This piece of history has been through many hands in the last few years and now has yet another home and some further enhancements through the work of a brilliant machinist friend. A new counterweight bar has been machined from bar stock to accept rough cast counterweights from an Australian "Samson" mount courtesy of Matt T. The bar has been bored and threaded so that it screws onto the existing thread on the end of the declination shaft.
The beautiful ra gear was hidden from view so consideration was given to a different clutch setup. A new simple and very effective right ascension clutch assembly has been machined from bar and clutch discs out of delrin. The ra gear was trued and faced on both sides for the clutch discs to engage on. The ra gear sits on a central hub which is threaded internally to screw onto the existing thread on the end of the ra shaft. This hub is shaped like a "top hat". After screwing the hub onto the ra shaft, a clutch plate is slid onto the hub, then the ra gear, then another clutch plate then a circular "nut" is screwed onto an outside threaded section of the hub to give the required friction/slip. The whole hub/clutch assembly is then screwed up or down the ra shaft for correct meshing with the ra worm gear. A bolt screws into the end of the hub to contact the ra shaft thus locking the hub/clutch assembly to the ra shaft. Works a treat.
The mount was originally built by Gaunt to carry a 3" to 4 1/2" refractor. I happened to have an old english made 3" Broadhurst and Clarkson from the early 1900's that was originally retailed in Melbourne by a firm "Sewards". Nice to have this collection of parts all originating in Melbourne
Mark