Some more pier build questions please?

[kirkster501]

What type diameter of threaded rod do you guys set into the concrete to hold the metal piers onto the concrete block?  M12?  And how far down do they go into the concrete block?  500mm should do it?  Despite my "brick pier" thread I am also looking into having a metal pier fabricated at a machine shop.  It depends on the cost how far I go down that road.....!

Likewise, the double adjustment plates at the top of the pier mounted on the four threaded posts.  What "M" do you guys use for these rods? M12 again? How thick do the two adjustment plates need to be - 5mm say? Stainless steel or painted mild steel?

Finally, I am not going to pay £80 for a NEQ6 mounting plate!  There must be a way to use a bolt and some nuts say to create the post on which the mount head "pushes against" for the alt/az adjustments to get the polar alignment?  In other words to mimic the top of the NEQ6 tripod?

Appreciate your thoughts!

Steve

[Bubbles82]

Hi if you mean the top plate on the pier, I used m12 stainless rod from screw fix heated it in barbecue bent ends over pressed into concrete about 70 cm deep.

M12 for the adjustment rods for me and seems fine but I did use 10 mm steel for the plates.

The mounting plate is something I have been sorting this week so can answer this and hopefully saving you some money, I rang a local metal suppliers this week and they will cut and me a nice 40 mm thick round piece of aluminium for £15 I will drill the holes myself which is easy with a good drill bit . If you don't have a metal supplier near you you can get a piece on eBay for £25.

Hope this helps[emoji3]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[teifistar]

Hi Steve,

I went yesterday to my local engineering shop and ordered a pier.

Its 1700mm tall with a 350mm x 10mm square plate welded to one end and a 230mm diameter  x 10mm plate welded to the other end. The hole to place it in will be 600 x 600mm square and 750mm deep, so 950mm will be above ground level. The square plate will sit in the hole and it will be filled with concrete. I also ordered a second plate 230mm dia x 10mm to sit on top of the other plate seperated by four 16mm bolts. I will try to keep the gap between the top plates as small as I can. This is all galvanised and cost £150, a fair price I think.

Should have it next Friday, will take some pics.

Peter

[lennylovit]

all home made , got too remake the peg don't like the cut down caphead

[Owmuchonomy]

What type diameter of threaded rod do you guys set into the concrete to hold the metal piers onto the concrete block?  M12?  And how far down do they go into the concrete block?  500mm should do it?  Despite my "brick pier" thread I am also looking into having a metal pier fabricated at a machine shop.  It depends on the cost how far I go down that road.....!

Likewise, the double adjustment plates at the top of the pier mounted on the four threaded posts.  What "M" do you guys use for these rods? M12 again? How thick do the two adjustment plates need to be - 5mm say? Stainless steel or painted mild steel?

Finally, I am not going to pay £80 for a NEQ6 mounting plate!  There must be a way to use a bolt and some nuts say to create the post on which the mount head "pushes against" for the alt/az adjustments to get the polar alignment?  In other words to mimic the top of the NEQ6 tripod?

Appreciate your thoughts!

Steve

All good advice above. My Altair pier has 8mm top plates separated by M16 bolts. The base drops onto M12 bolts that are bent and pushed about 500 into the wet cement. The plinth is 900mm cubed. If I were starting again I would not have the two plates on top, just one. Regarding the pier adaptor it needs to accommodate the mount base accurately. Mine didn't come with an Az pin so I made my own from a M10 shouldered bolt cut and filed.