Gaunt Equatorial Telescope Stand c1885

[Kunama]

This thread is a restoration log of my recently acquired Equatorial Telescope Stand made by Thomas Gaunt, Optician & Jeweller, Melbourne, circa 1885.

The mount and pier were designed by Mr Robert Ellery, Astronomer to Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe, Victoria, 1877. La Trobe at Ellery's suggestion established the Observatory at Williamtown, subsequently moved to Flagstaff Hill, Ellery was the Director for 42 years.
It was made available to well-heeled members of Australia's scientific community for the princely sum of 30 Pounds in this guise, or the less financial members for 18 Pounds without the setting circles and slow motion drives

First of all I wish to thank Lars Hansen for selling me this mount and pier as well as other astronomy accessories at a very generous price.
It was worth the 1000 kilometre drive from Jindabyne to Dunkeld via Canberra and back to Jindabyne just to meet Lars, to see his observatory and to chat about things Astronomical.

As can be seen from the following photographs, this mount is not your average travel mount.
It is my intention to one day use this mount to carry a 150mm F10 or F12 refractor (which I still have to build, that will be another thread, hopefully before I am too old to use it)

I hope to one day bring this mount to an IIS star party, it may not be the fanciest there but will certainly make up for it in bulk.

I have just weighed the various components:

Gaunt EQ head............. 36.9 Kgs
Gaunt Portable pier....... 64.9 Kgs
Cast iron counterwt....... 16.1 Kgs

Total weight as is 117.9 Kilograms

Due to some past perhaps well intentioned but in my opinion, tragic modification of the mount by
drilling several holes through the cast brass setting circles including through the maker's mark, my task is now much harder but que sera sera!!!

I am open to advice on some aspects of the restoration of this mount, so if you have any please use the PM function to get in touch.

I took a few pics today to celebrate its arrival at Jindabyne:


Thanks for reading this.

[Kunama]

So it begins.....................
I have now photographed the mount from every angle and noted the location, size and orientation of each piece of this monster.

The plan is to dismantle the mount as much as possible then measure each piece, separate the cast iron bits from the many kilos of brass bits.

This will not be a museum type restoration as it is my intention to use this mount and the pier will actually be exposed to the elements in my backyard.
The pier will therefore be stripped back to metal, primed and then most likely painted in satin black 2pac epoxy.
There are several drilled holes that need to be welded up and some grinder cuts that will have a patch welded in.

The little 'feet' are a work of art in themselves, they are brass (.85kg) 2 part 'nut and hollow bolt' sleeves and have 1" BSP threaded cores for levelling feet,
unfortunately the levelling feet have been misplaced sometime in the last 127 years so I will need to find or make new ones.

[Tinderboxsky]

Matt, I will be following with interest. I had much the same thoughts as your plans when I first saw the sale notice. However, it was one project too many for me and another couple of degrees of difficulty getting it to Tassie. So well done and I look forward to hearing of your progress.

Cheers

Steve.

[anj026]

Good on you Matt for taking on this project and sharing your experience with us. :thumbsup:

I thought about it myself but being on the other side of the country it wasn't practical. I also have too many projects on the go including an old Parks equatorial that I want to use with a long achromat.

Looking forward to reading more on this historical mount.

[Kunama]

Thanks Steve and Andy,
It will be slow progress I expect. I may need to find some heavy brass stock to remake some of the pieces and then find a way to "age" the brass or consider polishing everything and then applying mopped shellac to it.

Before doing anything to the brass though, I will seek more advice.

The bubble level vials are also brass and like most of the mount have been sprayed flat black.
Lars has kindly offered me his research materials re the mount so I am eagerly awaiting his email.

Cheers,
Matt

[Kunama]

Thanks to Tony and Derek, I now have the perfect little scope for this mount :D:D:D.
Last week I drove 1000klms to collect the Gaunt ....... what better way to celebrate its arrival than a leisurely 12hr drive of 990klms from Jindabyne to Morwell and return, as a result of which I am now the happy owner of an Istar Perseus 150mm F10 refractor with Moonlite focuser.

I guess I will have to move the restoration into a higher gear now.

Funny how the dimensions of this scope are deceiving, it is not till you see the Istar in the flesh that you realise just how BIG it is.

Pictures will follow (might throw it on the mount tomorrow just to see how it looks)

[casstony]

It was a pleasure to meet you Matt, glad you made it back safetly - looking forward to seeing the Istar on the Gaunt, they look like they're made for each other.

[Kunama]

Hi Tony, Thanks again, I took the scenic route home via Buchan, Jacobs Bridge, great drive. Nice to meet you and your family also, I will post some pics up soon.

