ATM DIY sources- non astro

[mental4astro]

Hi all,

After the blessing from Mojo, I'm starting this new thread as a spin off from one in the Feed Back forum.

After my experience with rebuilding my 17.5" dob, and a couple of other projects, I've come to see that the majority of materials used in a DIY scope project don't come from astro-dealerships. Aluminium, Teflon, plywood, laminates, etc, all need to be gleaned from all sorts of places.

The DIY forum has a number of threads dotted throughout it asking for sources of these materials. I've even done so. Yet the astro-supplies sticky in the equipment forum got me thinking of starting similar thread for DIY stuffs.

So, here goes. Some of the folks who have helped me in my various projects:

Plywood: Lifetime Industries, 56 John St, Leichardt, NSW. www.lifetime.net.au (http://www.lifetime.net.au) I got my hardwood plywood from them. Good to talk to, and not expensive.

Teflon: The Plastic Centre, Vic., http://www.plasticcenter.com.au/ They posted out the sheet of Teflon to my specs same day. As the stuff is easy to cut and machine, the small sheet proved to be very cheap

A start.

Mental.

[asimov]

They usually come from my scrap heap at the bottom of the yard for me! I'll use anything that gets me out of trouble.

Thanks Mental:thumbsup:

[chrisp9au]

One for regional Victorian star gazers...

Direct Aluminium P/L (03) 5448 5488
4/ 11-13 Maynard Drv, Bendigo VIC 3550

Oh, and Bunnings comes in handy every now and then!
Found some very handy variations of Velcro type fastenings and wraps at Bunnings.

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[kinetic]

Great initiative Alex,


A good source of:

Motors, gears, pulleys, toothed belts, machined shafts, clutches,
photo interupter limits switches/PE devices, circlips, chains,bearings,
brass and nylon bushes, one way clutches, solenoids,grub screws,
sprockets...power supplies, Lenses(positive and negative), first surface mirrors,
prisms..................
the list is endless.....


All from old small, medium and large photocopiers and printers,
3 inch and 5 inch disk drives, Hard drives..even the old MFM types...
Check out a few pics in this thread:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=550572&postcount=149

Steve

[hickny]

I bought my poles from Capral Industries http://www.capral.com.au/
sites in NSW at

432 West Botany Street ROCKDALE NSW 2216
27 Elizabeth Street WETHERILL PARK NSW 2164 Australia

Got my laminate from a Kitchen Manufacturer locally

[snowyskiesau]

For bearings, belts, sprockets etc. Try Small Parts (http://www.smallparts.com.au) in Qld.

In NSW, I've used Edcon (http://www.edconsteel.com.au/index.htm) for aluminium (and steel). Good stock and will cut to size.

For any metalworking tools that your local hardware store doesn't stock, try McJings (http://www.mcjing.com.au/).
Excellent service and delivery.

A :thumbsup: for Lifetime Industries for plywood.

[chrisp9au]

I managed to get a sheet of Ebony Star laminate a while back at:

Ballarat Joinery Supplies
20-22 Old Creswick Road, Ballarat, VIC
(03) 5333 3008
http://ballaratjoinerysupplies.com.au

They also have a large selection of laminate offcuts of all types and colours.
They also cut and finished all my kitchen bench tops a couple of years back.
Great to deal with!

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[garymck]

Gears, Timing Pulleys/ belts and assorted stuff, great range, only place in the world I found a 47 tooth pulley... From The UK, but even with airmail post half the price I could get it from here. Order arrived 5 days after payment....not bad for the distance...and prompt replies to emails...

http://www.hpcgears.com/

Gary

[mental4astro]

Snowyskiesau put me onto Carbatec for excellent wood working tools:

http://www.carbatec.com.au/

Thanks Geoff, :thumbsup:.

Ooohh, I doooo luuuuuv their showroom, :love:.

