Tight dovetail

[The Warthog]

My finder mount doesn't quite fit into the dovetail. It gets in just far enough to tighten the set screw. Are there two kinds of dovetails, very close in size, or can I risk grinding the finder mount a little? I am going to get a 7x50 RA finder. Should I just buy the matching dovetail, or is it worth trying to fit it into the one on my scope first?

Thanks.

[GordonCopestake]

Finder shoes arn't as standardised as the vixen/synta dovetail mounting unfortunatly. If you can make it fit by grinding a little off then you'll have a working finder, but might have difficulty selling it on.

[russ]

Hi WH, i have a spare 50mm finder bracket that came with my 8" Skywatcher. Celestron and Skywatcher dip into the same parts bin at the Synta factory

Let me know if you are interested and I can put it in with the 18mm Ortho.

Regards

Russ

[The Warthog]

Rus, I would appreciate that finder bracket. If it doesn't fit the dovetail I have, I'll buy the skywatcher dovetail. I'm not sure what this one is. Previously, my finders have been screwed down directly to the tube.

I took a fine triangular file to the dovetail, first making it a little smoother on the inside, but then I decided it would be easier to work on the bracket. I filed the bottom of the bracket, and got it progressively farther and farther into the dovetail. I was doing this outside, and as the light was beginning to go, and there were some thunderstorms threatening, I brought it inside and worked on it some more. I put on a stronger pair of reading glasses and got a strong light, and eventually figured out the bracket wasn't made for this dovetail. The bracket has a vertical section, and is then sloped inward. On close examination, it appears the slope of the bracket is slightly greater than the slope of the dovetail, and the shoulder where it changes from vertical to sloped was the part that was sticking the most. I filed the shoulder down, got the bracket 4/5 of the way into the dovetail, and quit. The setscrew will hold it. When I get my 7x50 finder (next payday) I'll talk to the vendor very carefully to make sure whether the dovetail I have will work, or should I order another. I will keep the finder, dovetail, and bracket I have now for when I sell the scope.

I don't know whether the finder is the one that came with the scope originally, but I doubt it, although I am guessing this dovetail was an add-on, as the tube is slightly dented by the pressure of the screws holding the dovetail on.

I don't mind this, it's a learning experience...