Rolling Base for 12" Dob

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

With the ongoing poor weather, I decided to put together a rolling base for my 12" Dob in order to make it easier to move around. I went with a separate rolling platform, hoping to avoid moisture getting into the existing laminated chipboard base if holes were drilled into it.

My Father provided some power tools and expert hands on assistance. His help saved a lot of time and was greatly appreciated.

The materials used were:

• 25mm plywood cut to size.
• 4 x Fallshaw Locking Castors.
• 16 x 20mm wood screws.

Other design requirements:

• 3 x 29mm holes to allow the tapered 'feet' to slot into the plywood.
• 1 x 80mm hole in the central area, to allow the scope base to sit flush with the plywood platform.

All that is needed to finish the job off is a lick of paint. I know that this is a humble modification, but the amount of effort required to move this 42kg lump around has been dramatically reduced.

[Sarge (Rod)]

Great job Stu

Look out for muddy puddles.

Let us know how it goes. Interested to see if you have any vibration issues when using the scope.

Clear skies

Rod

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Nice work Stu. That is a really neat finish! You'll notice the difference immediately.

My mod was more basic - just 3 non-locking castors screwed directly to the BinTel dob base, but once it sits on the lawn I get next to no vibration or movement whatsoever. I expect you'll have the same results!

Stephen

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

Originally Posted by Sarge

Look out for muddy puddles.

Thanks Rod and Stephen.

We have had our fair share of rain lately. With 40+kg over the castors, it would dig a nice trench. We got some sunshine today, so the ground is starting to dry out.

I had not considered the vibration issue. When the skies are clear I will wheel it out and let you know how it goes.

With the rolling base in place, the scope has a hint of Dalek about it. I don't usually give objects names but I might call it Davros.

[Keltik (Trevor)]

Nice work, Stu. I built a similar little truck just to shift the Lightbridge 16" bucket from the garage to the back patio. I don't keep the scope on the wheels though, just use it for transport. The LB base is huge, so a proper-sized wheeled base for the whole scope would be a major lump in itself. The little cart I built is just big enough to accommodate the plastic supports built into the LB housing.

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

Originally Posted by Sarge

Let us know how it goes. Interested to see if you have any vibration issues when using the scope.

Rod

Last night was the first real chance I have had to test the scope while on its new rolling base. With the Moon one day past full, I mainly concentrated on splitting stars and looking the the planets. The locking castors do the job and I am happy to report that there are no vibration issues when setup on a concrete drive.

Originally Posted by Keltik

I built a similar little truck just to shift the Lightbridge 16" bucket from the garage to the back patio. The LB base is huge, so a proper-sized wheeled base for the whole scope would be a major lump in itself. The little cart I built is just big enough to accommodate the plastic supports built into the LB housing.

A 16" Dob must be a tight squeeze through a standard door. In a perfect world all big dobs would be supplied with castors.

[Keltik (Trevor)]

Nice to hear the base is stable, Stu. In a perfect world, all big dobs would come with an observatory in a dark-sky site where you wouldn't have to pull them apart.

[Sarge (Rod)]

Thanks Stu,
Glad to hear it works well.
I read you set up on concrete driveway. I set up on lawn, like Stephen. The thought of accidently dropping an eyepiece or similar on concrete would terrify me!

Perhaps surround the scope with foam pads

Clear skies

Rod