For specialized fasteners, try PSM Fasteners in Marrickville, NSW. Only place I found steel insert nuts. This mob is also supplying the fasteners to the Mt Stromlo rebuild:

http://www.rgafasteners-psm.com/page/contact_us1.html

You might also like to try Maumac for specialised furniture fixtures, including pole inserts:

http://www.maumac.com.au/

[mercedes_sl1970]

Hi Alex

This is an excellent idea. I've used:

- Specialty Fasteners, http://www.specfast.com.au/, Fyshwick ACT - range of screws, bolts, nuts in various metric and imperial sizes
- Blackwoods, http://www2.blackwoods.com.au/Default.aspx, Fyshwick ACT - put me on to Lanolin grease for binocular focusers, etc, source of Loctite UV curing glue for refixing a binocular eyepiece element
- Bunnings and Magnet Mart - anything and everything else (also just picked up one of the waterproof cases)
- and of course right here in the IIS Classifieds.

Andrew


-

[ZeroID]

Add to this list from Photocopiers, thick walled aluminium fuser rollers, for focusser tubes, building Crayfords etc. Old IT tape drives are full of miniature bearings, isolation mounts. Try old projectors for lens assemblies, partial transmission windows and optical path elements. ( The projectors get thrown away after the user finds out how much a replacement bulb costs!!)
Copier paper trays often have thin sheet aluminium bases.

Love this thread !! :thumbsup:
If you checked one of the pics of my 10" build you'd see the pile of engineering bits under the bench in my garage and there is an electrical heap at the other end.
Throw nothing away !! :lol:

[snowyskiesau]

If you're after nuts and bolts of any size, then Bolts and Industrial Supplies (http://bolt.com.au) is worth a look.
If you're like me and don't have your own transport, then a good mail order place for this sort of thing is invaluable.

I've just ordered some 1.6mm metric screws, your local Bunnings DEFINITELY doesn't stock those!

And for the electronic side of ATMs,, check out Sparkfun (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php). Lots of components, microcontrollers, etc. Ocean Controls (http://www.oceancontrols.com.au) in Melbourne also have an interesting range of 'stuff' including small stepper motors.

[En1gma]

I have nothing much to add "ATM"

But I will mention that if ever find that you need small pieces of wood, Mitre 10 Timber centre at Canterbury, off canterbury Rd, NSW. The chaps there are very helpful in offering offcuts at very cheap prices.

Last I went there for some small pieces of hardwood ply, I picked up a 30cm x ~90cm sheet for 4 bucks... I paid more getting them to cut it for me!.

Cheers
Rob

P.S Alex, great idea on starting this thread.

[mental4astro]

Laminate: The 'good book', "The Dobsonian Telescope", mentions the use of 'Ebony Star' by Wilsoncraft & the Quarry Finish range of colours from Laminex.

While Ebony Star is available in Oz, it is not cheap. Quarry Finish range is a discontinued range, now only available as off-cuts or the occassional odd sheet. Another option, though it too is discontinued, is the 'Dimensions' range from Formica. Available as per the Laminex stuff.

Off-cuts of these are usually available from kitchen and cabinet makers. I don't list any in particular as there are so many around the country, never too far from anyone. A good start is either a local newspaper or the Yellow Pages.

The one thing in being discontinued is that the colours available may not be to your particular likeing. My philosophy here is 'you are looking through the scope, not at it. Such is life'.

[Phizzy]

Hi all

I get my stainless steel (and other non-rusting stuff)screws etc. at my local chandlery shop (boat bits). They also have a great selection of springs and thousands of other useful bits and pieces....and there is no minimum number of screws etc to buy.

In Brisbane there is also a place called reverse garbage which has lots of stuff but you have to go there to see what they have perspex/plywood/timber/springs/glass/plastic punchings/sail cloth and ANYTHING else. Local companies give them their clean waste. It is a great place and well worth going to and I'm pretty sure there is one in Melbourne also. I got a 10inch cardboard tube for a 8inch mirror in there. My children still love going in there.

Phill

[Moon]

Some stuff for an observatory in Melbourne.

