A chair for observing

[roundycat]

A home made Observing Chair.

I well remember making this early in 2003 although I didn’t recall it being so long ago. It was just after I had a heart attack and planing 100 year old, iron hard oak smooth was a real strain. (I thought the attack was just extra bad heartburn or gut-ache so did nothing about it. Never mind the week in intensive care I just had a sit in the armchair for an hour and then got on with my life. It stopped me going to the gym though!).

I bought an electric planer and then cut up the wood to the various lengths and shapes. It was all a bit suck it and see but it went together ok and supports my 13 stone of firm, rippling muscle without a problem. I wanted it to fold away when not in use and as there was nothing else to do I spent some time making it a bit pretty. I had hoped that the seat would stay in position just reliant on friction but it was not to be. In the end I had to drill a row of shallow holes up the front of each leg and fit steel pins in the seat. That did the job, it’s as solid as a rock. The highest position is a bit unstable if you fidget but as I spend all my time imaging and none of it observing it doesn’t really matter.

Naturally enough it doesn’t see sunlight all that often but when it does it makes a nice match for my new cats.

An article about it appeared in Astronomy Now a few years ago making it my only astro related work to get published. Perhaps I should send some images off!

Dennis

[Psychobilly]

Very nicely designed and manufacture with an amazing range of adjustment

And yes you should send some of your images of to the Astro mags !!!

Peter...

[Doc]

Looks like a work of art. Too good to sit on

[drummerp]

You should manufacture a few of these and sell then on the internet me thinks, I would be up for purchasing one.

I would have thought the likes of FLO would have looked into stocked an item like this.

Nice work, 6 yrs old if you made it in 2003 and still looking like new.

Cheers

Neil

[The Warthog]

Very, very nice work!

[barkis]

Yes you are to be applauded for this Dennis. It's a classy job indeed.

Is the design your own? Get some pics. sent in. Although you may get some orders and have to set a production line up.

Ron.

[roundycat]

I'm not too sure I want to be doing all that work now. Sadly when I moved house to a dark site I downsized a fair bit and have no workshop now. The carpenters bench that I used was older than me and was left behind.

Dennis

[roberte76]

superb job roundycat the astronomy chair is my next project and you have certainly thrown down the gauntlet with this one!!

[ako]

sorry to hijack some1 elses thread.

i too set about making an obs chair and once i showed it to fellow observers they all wanted one.

my grandad is a retired cabinet maker and now we r looking into making a few to sell if there is any more demand.

the one pictured is mine made of treated softwood, we hav another made of solid oak and two more in the process of been made for orders and to take to the dalby starfest.

the new one has the back stabaliser removable and they both hav the seat removable for storeage and to make them easier to transport. we arent looking to make a fortune, just buy him the cigars he smokes while he works away.

its made such a difference to my observing, now i can really study objects for long periods of time and its meant i can hav a go at sketching. am looking fwd to dark nights so can get out again

clear skies

matt

[albedo0.39]

I like both of these chairs. The first one (roundycat) is a work of art and up to craftsman standard IMHO.. The 2nd one is so elegant, it makes me want to reach for the drill and B&Q wood counter.

Good posts but what are people using for chairs these days ? Is there a well known "best idea ?" (argos ironing chair springs to mind)

I have a manual scope so tend to spend most of my time standing up. Perhaps with a dob people don't often use chairs ?

Thanks

[Sunwind]

I like both of these chairs. The first one (roundycat) is a work of art and up to craftsman standard IMHO.. The 2nd one is so elegant, it makes me want to reach for the drill and B&Q wood counter.

Good posts but what are people using for chairs these days ? Is there a well known "best idea ?" (argos ironing chair springs to mind)

I have a manual scope so tend to spend most of my time standing up. Perhaps with a dob people don't often use chairs ?

Thanks

sorry to necro this old thread but figure it's better to bump than to make a new topic on the subject.

I don't know why you think people with dobs wouldn't use a chair(?) I just tried it since the chair I use was occupied by my brother on the PC and it hurts the back too much hehe.

are there any well known good brands of observing chairs I should take a look at? I really need to get one but, most of the ones I have seen do not look like they would work good with my telescope, due to the wooden bit sticking out in the front, where the base of the scope would be, I need something like, well more of a stool I suppose, but with a back, so I can lean back on it and relax during those long nights, any suggestions? what kind of price range should I be looking at aswell?

[brianb]

what are people using for chairs these days ?

I use a folding step/stool. The height isn't adjustable but you don't need much adjustment with an altaz fork mounted SCT. Sometimes when the object is nearer the zenith I just kneel on the ground - with a foam pad to make it more comfortable for my knees. Binoculars, kneel on the ground, use the tripod centre column to adjust the height of the bins.

[Wobbly Bob]

I use an office chair with a gas lift (or if one hits the lever without thinking, a swiftly downy seat, ouch). This suits me fine with my SCT, it would not be of much use with a Newtonian though.

I suspect as Dennis spends more time indoors pocessing he uses his masterpiece as a table to put his TEA and bickie's on

[m.tweedy]

How about a folding ironing chair like aldi and liddle sometimes stock. they look like this

See a previous thread

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-discussion/47486-lidl-selling-ironing-seats.html

Michael

[acey]

Here's my observing chair. It has continuous height adjustment so I can always get exactly the height I want, has no pegs or knobs to fiddle with, fits easily in the car boot with all my other gear, and cost me less than £20 when I bought it as a piano stool years ago. Apparently it's called a spindle drafting stool. Unfortunately I've never been able to find another - but for my Skywatcher 300P it's absolutely perfect.

[Astorix]

Wow all of theese pieces are lovely! i too am a woodworker and currently studying Woodcraft/design and sculpture at university. I am in the early stages of designing myself a observing seat:) will post some design pics and early stage stuff soon!