DIY Fork Mount for Widefield Imaging Rig

[Gina]

This is showing the cover construction stage by stage.  This part will next be cropped to shape and the vertical side added.

[Gina]

Design of the top part of the base ie. cover, is almost finished.

[Gina]

I've measured up and this should be printable in one piece on my Giant printer.  Next job is to accommodate the RA drive parts.

[Gina]

Design of the base/cover for the mount etc. pretty much finished now.  Wasn't easy!  A very complicated shape with due consideration given to being able to 3D print it.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

That's it for today - data backed up.

[Gina]

Moving part of dome designed and fitted in main assembly and discovered a small error in the fixed part which I shall now correct.  Just shows how much better ii is to sort things out in CAD than make it all and then find it doesn't fit/work!

[Gina]

Found my error...  The outside of the vertical part of the base should go through the axis of the dome or to the right(south) otherwise the shutter won't open fully.  Which is what I found when I added the shutter to the assembly.  Arrow points towards polar axis.  The aim was to make Polaris accessible for polar alignment.  I can't see much below that to the north as the house is in the way though I might change the design to get a bit more view while I'm at it.

Edited December 21, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

Think I've fixed it.  Might Increase the overlap on the south side when the shutter is closed though.  Not much near the centre of motion.

Edited December 21, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

New shutter design.

Edited December 21, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

Showing how the parts fit on the Giant printer bed printing area.  It's close! 

[JamesF]

I have a 3d printed box that I'm using to put my dew controller electronics in.  The only way I can get it to print on my printer is to place it diagonally

James

[Gina]

Yes, I often have to orientate things to get them to fit.  This helps a little with the dome shutter.

[Gina]

Added 100mm skirt to mount cover.  I shall want to add further parts to reach ground level maybe aluminium sheeting as I have some going spare.  There are 4 fence post spikes in the ground round the pier from where I tried to make a wooden framework micro observatory and abandoned that project as not viable.

Edited December 21, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

This is what it will actually look like when built using white PETG filament.  As least until it weathers a bit then I expect the PETG to go off-white.

[Gina]

This photo shows my first go at a second pier and mini observatory, using an NEQ6 mount - a huge beast for this application taking up a lot of room.  This goes back to 2014 and the SW pier mount has been there ever since.  I tried all sorts of mini observatory designs from a roll-off-roof to a clamshell using marine ply and thin aluminium sheets.  They were all too big for my liking and so I decided to go for a mini fork mount which meant making it myself.  Mind you I have always liked the idea of making my own mount.  I'd like to make a telescope from scratch but flinched at the idea of grinding mirrors and measuring the curvature.

[Gina]

Extended the mount cover downwards and transformed it into a rectangular shape to attach to flat panels Which can then be attached to fence posts.

Viewed from north, south, west, east and underneath.

Edited December 22, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

Here are views of the whole thing in "As Material" alias off-white.  N, E, S, W.

 

 

 

[Davey-T]

All sorts going on in the 3D printing world, houses as well.

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/02/05/worlds-longest-3d-printed-concrete-bridge-shanghai/

Dave

[Gina]

Found some earlier photos of the groundwork for the mini observatory.  I didn't do a very good job of positioning the fence post spikes and since they are about 2ft in the ground I doubt I could get them out.  Of course, it would be easier to attach the outer casing to the pier but then any windage on the casing and dome would be transmitted to the imaging rig.  Another possibility would be to buy some more fence spikes and be more careful with the positioning.

Edited December 22, 2019 by Gina