Leo.G
19-04-2025, 01:40 PM
I obtained a new head for my tripod with 25Kg capacity, a Cambo SCH. I decided a Vixen dovetail was the best way to mount my Astro Trac on the head, that's where the fun started.
In saying the fun if I weld up a stand and fold up and weld a tray for a milling machine this job would have taken NO TIME, instead it took hours including finding something I could grind to do the job. I could machine my own Vixen plate if the milling machine was set up, custom made for the purposes (mounting it for machining the centre hole was fun), I have the tooling for it.
Yes, the machining is VERY rough, I learnt machining at TAFE 27 years ago and hardly did anything since, giving my old lathe away and 20+ years without access to one.
I don't have a boring bar and ground an old tool I found laying around that had nothing to do with what I was doing, slid my arm down it grabbing something else after grinding it (it was razor sharp as I found out) and butchered my Vixen dovetail plate but it works. I'm yet to cut the Vixen plate down. I first had to drill and tap the Losmandy clamp to 3/8 to mount it on the head and wanted 3/8 to the plate as well. The Astro Trac has provision for 3/8 both sides, 15Kg capacity and I plan on using my full frame Nikon and small Megrez travel scope on it (and should have done so last night).
Now I have to figure out the camera focus with the Nikon and Rokinon lenses attached, I've spent ages and still can't get the focal point right.
The camera mount was made out of some scrap aluminium C channel and some other scrap which puts a reasonable amount of alloy on the rear of the camera to maybe (hopefully) keep it a little cooler. I'm prepared to drip refrigerant gas onto the alloy plate to see if it makes a difference (canned air is refrigerant gas if turned upside down and dripped out).
Today is overcast and rain expected today or tomorrow, last night was perfect but I failed.....
In saying the fun if I weld up a stand and fold up and weld a tray for a milling machine this job would have taken NO TIME, instead it took hours including finding something I could grind to do the job. I could machine my own Vixen plate if the milling machine was set up, custom made for the purposes (mounting it for machining the centre hole was fun), I have the tooling for it.
Yes, the machining is VERY rough, I learnt machining at TAFE 27 years ago and hardly did anything since, giving my old lathe away and 20+ years without access to one.
I don't have a boring bar and ground an old tool I found laying around that had nothing to do with what I was doing, slid my arm down it grabbing something else after grinding it (it was razor sharp as I found out) and butchered my Vixen dovetail plate but it works. I'm yet to cut the Vixen plate down. I first had to drill and tap the Losmandy clamp to 3/8 to mount it on the head and wanted 3/8 to the plate as well. The Astro Trac has provision for 3/8 both sides, 15Kg capacity and I plan on using my full frame Nikon and small Megrez travel scope on it (and should have done so last night).
Now I have to figure out the camera focus with the Nikon and Rokinon lenses attached, I've spent ages and still can't get the focal point right.
The camera mount was made out of some scrap aluminium C channel and some other scrap which puts a reasonable amount of alloy on the rear of the camera to maybe (hopefully) keep it a little cooler. I'm prepared to drip refrigerant gas onto the alloy plate to see if it makes a difference (canned air is refrigerant gas if turned upside down and dripped out).
Today is overcast and rain expected today or tomorrow, last night was perfect but I failed.....