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I am surprised and astounded...descriing myself as "not handy" is an understatement...
In spite of this I completed a couple of astro projects today!!!
I finally got around to doing the "milk jug washer" modification on our Dob...and I can not beleive how much that small change has improved the movement !
It went like a hot knife through butter!
I got so inspired that I went to Bunnings so I could complete a few other projects...
I went wild there (no kids or wife and lots of "man stuff" I was in hawg heaven)...they have hand trucks (dollys) on sale...big red ones for around $25...add a few straps to the shopping trolley and viola I've got an easy way to move my scope around...by this time the adrenaline was really flowing...
Having seen some of the other modifications on the site and accessories I went for broke...
At Bunnings I got and then tried some sleazy knock-off "slide glides" and rushed home to try them...after having seen the improvement that the milk jug washers made I thought I'd go for the whole shebang...
This addition was horrible...they were much worse than the teflon and washers alone...so I ripped them back off...this is how most of my projects go except usually it takes a professional to undue my damage...but not to be stopped I continued on in my hormone induced modification/handy man frenzy...to the neat part...having been waiting for the right moment, I decided to put my Telrad on my scope...between the spotting scope and focuser...this meant that I had to trim the base of the Telrad to make it fit...so I whipped out my little jig saw and did it!
It looks great (well to me it does) and I can still use the spotting scope...success.
So for the day...milk jug washers (accomplished)..."slide glides" (tried, failed, removed), hand truck to move scope (accomplished) and Telrad mounted...(big smile accomplished)...
I would not have tried any of these if not for all of your inspirations (and pictures) showing that these things are possible.
Cheers!
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