Pier + pier adapter help

[angusb1]

Would it help if the block for the bottom of the pier was under the ground so that when you didn't want to use it any more it was covered by a few inches of soil? It would make the hole you needed to dig even deeper but it would mean that it would be invisible once you had finished with it. As long as you used a metal pier on top, once the pier was gone the block could be covered up again.

I guess if this isn't an option you could go for a much thinner concrete base, maybe with paving slabs on top and then something like this:

More permanent than a tripod but not as permanent as a cubic metre of concrete

[msinclairinork]

Cheers Angus, that thought had crossed my mind. I was just hoping not to have to use a metal peir aswell, as I got a very expensive quote back from my local fabricator.

But I might manage to find somthing suitable with a good hunt round the scrappies.

Cheers mate,

Michael

[Bizibilder]

Many years ago I remenber seeing something like a 4" refractor on a pier that had what looked like a flat steel plate welded to the base (I guess about 2' square) and along two edges of this plate, railway line fashion (ie parallel), were two steel bars (probably small "H" section RSJ's) about 6' long. Across and on top of the outer ends of these bars the owner had placed a pile of what I assume to be paving slabs (a stack about 4 high on each end). The whole assembly was in the middle of his lawn and, again I assume, was "semi-portable". I doubt if it ever moved much!!!

Maybe some ideas in that??

[msinclairinork]

Well after much deliberation, and all your help!

I have decided to go with Angus's sudgestion of a 2ft Cubed concrete pier base burried under the 'frost line' then a DIY metal pier (bound to find some scrap..) Bolted on.

Then with the earth/grass coverd up over it. That way when I move house I will just dig up a bit, un-bolt the pier and pop the grass back...none the wiser..I hope

I have already made some pier leveling plates, Just waiting for the paint to dry. Joys of working on a ship..plenty scrap steel and all the tools

I will post some pics later on when the paint has dried.

So the pier adapter should be home from Altair Astro by the end of this week, and I will be back on shore for a month on Friday so "should" have it all done and setup soon!

Will Post pics of the progress as I go of course.

Many thanks for all your help!

Michael

[msinclairinork]

As promised, my DIY pier leveling plates. Very pleased how they turned out as I have never used a grinder before!

Once I get the pier made I will just weld the bottom plate on to it.

I will then just set the pier adapter on it one night with just the mount and hold it thier, get polaris roughly into view of the polar scope and mark the holes where the adapter needs to be place, then drill them out of the top plate and fix it all up. That way I don't need to worry about the pier and the plates not being perfectly North.

That should work, right?

Thanks,

Michael

[angusb1]

Looks very tidy Michael.

[msinclairinork]

Cheers mate!

[Stardust]

Nice job on the pier plates.

I'm going to do the same method of aligning my friends. The pier has gone in and we are just going to put the mount in my adaptor and secure with a 10mm piece of studding. Align as you said making sure the adjuster pin is centered then mark where the adaptor meets the base. Might be tricky to mark the holes as you've got to take the mount off and it might shift.

[msinclairinork]

Thanks,

Yea I thought that may cause a problem, but get a good few pairs of hands and then as long as it is close, the azimuth screws should pick up the slack....sorry should say...the azimuth screws MUST pick up the slack! lol

I suppose you could make a mark on the out side of the pier adapter as well, and then on the pier plate. keeping the 2 marks lined up should help the process.

Thanks again for the coments,

Will you keep you all posted, hopfully get going next week.

Michael

[msinclairinork]

Finaly have my pier made!

It was made by my local fabricators. Cost £30 for the materials and £15 for the time.

Pier adapter from altair astro & leveling plates I made.

It's very solid! very pleased with the quality.

Couldn't resist a little play today to see if it all fits togeather. The Pier adpater still needs to be aligned and fixed properly, but I will do that once the pier is fixed into position.

As you can see I am going for SMALL (about 4ft from the ground) as my garden just isn't big enough for much else.

So if you can try and imagine a wooden box that will just cover it all and to setup I will just open a door on the one side of the box, and slide it off and fire it all up.

I will be controlling it all from inside the house in the once 'utility room'....now Michaels space lab! as she calls it!

I will have all the usb cables from the cameras etc. runing into a usb hub at the scope and then one 20m active usb repeater cable running into the house. Tested that and it works a treat

So next stage will be the crete peir base and the enclosure. wont be until next month though as I am away back to sea tomorrow.

p.s you may ask your self why does he have a red light in his utility/warm room??...for effect! obviously!

Thanks,

Michael

[Armsoft]

Michael,

Looks impressive mate, you should get some good viewing (weather permitting )

Mark

[msinclairinork]

cheers mate..here's hoping!

Michael

[angusb1]

Looks absolutely fantastic Michael! Nice welding, very tidy. Looks very substantial too.

[msinclairinork]

Cheers Angus,

Yea I was very pleased with the level of work.

What do you think of the utility/warm room? lol

[MG1]

That looks grand....will you need to coat it with anything special due to atmospheric salt? or are you inland a bit?

[msinclairinork]

Cheers Mike.

Yes I am going to give it a couple of coats of boat primer and paint then some boat hardtop. Should do the job as the furthest I can get away from the sea in Orkney is 3 miles!! lol

Michael

[nightvision]

opps wrong thread!

[angusb1]

What do you think of the utility/warm room? lol

Looks very comfortable and nice and tidy. Just the job.

[msinclairinork]

Well I am home again from sea, so back to the build!

Dug out a hole approx 1.3ft deep, 2.6ft wide & 4ft long.

Just going to put in the corner support posts and suspend the threaded rods for the pier. Then I will order the concrete to be delevered and barrow it in...hopfully today!

Also have about a ton of terra firma to get rid off

More pics soon..

Michael

[astroimpulse]

Looks like a quality set-up now

[Psychobilly]

All coming together nicely

Piers make life so much easier ....

[msinclairinork]

Cheers folks,

looking forward to having it finished!

Michael

[Gina]

Interesting but I don't really think a cubic metre of concrete is an option for many people. I would have thought it was overkill for say up to a 10" scope.

In this thread it seems we have two extremes - a cubic yard of concrete or a 4" fence post! Is the 4" fence post really sufficient for astro-imaging? I'd very much like to know. It's such a nice simple solution

Regards

Gina

[MG1]

Well I am home again from sea, so back to the build!

Dug out a hole approx 1.3ft deep, 2.6ft wide & 4ft long.

Just going to put in the corner support posts and suspend the threaded rods for the pier. Then I will order the concrete to be delevered and barrow it in...hopfully today!

Also have about a ton of terra firma to get rid off

More pics soon..

Michael

That's a quality hole you've got there!

Some really lovely looking soil too...

A friend of mine did a similar thing under his house so that he could mount his hi-fi on a solide concrete block...heaven knows what the people thought you bought his house when they found it! LOL!

I keep wondering if SOCO's have been out there yet?

[rawhead]

Also have about a ton of terra firma to get rid off

Michael

Hid mine behind the obsy. No one has noticed yet