HEQ5 Mount Head

[mynameiscd]

Hi all,
I about to start on a pier for my mount and im trying to find, make a pier head for my HEQ5.
Does anyone know where I can buy one in Australia?
I found some plans and showed a local engineer and just the 200mm x 30mm thick aluminium was over $200!! By the time it gets machined and the second plate etc gets added it around $500 just for the head which is crazy.
Any help???
Cheers
Andy

[Imme]

A disk brake from a car wrecker makes an excellent pier head with a little modification.

[xelasnave]

I cast one for my EQ6 in Aluminium:)
I did have a forge but you can make one easy with a few bricks or clay, and used a leaf blower, charcoal from Bunnings. and fashioned the mould in clay from the side of the road with a bit of sand ( you can find how to make moulds and the sand on the net)...used a big sause pan to melt the aluminium in..and had to file the casting down a bit to finish it neatly but it was a lot of fun and most satisfying to pull it off. You cast it with any holes needed but you could drill later of course but I just wanted a challenge.
I did make a pier and all out of ply wood covered heavily in fibre glass and resin with black tile grout, for my EQ 5 which turned out very strong and flex free so I expect you could make what you need in wood and layer it up in fibre glass even.
Alex

[mynameiscd]

Thanks Jon and Alex.
Jon, I've heard that a Vauxhall disk brake is exactly the right size but being in Western Victoria. .there's not to many Vauxhalls about!! I'll check with a few other types.
And Alex your skills are incredible!!! I'm not really into foundry work other than making the odd diving weight from lead!!! I just couldn't believe how much aluminum costs!! No wonder you cast your own!!

Thanks
Andy

[xelasnave]

Hi Andy
Interesting you mention making weights for skin diving as my experience is about that...it is no different and as always you can learn from youtube.
I cast my own because what I found on the net I considered inferior in design and so I designed one better ..but that requires I make it.
Alex

[Saturnine]

Hi

Not sure why the expense of the aluminium you were quoted, did that include machining. Found this on Ebay a while ago, may help.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/263588326126?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBI DX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

[xelasnave]

Just start saving your cans.
Alex

[mynameiscd]

I was quoted 200dia aluminium 1x30mm and 1x15mm will be $235.00 before any machining. So technically it's going to cost $500 and that's just the aluminum!!!
I'm using these drawings.

If I can buy one off the shelf it would be heaps better.

[mura_gadi]

Hello,

You could try a satellite dish, they have a az/alt bar to set them. Take the 2.5m dishes, they are are often free or under $30. Depends on how cheap you want to go, they would take a good load as well.


Steve
Ps. Similar to this one, 2nd photo is better for the alt mechs.
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mckinnon/tv-accessories/free-satellite-dish-2-5m-diameter-and-three-satellite-receivers/1276710006

[mynameiscd]

Thanks Alex and Steve,
Any option is still on the table at the moment as long as i don't come home again and find my whole rig lying on the ground like last time!!!
Its all fixed now and works perfectly but it was a close one!!

[xelasnave]

Andy
I was going to make it out of "plastic".
Well resin as used in fibre glassing.
You make a mould from cardboard and stuff it with those stainless steel pot cleaners and add resin..file away the cardboard and shape it...it will be as strong as and I bet won't have appreciable flex...you can but something on the net if you don't feel adventurous...it surprises me I could not find something suitable..maybe I should cast a few and go into business:)
And I did make one out of ply wood and resin, fibre glass and black tiling grout specifically for the EQ5 And it was great. Here is a photo..its a bit ruff here and I meeded to fill some gaps after "adjustments":D and a sdditional coat of tesin and black tile grout was needed to make it look flash..but it is rock solid.
Edit..I just realised that was an rarlier stage than I thought and more proto type but you get the idea ( the ply has no covering here at all so I think this was a field trst before I comitted to glass and resin etc cover)

Another edit...I think I was not clearing the wall of the observatory for the polar scope so a bit of mucking around..cant remember much as it was April 2020???
Alex

[alval]

I think your aluminium supplier is trying to scalp you. A specialty metal supplier near me, Surman metals, greenfields, S.A. charges about 12 dollars a kilo for aluminium 6061. At 2.7 gms per cubic cm your large piece is about 2.5 kgs so around 30-40 dollars, plus cut charge and gst. They also ship australia wide. Under 5 kilos is cheap.
I just purchased a slab for a mill fixture pallet over 4 kgs and that cost me 60 inc gst. Maybe shop around.
Al

[mynameiscd]

Thanks Alan,
I've had a look and found the same sort of thing too
Might have to go to someone different I think!!!!

Alex your tenacious enthusiasm inspires me!!! If you can't buy it, just make it attitude is fantastic. I'm a sort of that way with my old wooden dovetail and always fixing broken stuff but time is now my problem and not enough of it to do DIY as much as I used to.
Cheers
Andy