Building a tripod out of wood

[04Stefan07]

Been researching online and found many helpful pictures and tips on making a telescope tripod out of wood.

I wanted to ask if anyone here can share some photos of any that they have made and recommend a strong (but not expensive) type of wood to use.

Thanks!

[LewisM]

Strong wood usually costs. Cheap wood warps.

Traditional tripods use ash, mahogany, elm, oak. EXPENSIVE. Cheap use pine, meranti, paulownia. AVOID.

I suppose you could use Jarrah, but it'd be HEAVY and expensive. Teak would be naturally resistant to water and insects, but again, fairly expensive. I would NOT use iron bark or most eucalypts - split too easily, as does coachwood.

Birch plywood is VERY strong, but expensive, IF you can find it. Pine ply is not worthwhile.

Honestly, probably better buying a pre-made ash/elm one.

[anj026]

I've used Tassie Oak with great success. You can get it from hardware stores as Porta mouldings. It comes pre-dressed in 20x40 or 20x65 section, 2.4 metre lengths.

The picture shows one I made for a Vixen GPD2. It uses 6 pieces of 20x40x1200mm Tassie oak.

[04Stefan07]

How much is this type of wood worth?

[anj026]

Give your local Bunnings a call.

http://www.porta.com.au/profile-matrix?cat=Core-Building&dc=dar

http://www.bunnings.com.au/our-product-range_bunnings-catalogue.aspx

[LewisM]

I buy Tassie Oak dowel all the time - about $12 a metre for 1" dowel. That's the quality straight grain stuff, not the warping curved grain. You have to be VERY selective of your wood.

[pw]

http://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=firma&sprache=english
Ash is what they use (European Ash, not fake Eucalypt species ash), I suspect "Tasmanian Oak" is also not an oak, but a Eucalypt species too.
I don't think using a nice straight grained Eucalypt species would be a bad thing though.

[anj026]

Yes Tassie Oak is a commercial name, I think the species is also known as Victorian Ash.

Andy

[brian nordstrom]

;) Steffan , if you can find some , it's ..
New Zealand or Tasmanian ' Kauri ' the best aver .
During the 1900's the Pom's felled swathe's of our trees for ships , Kauri timber is the best .
Today it shows up ( 150years later) in demolition sales , awsome stuff .
Do a google .
Brian.

[DavidU]

I saw a vintage tripod in wood on ebay, I'll find it...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Wooden-tripod-for-astronomical-telescope-has-extendable-legs-0-360-degrees-/251263506073?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3a8078d699

[Andy Walters]

Another vote for 'Tassie Oak'. Bought from Bunnings about 8years ago, 30x30mm. Make sure of good varnish. I use Danish Oil, which is easy to reapply. And put rubber feet on the ends.:)
Andy

[Wavytone]

Long ago I made a tripod for my 8" f/7 newtonian (big heavy thing) using old western Australian jarrah floorboards about 100 x 25mm. Best tripod I've ever used, solid as a tree stump, but it was non-folding - fully glued and screwed joints and braced in every direction so no torsion (twisting) either.

I have a photo somewhere.

[MattT]

Here is a picture of mine that I have been working on for a few months.
I used Tassie Oak and wanted short adjustable legs. Tripod next to it is the HEQ5 at max extension! No more lying on the ground when at zenith :cool:
I'm going to use Haymes water based decking oil as a finish. Still to finish the tray for batteries etc but can say the tripod is rock solid. I bought the timber from a proper timber yard and it cost a bit over $60, Bunnings was more than double that price, although I did have to sand it quite a bit which the Bunnings version would not have needed so much.
Timber is 35X70mm one half a leg was warped a tiny bit but I used it all the same.

[anj026]

Some good examples on this thread;

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4328007/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1/vc/1

I like this pier tripod concept;

http://starhopper.de/astro/equip/original/Woodmaster%20Clone-3.html

And this one is special/something to aspire to;

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Board/atm/Number/5666997/page/10/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

[04Stefan07]

Excellent thanks!

[Wavytone]

Ah found photo of my old tripod, sitting on a wooden lawn trolley (which worked well BTW). The tripod was designed to fit exactly into the back of the station wagon I had at the time.

Normally the mount carried an 8" f/7 and 6" f/8.