[Kunama]

Remembrance Day 2012 project update:

Meeting on my deck for the first time are the Istar Perseus AT 150 F10 and the Thomas Gaunt Equatorial Telescope Stand, although made more than 125 years apart, they are match made in Heaven for the Heavens :D:D:D

Here they will scan the heavens above Lake Jindabyne
(I may built a concrete pier under the deck and cut through the decking)

[casstony]

Looking good Matt - nice background in the first photo.

[anj026]

They do look good together Matt.

See what you think of the Istar optics, if the CA bothers you on planets and bright stars then you can experiment with aperture stops. The 6" f10 can be a 4" f15 for lunar, planets. It is a personal choice, you might find that you see more details with the full aperture despite a little bit of CA. :)

[Kunama]

Very happy with the combination Tony.
That is Lake Jindabyne and the Snowys in the background. We can see the weather and then decide whether to ski or not!



I will have look tonight but then the mount will be pulled apart for some time.
Maybe I could put the Istar on a GPD2 ???? Maybe !!!!

[Kunama]

Not good news for the purist conservators I'm afraid, I removed the first 3 layers of black paint to find some etch primer and more black paint. The primer has eaten into the original shellac coating as well, so it looks like all the coatings are going to be removed for the brassware to be lacquered with shellac.

The previous machining of some parts will now be less obvious and I may be able to silversolder brass plugs into the drilled holes. FUN FUN FUN.

[MortonH]

Matt, I would pay money to look through that scope when you're finished! Awesome setup.

[Kunama]

I may need to charge admission to help pay for all this stuff :lol::shrug::lol:

Here she is in pieces, one of the damaged coverplates on the right :

[Kunama]

And after stripping off the many different layers of paint , the other cover plate and setting circle ready for finishing and application of shellac or japanning:
( A little bit more polishing is required but the knocks, dents, pitting and scrapes of a century or more will be left alone and should actually stand out well once the shellac is applied)

[ZeroID]

Awesome restoration. Definitely leave the marks of age and use to show, it's a patina of value over many years. Scope looks impressive on that mount and pier. Keep the pix coming.

[Kunama]

Mount base, cheek pieces and bubble vials ready for a tidy up:

[Kunama]

Had a couple of hours spare today to continue rubbing my fingertips to the bone (all the work is being done by hand, no machine buffing !)

Hopefully I be able to release all the brass from decades of overpainting this week, about halfway at the moment

The RA Index plate and what once was the setting circle (the small one) are ready for silversolder repairs to the excess holes. Not yet sure if I can get a new setting circle made. Need lots of brass (both kinds, the shiny and the $$$$ I think)

So if anyone has a brass plate of 193mm diameter and 5 to 10mm thick
sitting around please get in touch.

I am also after 25 solid brass washers 3/8" ID and 7/8" OD ?????????

[Kunama]

Then:

Thanks Lars for the information about the mount, this article was published on 20 July 1877 so the mount may be older than we thought.
looks like I might have to consider making a tangential worm slow motion drive system as seen in the attached illustration, oh joy!

[Kunama]

Hard to believe that 15.7 kgs of brass and bronze in the first pic was hidden under the black paint somewhere, I was going to 'japan black' it but now I am not so sure, be a shame to hide it all, clear coat might be the answer! The cast iron RA axis shown in the middle picture and after some cleaning at right ready for painting.
THe more I dismantle this mount the more impressive it is, with bronze bushes on the RA and Dec axis pressed into a threaded brass sleeve which then fits into the carriers. The RA axis pivot bolts and lock bolts are also bronze and are beautifully shaped, they are the pinkish ones on the left of the first picture. The machine screws holding the brass plate onto the RA shaft are also nicely hand made.

[Tinderboxsky]

Matt,

Looking good!
I have a personal preference for exposed brass, but everyone to their own taste.
I think I would be reassembling the mount once all the other parts are restored. Then you can get a better view of whether polished exposed brass is the go.
Unfortunately, my source of scrap brass for various projects does not have a piece big enough for the dimensions you are seeking. So, no luck there for you.

Cheers

Steve.

[mercedes_sl1970]

Impressive work. Good to see the rubber mallet at close hand... Just curious, has it been difficult separating any of the parts?

Andrew

[Kunama]

Thanks Andrew, I was pleased that all the pieces came apart reasonably easily only used the mallet to separate the bearing carriers from the Index plates.




Thanks for trying Steve, I will be leaving the brass and bronze nice and shiny and will lacquer them instead. The iron pieces will be painted satin black Rust Guard Epoxy Enamel.

Cheers,
Matt

[Kunama]

Spent a bit of time today on the recommissioning of the Gaunt:
I have decide to clear coat the brightwork as the mount will have to cope with being outdoors under her yet-to-be-made covers.

Just the pier to go as far stripping and paint, then just have to recondition all the bolts and washers and put everything back where it belongs.
Then I have to make/find/beg/steal/borrow brass tangent screw slow motion controls and a replacement setting circle for the RA axis.

