Converting a 300P into a Dob

[badgerchap]

9 minutes ago, Mick J said:

Yes, seems to have to many toys !   some of his earlier posts had good finds for dob making.

I was already thinking of getting a CNC - they do a nice amateur setup at Ooznest which has been catching my eye for a while. This post hasn't helped matters 🤣

[sploo]

14 hours ago, badgerchap said:

Yeah I think pre-cut disks are going to be essential. Cutting with a jigsaw would just be a mess!

There's always the right and wrong tool for a job. A jigsaw is always the wrong tool. Unless it's the only one available 😉

With care, discs can be cut using a router and a beam trammel. However, I do have a CNC machine, so if you just wanted a couple of 12" circles from MDF then give me a shout. I'm sure I'll have some offcuts I could chuck on the machine.

[badgerchap]

3 hours ago, sploo said:

There's always the right and wrong tool for a job. A jigsaw is always the wrong tool. Unless it's the only one available 😉

With care, discs can be cut using a router and a beam trammel. However, I do have a CNC machine, so if you just wanted a couple of 12" circles from MDF then give me a shout. I'm sure I'll have some offcuts I could chuck on the machine.

That could be super useful. I’ve got some ply on the way, but the only tool I have is indeed a jigsaw. I’m not particularly looking forward to using it!

 

How much would you charge for 12” discs?

[sploo]

18 minutes ago, badgerchap said:

That could be super useful. I’ve got some ply on the way, but the only tool I have is indeed a jigsaw. I’m not particularly looking forward to using it!

 

How much would you charge for 12” discs?

Cutting a couple of 12" discs if I have some material on hand? Nothing. Maybe postage costs if it was more than a tenner.

I've already received tons of hugely useful help from this forum so if I can do something useful in return I'm more than happy. Besides; I do like to see a DIY plan come together*

 

*with apologies to the A-Team

[badgerchap]

24 minutes ago, sploo said:

Cutting a couple of 12" discs if I have some material on hand? Nothing. Maybe postage costs if it was more than a tenner.

I've already received tons of hugely useful help from this forum so if I can do something useful in return I'm more than happy. Besides; I do like to see a DIY plan come together*

 

*with apologies to the A-Team

That’s incredibly kind! Let me have a bash at the rest of the build first, but if that is something you’d do I’d be so grateful! Those discs were the one thing giving me nightmares 😂

[sploo]

1 hour ago, badgerchap said:

That’s incredibly kind! Let me have a bash at the rest of the build first, but if that is something you’d do I’d be so grateful! Those discs were the one thing giving me nightmares 😂

No worries. Just let me know if/when you need something.

BTW I have the 300P flextube (https://www.wexphotovideo.com/sky-watcher-skyliner-300p-flextube-parabolic-dobsonian-telescope-1524313/?mkwid=sZk0CUk20_dc&pcrid=310558796332&kword=&match=&plid=&product=1524313&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwLam7O3A6QIVwu7tCh3IXQ76EAQYASABEgKJ9vD_BwE). The Alt axis just has a couple of (from memory) 6" diameter plastic discs attached to the sides of the telescope body, and on the vertical panels of the mount there are a pair of smaller (~1") plastic discs at probably 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock; with the larger discs on the sides of the scope riding on the those two smaller discs on each side.