AOS Samson spruce up.

[croweater]

Hi crew. I gave my old 80's Samson mount a clean up the last few days. I've had it since I bought it off Claude (AEC) second hand about '92. Pulled it to pieces and gave it a paint job in gloss grey (I never was keen on the original blue). Wiped/sprayed silicone spray over all the parts. Still moves and runs very smoothly. I'm waiting for a vixen/losmandy plate to arrive and will bolt that on. Joshua Bunn made a lovely set of tube rings for my Parks 8 inch f6 a while ago so will be good to go. The mount is very heavy for me now so I might have to put wheels on it.
Cheers, Richard

[Wilso]

Nice Richard,
Still looks blue in the photo though :rofl:
I wonder if you could fit those flip down casters to the base?
Just a thought , looks nice sometimes the older gear is better :thumbsup:

[croweater]

Thanks Wilso. Yeah it does look a bit like pale blue. :P It's actually more grey in reality. The original blue was quite dark. Ive been looking at heavy duty castors in Bunnings. Yes the old stuff was built pretty solid. Stainless 1 and1/4 inch shafts, cast iron and steel. Some aluminium. No wobbles with this thing. Was very well built. It will outlast me I think haha.
Thanks for your interest.

[croweater]

Wheels added, plus dovetail clamp for rings :thumbsup:
Cheers Richard

[Tinderboxsky]

Looking good, Richard. I like it.

Steve.

[croweater]

Thanks Steve. I appreciate your interest. You may have noticed I have an embroidery ring in front of the 1st tube ring. Works pretty good for rotating the tube when rings are loosened to give a good eyepiece position.
Cheers, Richard

[doppler]

Hi Richard,

How is your plastic / nylon? worm ring gear holding up?. I have an old Samson mount in the shed 240v motor still works but the teeth on the ring gear are pretty bad. One day I might get around to restoring it. And yes they are a solid mount compered with today's offerings.
Cheers Rick

[croweater]

Hi Rick. Yeah the teeth are still in pretty good nick. Just curious, what would you do to replace the gear? I believe it was lapped to the worm. Hope you get yours going someday. It's a pretty nice mount to use. No vibrating when you breathe on it:lol:
Cheers, Richard

[doppler]

It was a freebie, but I am sure there would be a way to plastic cast a new one, most of the "teeth" are in tact. Just another thing in the retirement to do list.