New Tripod - Wood is Good !

[John]

Here is my ED120 riding on the Giro mount which now sits atop a nice wooden tripod that I picked up from the Astroboot

It's a few inches taller than the CG5 steel tripod I used to use, quite a bit lighter but just as stable. A rap on the scope tube at 225x took about 2 seconds to dampen down and thats without a tray to make the leg spreader more rigid. It's the hardwood tripod that comes with some of the really big Helios binoculars but has also been sold under William Optics and Oberwerk branding. I needed to put 5mm thick circular steel plate underneath the tripod head to tension the M10 bolt against which holds the Giro mount in place but that was relatively easy to sort out even with my limited DIY skills.

I think it looks a little nicer than the CG5 tripod as well as working well

[Ruud]

Wood is much more beautiful than steel. 

[paul mc c]

A proper tripod.

[Qualia]

Wow. That is a gorgeous set up, John. There's something about wooden tripods that make fracs look really at home. Little by little this is the kind of set up I wouldn't mind making my way towards. Nice giro mount doubled with the small 76 and Lunt 60 all resting on a wooden tripod

[damnut]

That looks so nice. A few wooden tripods now in the gallery, philjay was selling one but had replaced with a Berlbach.

[ollypenrice]

Looks great. I like wood, too. It damps so well.

Olly

[Cath]

nature will always know more than we do

[Lowjiber]

That's a beautiful rig.  The wooden tripod just sets it off nicely.  Well done!

I see we have similar tastes in refractor mounts, focusers, etc.  Here's my AR152 and a tricked out ST80 that I use for a finder scope.  Put any object in either the two RACI's or the two scopes and it's centered in all the others.

Just sharing...

[Piero]

That's a gorgeous tripod, John! It should damp vibrations very well, PLUS it's beautiful! 

Also, nice Giro mount! It certainly does not pass unobserved!

How much does the tripod weigh? 

[John]

Nice setup Lowjiber

I used to have a Meade AR6 which was an F/8 I seem to recall. Like a longer version of your AR152. 

That pool looks inviting as well !!

[John]

That's a gorgeous tripod, John! It should damp vibrations very well, PLUS it's beautiful! 

Also, nice Giro mount! It certainly does not pass unobserved!

How much does the tripod weigh? 

Thanks Piero.

The tripod weighs around 10 lbs I think.

[andrew63]

Wood i think always looks the part John. I guess steel is so much cheaper to manufacture these days though.

andrew

[happy-kat]

That does look nice, wood is so inviting.

[Tinker1947]

Wood does make it look a lot classer than metal

[Dave In Vermont]

That's one nice-looking wooden tripod! Never seen one with round, wooden supports on the upper section. 2-second dampening? I'm impressed!

Lowjiber-John, I always believed that with a few improvements, those diminutive ST80 F5's would sing. Looking at your, it looks like you and I have done about the same things to ours. I have a WO 2" dielectric diagonal, and a Helio-Pod sun-finder on mine though. It's now my dedicated solar-scope.

Very nice work, gentlemen!

Dave

[Lowjiber]

Thanks Dave.  I leave a 24mm Hyperion in the ST80 all the time... getting 4.08^o TFOV.  I've actually been hopping to a cluster and found myself sticking with the ST80 just to enjoy the framing in the FOV... vice jumping over to the 152.

Clear, Dark Skies

[Rainmaker]

Very nice looking wooden tripod John.  

I too am partial to timber tripods, although when my wife saw the new Berlebach Planet she asked why I had bought such a hideous thing. 

I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder ! 

[nightfisher]

Wood is good, i am planning a wooden monopod (pier) it will cost £25 for the timber and its a lovely piece of close grain hardwood, this will happen when i move to new house and the Nexstar SE will sit on it

[philj]

Nice one John. Cant beat a decent wooden tripod for damping vibrations.

[John]

Making a wooden tripod is a very feasible option. I cheated by buying this one but it does the job

A few years ago I had a wonderful ash wood tripod made by Tele Optik, the German company that makes the Giro mounts. Although the same basic design as the one I now have the Tele Optik was somewhat heavier duty and even taller when fully extended. One of those "oh why did I let that go ?!!" items for me I'm afraid

[Dude_with_the_tube]

thats your 120 ED sorted John,i am still waiting on that first light report on the bigger one 6" F12 is that going to happen?

[Dude_with_the_tube]

there is a bitter truth in that John.Good scope is the one you use.Lets hope the new owner will post something up here

[John]

there is a bitter truth in that John.Good scope is the one you use.Lets hope the new owner will post something up here

Sorry Dude - I had posted that I'd parted from my 6" F/12 and then removed the post becuase I thought better of posting it !

(in case anyone wonders what the Dude is referring to)

[strutsinaction]

Lovely tripod, John!

I'm also a fan of wooden tripods. Here's my Geoptik Hercules.

Regards

John

[John]

Very nice indeed John