The Exquisite and Venerable EQ-1

[Alan64]

I reside on the verge of the American west, in the eastern portion still, but just barely, and the two halves separated by the Mississippi river, the largest in the U.S.  I think that that may play a part in why I received these from California on the 20th, and when they were scheduled to arrive on the 22nd.  Needle-thrust bearings, one for the RA-axis, and the larger for the DEC...

Aren't they lovely?  It's not so important to place one within the DEC-axis, but whilst I was at it, why not.  Note the DEC flange there, and with its paint still upon it, as well as that upon the bores of the RA.

But do I want steel bearing against aluminum and steel?  

[R26 oldtimer]

The thrust bearing mod was something that I had done too at my first 80/900 powerseeker frac on eq1.

I think that those little mounts are very underrated. An eq mount is still a proper telescope mount, however flimsy it might be. And a big plus for these tiny mounts is that they allow you to set the latitude to 90°, effectively making them alt-az with micrometric control.

[Alan64]

Quite right, and precisely what I hope to convey in this undertaking, but only for the smaller telescopes of course.

[Alan64]

I've had a sheet of .008"/ .20mm phosphor-bronze for quite some time, but I always need to go to my local hardware at the county seat to get my thicker washers of sintered, or powdered, bronze...

As they come, one almost fits over the flange of the aft portion of the RA-gear, but not quite...

But after wallowing the I.D. out slightly, and polishing it...

...it then fits like a glove, along with this much thinner washer that I crafted of the phosphor-bronze...

...the result?

Nigh a Swiss watch this mount should tick beneath the starry dome.

[Alan64]

The thickness of those extra parts amounts to a hair less than 4mm...

...not too terribly thick at all, eh?

This discovery was not surprising, expected even...

The RA bore there, circled in red, is slightly larger than the RA shaft above.  As a result, there's slop, and an appreciable amount.  To make matters worse, the 11mm-long bore is slightly conical in shape; there will be no placing a shim of any sort there I'm afraid.  But I found a way around that.  Note the larger, stepped bore; with a shim(shown) of .015"/.38mm-thick PTFE(Teflon)...

With that, the slop was completely, totally, and utterly eliminated, and whilst bypassing the inaccuracy of the innermost bore...

I lucked out on that one, and you can, too.

Incidentally, there is an alternative to bronze for the washers, and instead utilising PTFE, in sheet form.  It's easy to cut, with scissors and a craft-knife, and it can be scribed upon with an ultra-fine permanent-marker, which is not very permanent at all when the ink is wiped away with rubbing-alcohol afterwards...

https://www.directplastics.co.uk/ptfe-sheet

A small-circle template is a great help when making your own PTFE washers.  This is the one I use...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Helix-Small-Circle-Template-37168/dp/B00AETPZFW

...it works a charm.

[FaDG]

That's wonderful. 

Are you just aiming at visual or also short focal length photo? 

[Alan64]

Thank you, Fabio.

Visual always, and forever, but with an occasional afocal shot to demonstrate how a live view appears through whichever telescope is mounted upon it at the time.

[Alan64]

Fore of that, something had to be done, and to complete the RA-axis; the other side...the other side...

These are the only two of the original washers that I will be using, and for the RA setting-circle...

They only isolate the steel of the DEC body and the aluminum RA-gear from the setting-circle itself; nothing else.  The clear washer(difficult to see) rests on that narrow step of the flange...

...then the setting-circle rests on top of the clear washer.  The surface of the circle is then flush with the surface of the wider step above the much narrower one.  The black, rubber washer eventually presses against the setting-circle to keep it in position, with the rubber washer to eventually nest within that recess, as shown.

But what about that wider step, and that narrow, circular bearing-surface of the DEC body that I had to strip of its paint?  Yes, it had been painted as well...

That's where the aluminum of the RA-gear grinds against the steel of the DEC body.  Now, I can't add a thrust bearing there, let alone bronze washers, as I'd have practically none of the gear's flange left to clamp when needed, and illustrated here courtesy of my spare "AstroMaster" CG-2...

You can just barely see the tip of the flange peeking out there...boo!

Now, with just a thin bronze washer...

I see it!  I can see the tip!  Hooray!  But it's not enough really, and all Synta's fault. 

Even with that washer removed, you still get only half a tip.  Incidentally, look at what someone had done to the RA-gear of this spare mount-head...

