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Shortening the legs on the HEQ5 Tripod

Astro_Baby

By Astro_Baby
in Discussions - Mounts

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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Has anyone on here ever been able to get the legs on the HEQ5 tripod demounted ?

The top end of the legs, the bit where they mount to the top of the via the oversized black fitting, has a couple of allen headed grub screws. I trred taking them out but the legs are stuck fast and I cant decide if they are compression fitted or whether they are glued in (glue I think). If its glue I imagine I am going to have to heat them up a bit which makes me nervous cos I dont want the paint to melt or the legs to go blue.

I've tried a pipe wrench on them but to no avail.

I am going to saw a few inches off them to lower the mount a bit to damp down any vibrations and also cos I am quite short and have to stand on tip toes when the scope is aimed near the zenith.

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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I cant dweller - I'd get murdered if I spent any more cash. I promised I'd sell the Nexstar 4SE before I bought a single other item. Since then I splashed out on the Stellarvue finder - :headbang:

I did want to chope the Nexstar for a refractor ( something liuke a TAL 100RS perhaps) - but in any event any more cash is strictly prohibited by finance controller :D

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Wobbly Bob

Wobbly Bob

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Hiya Mel, if the legs are crimped, yo should see a witness mark somewhere, a depression or something. If how ever you think its gluedit is glued you may want to saw the leg at the desired piont. Once sawn, you should be able to pound the casting out from the tube with a heavy hammer with a piece of wood down the tube. The epoxy the casting into the good leg. WARNING you may have to repeat the prosses on the inner leg. :headbang:

If you want, PM me, my brother just lives up the road, an he is as cleaver as me :D.

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Merlin66

Merlin66

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If they are anything like the tripod legs on the LX200 HD tripod, then they are glued with epoxy.....

I put my dismantled legs in the BBQ at 220 degrees for a few minutes and used a wooden block to push the attachment lugs off the legs. For my 12" Lx200 it was one of the best things I've ever done! ( I reduced the leg length by 200mm)

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Peter Drew

Peter Drew

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The EQ6 legs are glued, the ones on mine fell off (some have all the luck), the EQ5 are probably the same. You would need to cut inner and outer legs to shorten the height and you can't remove the inner without dismantling as they are captive. Standing on something when necessary is an easier option and it will keep your feet warmer!

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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Oh well - another longer term project then. I just thought that last night as I had all the tools out a quick bit of nip and tuck was in order as I cant move forwards with the other two projects due to lack of parts.

Macavity the diea was in fact to just shorten the overall height to suit me better but also, hopefully, with the aim of reducing any tendency to wobble. The EQ6 has shorter stubbier legs. I dont find the HEQ5 tripod very wobble prone and usually more than stable enough but I would like to chop its height by around 4-6"

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TheThing

TheThing

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Quick fix? Swap it for a Tal pier - much lower and loads more stable. Probably not any good if you have to lug it about though as it weighs slightly less than me (and that's quite a lot!) You can borrow mine if you want to try.

You seem to be coming up against brick walls left, right and centre Mel. Just glad you got such a neat finder to keep your spirits up!

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

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Serious silly suggestion this time! Would it be possible to "spread" the tripod legs a bit further? This would lower the whole mount - you may have to modify or make a new "spreader" to keep the thing braced and solid. the other problem may be the legs then getting rather more "in the way" than they already do.

Otherwise replace the current legs completly with new shorter ones - there must be dozens of folk who have abandoned tripods when converting to a pier mount?

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Macavity

Macavity

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The height problem is perennial here too. LOL. I need about 2" lopped of a pillar. OT: But (if there's an "injineer" in the house!), how do you cut metal tubes neatly and squarely? Have sort-of done it... and quite well, but not something I want repeat too often in one lifetime! Saw? "Lathe"? Someone who knows what they're doing? :headbang:

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dark knight

dark knight

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Chris you need an angle grinder with a metal cutting disc...

Mel, why do you need to cut it off the top?? why not remove the extension adjustment locking screws and housing and cut off/shorten there, I know it means cutting the inner tube also but it maybe easier...just a thought....

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

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To cut tubes squarely and accurately they would be mounted in a lathe (of suitable size) and the cut made with a "parting off tool". This is a short thin tool that is fed directly into the wall of the tube until the waste is "parted" from the parent metal. You would also need various steadies and supports along the work to avoid accidents!

It is unlikely that any amateur, or even a small engineering company, would have a lathe big enough to manage the sizes of tube that we use for piers. I strongly suspect that they all use modern bandsaws - which are remarkably accurate - and the final "setting to dimension" is done by judicious "jigging" before finally welding everything to end up at the right size.

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Macavity

Macavity

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To cut tubes squarely and accurately...
Thanks, for that (and dark knight). Sorry to drift OT, but something that always intrigued. Certainly thought of heavy or long tube "wanging around" brought on the shudders. To cut e.g. Skywatcher refractor dew shield, I used a hacksaw, with Jubilee clips as guidance, then ground the ends flat with sandpaper. They make quite useful solar filter housings etc. :headbang:
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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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Ah well this project I will hev to attack later. I now have the bits (priase be to RS components ) to get on with my polarscope dimming control and also the pendant for my fan set-up which will have on/off, power control and a lil LED.

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greenkat

greenkat

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I have the Heq5pro mount and being a bit of a short **** I decided to take some off the legs. Didnt have any problem geting the legs off from the top end, hacksawed off a couple inches from each one, slid them back in and tightened the allen screws

Luvly jubly no more tiptoes :icon_eek:

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