Replacement for my Baader UFC slider

[fwm891]

A while back I bought a Baader filter slider to allow me to change filters on my scope without having to dismount the camera each time (small back focus and no room for a filter wheel). It's been great but with my hands not the smoothest of operations. So I decided to look at making it's replacement. Lots of false starts on paper with sketches but finally I've found an arrangement that works for me. It's still in the bare metal prototype stage but it will get a nice coating of matt black either anodising or chemical treatments.

The filters are 48mm / 2" screw fitting into the drawers, each drawer has a small steel insert which clicks onto a small magnet to stop things moving/falling out in use but easy enough to pull out when changing filter drawers. The drawers can be inserted either way up so filters that need one side to face the sky can be inserted in that orientation.

Another lucky co incidence is the filter drawer/holders drop into the Baader filter containers making for easy clean storage.

Images show the unit attached to my ASI294MC Pro with the telescope adapter plate (black ring at the bottom).

Been fun in the making.

Edited July 27, 2020 by fwm891
Text added

[Stuart1971]

Very good....which I was that skilled... 👍😀

I too use the Baader FD system and find it excellent...

[markse68]

Looks really neat and beautifully made- was it done on a CNC or did you machine it by hand? And how did you cut the filter threads?

Edited July 27, 2020 by markse68

[fwm891]

34 minutes ago, markse68 said:

Looks really neat and beautifully made- was it done on a CNC or did you machine it by hand? And how did you cut the filter threads?

Thank you. I have a small lathe and milling machine so the parts were produced on those. Filter threads were cut on the lathe on a very trial and error basis untill I had the dial readings, then it was fairly easy to cut all the 42 x 0.75mm threads. Followed by the 48mm threads in the filter drawers.

[markse68]

8 minutes ago, fwm891 said:

Thank you. I have a small lathe and milling machine so the parts were produced on those. Filter threads were cut on the lathe on a very trial and error basis untill I had the dial readings, then it was fairly easy to cut all the 42 x 0.75mm threads. Followed by the 48mm threads in the filter drawers.

Awesome work indeed then! I really need to get my head around thread cutting on the lathe- such a useful skill!