Cat's perch chair on a budget!

[Darkplague]

Well I finally got around to taking some snaps of my finished 16" project + recently built cat's perch chair.

The chair was built on a shoestring budget, using leftover wood from the 16" dob. I doubt that it even cost $20 all up. Even the seat is a piece of leather bought at the flea markets, for the grand sum of $2. :P
I would have to say it is very easy to adjust and very comfy, especially when using the binoviewer. The chair I only finished quite recently, and I am actually quite surprised at how sturdy this type of chair is. I weigh close to 100kgs, and the chair doesnt even flinch.

Now my most recent aquisition is a Denk binoviewer with SCD, Dipter adj. and powerswitch.

With this binoviewer , the combination of Mark Suchting's fantastic 16" mirror, and a pair of 32mm Televue plossls, something happens that I cant really explain exactly.

To me, the contrast of the background sky seems to increase at least 2 fold, and the sky is inky jet black. I'm not saying that the view in cyclops mode is poor, it is far from that, however in bino mode everything just appears more defined and more realistic.

To confirm this, I looked at a few objects, mainly m42, Jupiter, and Omega Centauri through both binoviewer and cyclops mode and have to say that the bino mode absolutely stomps on the poor old cyclops mode. What a blessing it is to be able to christen my new Denk with these 3 objects all at very close to zenith. I very much doubt that I will ever return to the mono mode again.
With 2 eyes you are just so much more relaxed, that you can extract so much more information from your view in the EP's. Also the powerswitch is an awesome feature, well done denkmeier. So easy and quick to use. I really am surprised that the feature hasnt been carried over to mono viewing yet! :screwy:

Oh and the moon, I won't even go there, Mindblowing at 400X
Worth the price of admission just there!


Well over a year has passed since I first started building this telescope , and only now am I beginning to enjoy the fuits of my labour. Every little bug has been ironed out and all the hard work is behind me, so now I can sit back and enjoy this setup for many years to come......

I'd like to thank everyone here at Ice in Space for all your input on this project. I joined this forum being a total astro newb, and in the space of a year or so, I have come away with a very nice package indeed. Everyones guidance and input has been graciously received. THANKYOU !! :thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

looks a comfy seat! you don't slip off it do you being a vinyl seat

[Darkplague]

Its actually Cowhide.

[h0ughy]

LOL don't tell ving:rofl:

Well then, it should be nice to perch the derriere on eh:whistle:

[Dennis]

Congratulations on completing the work on the 16" and chair - they both look fantastic. Thanks for the very informative description of the bino viewer experience too - I almost felt as if I were there!

Cheers

Dennis

[Darkplague]

Thanks! Believe me, when you are looking at the moon through this thing, you literally are walking on it's surface. :eyepop:

[iceman]

Excellent piece of art! Congratulations on completing what must be such a rewarding project.

Well done.

[xstream]

Congratulations and well done! I'm sure Mark's mirror with the Denk's would be absolute magic.

[ving]

Nnnnooooo!!!

cover your eyes astrobelle!!!! :(

looks cool :)
mine cost me about $50

[mercedes_sl1970]

Mark

Very impressive - scope and chair. I bow to your obvious skill.

I've been wanting to build something like your chair as well. I tend to make things up as I go along, depending on the materials at hand. So, just wondering if you have any rough dimensions (eg height, depth, width, angle of front support) or could point me towards a website. Or, if you were able to post a couple more shots from other angles?

Thanks

Andrew

[iceman]

Hey Andrew
You could try this one (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,10,0,0,1,0)

[ving]

hello again andrew. go look at the chair mike linked you to. i made one and i have no skill at all. :)

[mercedes_sl1970]

Thanks Ving & Iceman

It looks a very simple design. Do you get any vertical slippage?

Andrew

[iceman]

Hi Andrew.

Nope, none at all. It sticks very well.

If you lived closer, you could come and take mine off me for a measely sum. I've since got a Stellar Seat and so don't use my denver chair.

[stringscope]

Hi Andrew,

I see you are in Canberra. You are more than welcome to drop by and take some measurements off mine (image below - sorry the chair is a bit dusty :P ). Alternatively, I can bring the chair to a CAS meeting for you to look at.

Cheers,

[stringscope]

Hi Mark,

Your chair and scope both look fantastic :thumbsup: .

As I am part way through building a 16" Dob, I have a couple of Q's.

What is the height of the seat at its highest setting?
How stable do you find the chair when you are using it at the higher settings with your feet off the ground?

Cheers,

[Darkplague]

All I did was look at a few websites and found some chairs that I liked. I never had a plan to work from as such. The angle of the chair when opened is 35 degrees. The rest of the dimensions I just worked out according to my needs. For example to work out the height of the chair, place your scope at its zenith, and work out how high you need to build the chair. I will take some more pics for you tonight of the chair. Use good quality wood, and dont skimp on the wood screws and glue


These 2 websites are what I used to visualise the chair in my head:


http://www.strnad-emskirchen.de/astro_chair.html

http://www.wood-wonders.com/WoodWondersCatsperchAssembly.htm

[Darkplague]

Thanks for the compliments!

The height of the seat at max. is 1.2m.

As I said in my post the seat is rock solid. Even at the highest setting it is stable as can be. However to get this rigidity you need to pay attention to the tolerances where the 2 halves are hinged. I used teflon washers and reinforced hinges to get this area nice and tight. Use a good quality wood, If you cant get a good hardwood, then use marine ply or hoop ply.

Cheap pine isnt really sufficient as it splinters and flexes too easily. For a low chair it may be ok to use, but once you start going to the higher settings, you will really notice the flex.

I will take some snaps of this area I am talking about!

There are actually 2 teflon washers stuffed in between the hinges which are difficult to see. They keep it all nice and tight.

[mercedes_sl1970]

Mark - thanks for the info and the pictures. Excellent job - looks very sturdy and I also like the combination of wood and ply. Visually - very appealing.

I think I'll give one a go and get back in touch if needs be.

Thanks again

Andrew

[mercedes_sl1970]

Ian - good looking chair. Thanks for the photo and offer. See how I go with one and get back to you.

Thanks again.

Andrew

[Darkplague]

Good on ya! There really isnt much to them. There is really no exact mesuremnts to go by. Just make it to suit your specific requirements.

Feel free to ask any questions if you get stuck! Good luck. :thumbsup:

[mercedes_sl1970]

Ian, Mark, Ving & Iceman

Thanks for the various forms of advice and inspiration. Just finished my version of a "cat's" perch chair.

Andrew

ps our other ("real") dog, a blue heeler, sensibly wasn't interested in taking part - I always get in trouble for describing this one as a rodent/canine cross...

[iceman]

lol re dog

Nice looking chair! Well done Andrew. A real piece of art.

[stringscope]

Looks great Andrew. :thumbsup:

[ving]

I have a cow print cover on my seat... its fake. I hope your dog skin cover is fake too or i am calling the RSPCA! :P

well done, much better than mine.

[Darkplague]

Great stuff, nothing wrong with that at all.

My only advice is instead of that piece of string, use a bit of wood or sheetmetal. You'll be surprised how much sturdier this will make it!!

[mercedes_sl1970]

Yep - planned to do just that but ran out of steam. Will add something on the weekend.

Thanks

Andrew