That looks very smart

[jimao22]

That's a very good idea! Very good indeed.