V-Groove Wheels
Richmond casters (http://www.richmondau.com/)

Telescope Pier
Arky Welding
5/30 Cochranes Rd
Moorabbin VIC 3189
(03) 9555 3537

Blasting and Powder Coating
For telescope parts and pier...
A Class Powder Coating (http://aclasspowdercoating.com/)

High Quality Fastners
Great range of stainless steel bolts/screws
Cost less bolts (http://www.costlessbolts.com.au/)

Builder
Get Bob the builder to knock you up a roll off observatory. Tel 0400890916

James

[mental4astro]

There's one in Sydney too, in Marrikville. I got sheets of thin MDF to make several router & circular saw jigs for myself, :thumbsup:.

I think there's at least another in Melbourne, if not in some other cities.

[Rod]

In Victoria , you can get threaded inserts from:

Hills Clearance Centre in Keysborough

Cambria Rd (cnr Bridge Rd) 3173

Ph: (03) 9238 2555

Rod.

[peterl]

In N.S.W. At Coffs Harbour:-
www.plasticsfactory.com.au

1mm black styrene.

Comes in 2440mm x 1220mm sheets.
High gloss on one side and semi flat on other side.
Semi flat side can be made dead flat by rubbing with wet and dry paper.
Some people use KLYDEX.
This is better than klydex because it does not go soft on warm days, is self supporting and finish on outside is proffessional looking. High impact material.
Can be cut with a sharp stanley knife or shaped easily and bent around
secondary cages etc.
Excellent for DIY for dobs etc.
I built my 20 inch obsession clone in 2001.
this material has not moved,or cracked or changed at all in that time.
A friend has also built a 16 inch obsession clone as well and very happy with this material.
If anybody wants a sample of this material I can send a piece to you.

Peter Langdown

[Benno85]

www.sdp-si.com (http://www.sdp-si.com)

Great site in the US wither everything from spur gears, dc motors, bolts, threaded rods. And quite cheap too, less than half of what I would pay for some items if I bought them locally, even better now that the Aussie dollar is up!!

[mental4astro]

:question: How can we forget Jaycar Electronics:

http://www.jaycar.com.au/

Online and stores across the country.

I've been looking at their site for bits and pieces and have got leads and connectors for my dew zapper from them, :thumbsup: .

[mental4astro]

Here is another threaded insert option, from Blackwoods that Andrew had posted earlier:

http://www2.blackwoods.com.au/infoBANKProduct.aspx?SG=2000165&S=4084688&G=7002638&P=7064567

[snowyskiesau]

And for the electronics geeks amongst us, check out this eBay seller (http://stores.ebay.com.au/sureelectronics1).
Lots of cheap micro-controller bits, power supplies and LCD displays.
Free shipping on lots of items too.

[ZeroID]

Needed some largish diameter tubing (65mm) for a project in the garage. I had a couple of Toner cannisters from a Xerox copier about the right diameter, 65mm and 75 mm OD. Length about 300 mm. Once you hacksaw them open and clean out the residual toner you end up with a very light 1mm wall rigid plastic tube. I won't tell you (yet) what I'm building with mine but could be useful for sight scope bodies, 60mm or 70 mm lens. Just watch out for the toner, it's totally nontoxic and harmless but messy !! ( I used to be the materials safety person for this stuff so I know )

[mental4astro]

Another electronics components place you may like to try is:

Futurlec (http://www.futurlec.com.au/index.jsp)

Certainly worth a look. Cheaper than Jaycar. I've been getting a few bits and bobs for my stuff from here.

[zeb00]

while we are on electronics
http://www.sparkfun.com/
has lot of proto/breakout boards and sensors

http://littlebirdelectronics.com/
stocks some of the sparkfun stuff

[stephenb]

A sticky perhaps?

Great work everyone.

[multiweb]

Great thread - should definitely be a sticky. :thumbsup:

[iceman]

Thread stuck!

[mental4astro]

I've recently gone to a local cabinet maker to source some textured laminate for a new mount. The fellow there mentioned to me that the best source of these textured laminates are specifically benchtop makers, :thumbsup: . Cabinet makers through the nature of their work don't carry a large range of laminates. Benchtop makers on the other hand do.

A little tip to help reduce leg work.