Isn't that dreadful?  Someone had had a heavy hand in that.  We all need to take a deep breath on occasion, and step back and away from these diminutive mounts, and contemplate, as I'm guilty of doing something like that myself.... 

I had never had an EQ-1 before; an EQ-2, yes.  How was I supposed to know that that adjustment-bearing was made of aluminum, along with the 2mm set-screw that I failed to notice, and that had to be loosened prior?  To wit, this was the only thing I needed from the spare...

Isn't it lovely? 

When submitting my problem to Celestron, I had told them that both axes and the worm-shaft of the original kit were bound-up upon arrival, which they were, and I also told them what I had done as a result.  It was very good of them in having taken care of that under warranty, given that it was partially my fault, too.

But as it has turned out, I won't be enhancing the "AstroMaster" CG-2 after all.  What a waste of time, that was.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Alan64

[Alan64]

For the forward portion of the RA-axis, I made a small bronze washer for it...

...and for an ever-hopeful buttery-smoothness of operation, particularly when swinging the telescope around and about.

That's where it stands to date.  I have to make two more bronze washers for the DEC, and adjust and polish a ready-made as well.  Then, I also have these, for the axes' lock-nuts and the worm shaft, to adjust and polish...

...and to replace what Synta had provided.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Alan64

[Alan64]

I've had these two small achromats for a few years now.  Both were made in Japan in the late '70s to late '80s, give or take; a used Tanzutsu(left), and a new old-stock Milben(right)...

Both came with wooden tripods, and the archaic, basic, yoke-type alt-azimuth heads.  Hmm...

A leg of the Tanzutsu(left) compared to that of the Milben(right)...

 

The leg-clamps of the Tanzutsu(left) are deluxe...

 

In addition, the legs of the Tanzutsu have a smoother finish, are more dense, thus heavier, and noticeably so.

Hmm...

[Alan64]

The other two will need to be adjusted like that.  The sawn surfaces will be faced with brass sheet, epoxied.

That's the old hardware from the Tanzutsu, the butterfly-nut specifically, and all of zinc-plated steel.

In so far as the integration, that experimentation with the spreader is just that, and nothing more.

[Alan64]

Whatever the nature of this finish, it's not particularly lovely...

If I had to guess the colour, I'd say "peat".

 

[FaDG]

Hi Alan, what a huge effort on the small EQ. Did you notice that your tripod legs are EXACTLY the same as those of my EQ1, clamp included? 

The design of the new EQ1s is a shame, they really didn't even think of the basics, just some anodization to attract people. 

Edited March 2, 2019 by FaDG

[FaDG]

Ah, by the way, yesterday I had to apply urgent surgery on a friend's EQ2 (bought new with a 90 f10 achro) . 

He bought a motor to go with it, but the mount was totally seized, due to lack of lubrification and wrong spacing, with the RA axis bolt locked super tight and the worm pressed against the Gear. 

The motor would have stripped its reducer within one minute. 

So we thought kinda, what the heck, no reason for shipping it back, as they'd anyway not spend the same time and care we could: so now it's buttery smooth and yet firm. But what if he didn't ask for advice? 

Fabio

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by FaDG

[Mr Spock]

Nice project you have going there. Sad to say my EQ-1 ended up in a skip...

[Alan64]

That's kind of, sort of, the colour of..."circus peanuts"...

...a pinkish-orange, like a Padparadscha sapphire as well...

[Alan64]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Nice project you have going there. Sad to say my EQ-1 ended up in a skip...

Thank you.  Yes, as I had suspected, many do.

[Alan64]

1 hour ago, FaDG said:

Hi Alan, what a huge effort on the small EQ. Did you notice that your tripod legs are EXACTLY the same as those of my EQ1, clamp included? 

The design of the new EQ1s is a shame, they really didn't even think of the basics, just some anodization to attract people. 

Yes, the legs are practically identical...

The tripod-hub of my own has the same split-yokes, but not much of a base for a mount head...

1 hour ago, FaDG said:

Ah, by the way, yesterday I had to apply urgent surgery on a friend's EQ2 (bought new with a 90 f10 achro) . 

He bought a motor to go with it, but the mount was totally seized, due to lack of lubrification and wrong spacing, with the RA axis bolt locked super tight and the worm pressed against the Gear. 

