Making a 10inch Dobsonian for a friend.

[astrolunartick]

Heres a video of the Design. This is a copy of a 10inch i built a few years ago.  

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by astrolunartick

[astrolunartick]

Collecting all the bits for this next build. Nearly have everything, just waiting on quick release clamps, aluminium poles and large heat shrink.

 Im really happy with the design.  I will update with photos of the build and post a video of the build when its done.

Here are some photos of one i made for myself a few years back. It performs great. Its rock solid, holds collimation really well.

So nice to have a 10inch Dob that is easy to set up when i only want to do a short session. This one is the little brother to my 20inch.

My friend is getting excited and so am i. I love building dobsonian telescopes.

Cant wait to take it to him and have first light session with all the dobs set up.   

 

[Lurcher]

I love your scopes. I've watched a video on Youtube so many times showing the construction of a 20" Dobsonian.  I love the detail of the split blocks in particular.

I was about to ask if you'd seen it as it was so similar to yours, and then realized it was yours! So glad I didn't just ask a really stupid question again.

I would love one of them (ideally with a GoTo as I'm a bit useless without that).

Really nice designs.

[astrolunartick]

I almost have all the bits for this project. Just waiting for some formica and heat shrink. All i really need is time. I will be spending a couple of hours of 3 to 4 evenings a week and perhaps the whole day on Sunday for the next few weeks.  

[saac]

Looking good, I love seeing all the components set out waiting to be assembled. Enjoy the rest of the build  

 

Jim 

[astrolunartick]

All the birch plywood is cut up. Im working on a Video of the build. I will post the video when its done. probably end of next week. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by astrolunartick

[Lurcher]

Exciting stuff. I look forward to seeing the video. Your friend is going to be very lucky to own such a brilliant thing.

(I love those split blocks!! - and the end cylinder that houses the secondary mirror also).

[JamesF]

Oh no, I've been struck down with workshop envy! :D

James

[astrolunartick]

Its amazing how quickly things come together.

Dovetails for the mirror box are rather enjoyable to do. I found a nice easy way to do hand cut dovetails on youtube. Using a Japanese dozuki pull saw and a magnetic Dovetail block i made from some Beech wood and Neodymium magnets. This method is easy and accurate. I will show this method in the build video when i upload it. 

Im set to deliver the scope next Friday so Im having to organise my evenings. As evenings is the only time Ive been able to spend on this build

Heres my plan.

Finish the mirror box, build the rocker box and Secondary cage and glue everything up tonight and Friday night. Then on Saturday night, formica the bottom of the rocker box the top of the mirror box and the side bearings then give everything a good sand and first coat of varnish. Another couple of coat of varnish on Sunday evening and heat shrink all the poles.  Monday night is final assembly day (fit all the hardware and install the mirrors. Hoping for clear skies at some point next week for first light test. Then i have the rest of next week to iron out any issues. 

So thats the plan. fingers crossed i stick to it. its looking likely as im ahead of my schedule so far. 

[Ally8446]

Hi fella

That looks amazing Pete, really tidy job.

Would you say your design is lighter than the David Lukehurst equivalent, if so by how much ? My 14" DL weighs roughly 34kg.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Ally8446
additional text

[astrolunartick]

Hi Ally 

Im not sure what this weighs but i will weigh it when its done and let you know. there are always ways of making it lighter. 

[Rob]

Really nice work there.. I can see a nice business expanding here for sure! Best Rob

[Lurcher]

20 hours ago, astrolunartick said:

Using a Japanese dozuki pull saw and a magnetic Dovetail block i made from some Beech wood and Neodymium magnets. This method is easy and accurate. I will show this method in the build video when i upload it. 

Sounds ingenious! Can't wait to see the video.

Looks brilliant. 

[Grumpy Spider]

Very nice work, like Mr Lurcher I also have shed envy plus scope envy,

Colin

[astrolunartick]

Im getting close to completion with this scope. Its all gone fairly smoothly.

I had to plane down the thickness of the Plywood in the secondary cage as it was a bit of a struggle to get it through the rings but i finally got it in there.

It will look great once its flocked. Ive just finished giving it its second coat of varnish so tomorrow I will be flocking the mirror box and secondary cage. 

Then its final assembly and first light test. 

The video will hopefully be uploaded on Saturday evening. Im new to videoing and editing but i enjoy it.  

Its another dimension to a project when you have to always consider the camera angles, not obstructing the camera view and what is necessary to capture and what just boring. 

Nearly 60 hours of footage, 100gbs squeezed down to 35 minutes. 

Hopefully it will come out ok and will not be boring.  

[astrolunartick]

Finally finished the scope and delivered it to the my friend. all went smoothly. we found a campsite in the middle of Kent. The owner kindly let us set up our scopes but sadly we only had about 10 minutes of clear sky. But my friend Nathan was over the moon at the views he had of the moon.  This project was very enjoyable and i have plans for other scopes and have people interested in scopes for them selves so i may be rather busy this summer. The video is rather long  at 40 minutes and speedy as i had to speed the footage up so i could fit as much of the 60 hour build in to the video. I did on a few occasions forget to hit record on my phone. so i missed a small bit of the build. but most of it is there.  At the end there is set up and first light test. so stick with it if you can. 

Hope you enjoy the video.

 

Edited May 16, 2019 by astrolunartick

[Lurcher]

Thanks for posting. So much work! I have said before I really like the split block design that you use, but I didn't realize quite how much went into making them.

Well done. Good to hear orders are coming in fast now too. ?

[Piero]

Lovely telescope and excellent work! 

[Chris]

Wow! Wonderful work, and wonderful workshop! 

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Absolutely Brilliant, fantastic workmanship, love the making of dovetail joints by hand, these days I use a jig & routers….

[mapstar]

Nice one Peter a lovely bit of workmanship. Saw it on youtube (I'm subscribed) before catching it on here.

Keep up the quality work. 

 

[astrolunartick]

On 17/04/2019 at 23:52, mapstar said:

Nice one Peter a lovely bit of workmanship. Saw it on youtube (I'm subscribed) before catching it on here.

Keep up the quality work. 

 

Thank you Damian and thanks for subscribing. Whats your youtube profile name?

Pete

[mapstar]

On 22/04/2019 at 20:48, astrolunartick said:

Thank you Damian and thanks for subscribing. Whats your youtube profile name?

Pete

Same as on here with Damo on the end ?

[JRM]

She is a beauty Peter, great work.

 

Rick