Dovetail Madness

[Marky1973]

Why, in the name of all that is holy, are the holes on the Skywatcher Dovetail bars drilled with a different thread to the holes on the Skywatcher Tube Rings.....IT.JUST.DOESN'T.MAKE.SENSE

I'm off to find something to do with a dovetail bar....maybe drilling it in anger......

 

 

 

?

[Davey-T]

Pot luck, blame those Americans, I've got 2 identical sets of tube rings one metric and one UNC.

Dave

[Marky1973]

The threads match with the hole on top of the tube rings, but the bolts I have that fit there are, obviously, too long....

I'll find a solution, but it is just infuriating! In a "1st world problem" kinda way.....

[Waldemar]

Would sawing them (the bolts you have) to the right length be a solution ...?

[Marky1973]

Yeah that's an option....and something I've done before ? I just had to vent some spleen......

[Waldemar]

?

[Jonesdee]

Yup, the dovetail bar holes are 1/4" 20 UNC to take tripod bolts and everything else is metric (M5 or M6 usually).  In the past I have drilled the tripod holes with a  6.5mm drill to take an M6 bolt, but you often need to counterbore one side to be able to fully insert the head of a cap-head screw.

S_fix  sell 20mm stainless M6 cap screws at 50 for a fiver . . .