The motor would have stripped its reducer within one minute. 

So we thought kinda, what the heck, no reason for shipping it back, as they'd anyway not spend the same time and care we could: so now it's buttery smooth and yet firm. But what if he didn't ask for advice? 

Fabio

 

Yes, all of these off-shore equatorials, particularly the entry-level, must be loosened throughout, and before even thinking of adding a motor-drive.  The greater the level of attention, the better for the drive...

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/319273-meade-large-equatorialeq-2-hyper-tuning/

I still have some more to do to it, however.

 

[Alan64]

Welly well, that worked a charm, a treat...

The bulk of the old finish is gone, but traces remain.  I may give them a second coat, but outdoors, as this stuff is not particularly nose-friendly, even with a ventilation-fan running, although that did help, and from turning me into a vegetable.

[FaDG]

3 hours ago, Alan64 said:

Welly well, that worked a charm, a treat...

The bulk of the old finish is gone, but traces remain.  I may give them a second coat, but outdoors, as this stuff is not particularly nose-friendly, even with a ventilation-fan running, although that did help, and from turning me into a vegetable.

You had a lot more patience than me. I just gave it a hand of Black Paint to cover the old one... ? ? ? 

Edited March 2, 2019 by FaDG

[Alan64]

5 hours ago, FaDG said:

You had a lot more patience than me. I just gave it a hand of Black Paint to cover the old one... ? ? ? 

Ah, but you lose the grain of the wood in that.  These legs are going to get something special, colour-wise.

[Alan64]

An obsessed amateur does what an obsessed amateur must...

"Gruelling" was not the word, rather "exhausting", "excruciating", and in stripping those legs.  It was absolutely, positively, no fun, and to the point where I don't feel any sense of reward after having done so.  But, they are pretty nonetheless.  I've decided not to worry it to death in getting every last speck of the old stain out of the pores.  The colour to be chosen will be medium-dark, after all.

I want this colour... 

[Alan64]

I had been looking at the various dyes online, rather than stain, and for these tripod-legs.  Some were water-based, but I didn't want that.  And there in my own backyard, in a cupboard actually, a bottle of alcohol-based burgundy, and practically full...

...and tested there on a scrap of maple.  Incidentally, I still don't know the species of wood of which these legs were made.  I'm thinking luan, meranti or "Philippine mahogany"; all the same I think.  In any event, it's rather dense, inflexible...

...and quite strong for such small stock.

[Alan64]

I decided against the burgundy dye, as it has just a bit too much yellow, making it brownish.  My late father was a luthier of sorts, in his retirement.  He would use leather-dyes for his woods, like this one...

He added some black, to where it's a dark purple when I added some denatured alcohol, and the bottle had long since been emptied.  It is still sold, but I ordered two bottles of this brand instead...

I've seen that particular brand of oxblood dye tested on a neutral piece of wood...

Come heck or high-water, it's going to be that, as I'll have two bottles of the stuff.  It can be diluted, for a lighter shade if desired, and with denatured-alcohol.

[Alan64]

Whilst waiting on the dye to arrive for my "sticks", as a relative refers to them, the first of two of the .008"-thick phosphor-bronze washers for the DEC-axis has been scribed onto the sheet of same...

The I.D. is perfect, but I'll have to trim the O.D. just a little after cutting it out of the sheet.

You don't have to drill a perfect hole all the way through the I.D., just as long as it's fairly centered and with enough room to insert the tips of those scissors, then you snip out the bulk of the I.D....

With the washer still within the sheet, you grind and sculpt out the I.D., checking the fit frequently over whichever flange it might be.  You want it to just fit over the flange, and with no binding as the sheet is rotated...

You then cut the washer from the sheet, trim it close to the O.D.'s scribed line, and there it is in its rough and unpolished state...

Next, the edge of the O.D. is ground down to its final diameter, then the edges of the I.D. and O.D. are evened-up and smoothed with 100-grit or finer sandpaper.  Lastly, you take #0000 steel-wool with a few drops of lemon-oil and polish the washer, edges and surfaces, throughout...

With the DEC-control, and the washer sandwiched between it and the body of the saddle...

It's a bit overkill for that area, as only minute movements will be made at that juncture, but nonetheless the washer isolates aluminum from aluminum.