Dob Modifications...

[tony4563]

Having sucessfully dismantled, flocked, reassembled and collimated perfectly my 10" Dob, I'm in the "tinkering" mood and looking at other modifications I can apply to enhance my stellar and planetary viewing through this scope. I think I've done all I can optically, by centreing the mirror and flocking the tube, however, what I need to do now is look to improve the base it sits upon. I've started by replacing the standard centre bolt with a longer one, complete with a new self locking nut. I need to make the base a little more friction free whilst turning. Everything I've seen to make the modifications have been related to American products ie "Teflon magic sliders." What English products are you Dob owners using, if at all, to make the base a little easier to turn?

[GordonCopestake]

Teflon is easy to get in chunk from ebay, but if you go to b&q you can buy furniture gliders that work the same.

Whilst you are rebuilding your base add setting circles to your dob. A lot easier to find things then!

[geppetto]

Tony

Well done on the flocking 8)

Re the base, it's worth making some big washers out of the plastic

that milk cartons are made of (very slippery).

Put one of these washers between each rubbing surface of the centre pin components and the base boards.

Improves the motion no end

[tony4563]

Gordon...Great Idea about the setting circles. Will look into that. Phil, how big do these milk container washers need to be and How long do they last? Are we talking plastic milk cartons or the waxy paper box type with the awful spout !?

[geppetto]

The plastic ones mate.

It realy is very slippy

Make em as big and as crude as you like as long as the hole roughly matches

the azimuth pin diameter.

I've got them between the wood bases and the metal washers.

Should last a long time