The last straw will be to dismantle my little Istar 150mm F10 scope and get the counter cell and backplate gold plated to match the brass brightwork

Here are a few progress pictures:

[Shark Bait]

That is a lot of hand polishing. Probably a good move as machine buffing might remove a little of the brass even if it is a faster process.

What product are you using to polish the brass? There are a few different types around and some work better than others.

[Kunama]

Autosol Paste and Explorer hiking socks inside out. Slow work but I need the exercise! On some of the parts that have over 1mm of paint layers I am using a thin brass blade to lift the paint first, I tried some solvents but they tended to stain the old brass much like flux does.
My fingertips are just as shiny as the brass after a week of polishing.

[ourkind]

Great project Matt, enjoyed all the reading and photos you've posted, looking forward to more updates. Will also keep an eye out for brass plates :) Great Work is an understatement :thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Hi Matt i have been following this sweet mounts rebuild from day one and its lovely .
On finding Brass , go to an engineering supplier and ask for their Brass , " Shim Stock " It comes in sheets about A4 sized and you can get it in thickness's from 10 thousand's of an inch to about 1/4 - 3/8th inch thick ,
Just be sure to say " Brass " not steel . ;) .
It aint cheep but I hope it helps you finish this beautiful piece of Aussie history .
Onya mate.
Brian./

[Kunama]

Thanks Carlos, I am nearing the end of the mount recommission, taking the pier to Canberra tomorrow to get it cleaned up, it has a hundred layers of paint too much for my equipment.

Thanks Brian, I am going to reassemble the mount as it is and then will chase up the brass for the setting circle, thanks for the tip on the sheet brass, I will follow it up next week.

Here is a nice little surprise I found today, the built-in levelling vials also had been generously treated to japanning, then some stove black, then some primer and modern flat black, I thought I would peek under the paint to see what I found. A pleasant find indeed, the brass vials are beautifully finished and secured to the base plate with little brass post-screws which have a tiny little locking screw holding them in place. They don't make them like this any more!!!!

Here is a before and after picture ( these will not be clear coated at this stage as I had to get a bit serious with them and now want them to tarnish a little before I lacquer them)

[Kunama]

Just another then, a little later and now:

RA Axis, Cast Iron heavyweight:

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: A venerable brass mine ?
Beautiful again Matt . And all hand made so long ago ..:question: a lost art .
That will be pure alchohol in those vials ... :confused2: over 100 yrs old ,,mmmm .:lol:.
Brian.

[Larryp]

What you are doing with this mount is magnificent, Matt. I have been following this thread from the start, and its great to see something old being restored to its original glory.:thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:) Cynta that Brass . I know how to do it . :thumbsup:
Brian.

[Kunama]

Pure 100 year old you say Brian ..... :question::question::question:
This little item is my new favourite part of the mount.

I do hope the historians are not offended :confused2: by the fact that this is a recommissioning of the mount not a restoration or preservation to museum standards. But then again they could have bought the mount during the time it was advertised :shrug:.

Thanks for the tip about the grog in the vials Brian.

Thank you Laurie, when doing work like this it is always nice to get encouragement along the way. That is one of the great things about this forum, there are very few nay-sayers!

Now how do I get my fingerprints to grow back :help:

[ZeroID]

Stunning work, those polished brass levels are just to much. I don't think any historian is going to complain about your recommissioning path. Isn't it better to see something working as it was intended to do ?

[Kunama]

I have decided that is will be necessary to add some height to the mount for the big Istar refractor, eventually the Pier will rest on an elevated (30cm) pedestal above the surrounding floor, in the meantime I am going to make 2 copies of the pier top plate and separate them with 3 mild steel vanes set at the same angle as the pier vanes (120 degrees) to try to match the design as much as possible. This will make viewing easier for my 193cm tall, weary old body.


EDIT:
A little bit of history of the mount now added to the first post ........ more to come.

Due to the corrosion on the base of the pier, I have decided to fully strip and prime/paint the pier so it is now in Canberra for professional cleaning will be painted by Gabriel DeVries of Fluid Painting Solutions.

[Kunama]

Picked up the pier and the counterweight from AA Sandbasting today, it was strange to see original cast iron complete with its casting marks, pitting and file marks (first time those file marks have seen the sun in 135 years) and without the rust that was trying to eat it.
As it will be exposed to snow, sleet, rain and the high UV of the Snowys, I will be giving it the modern paint treatment.
1: complete spray with cold gal
2: primer
3: Gloss black Epoxy enamel
4: Gloss Black Epoxy enamel, again !
5: Polyglaze UV coating.

I have also managed to find 3 Plough bolts (1" UNC Ultra High Tensile)
these will become the new feet to serve the purpose of levelling the pier and also to protect the brass feet from wear on the ground. I feel justified in adding the plough bolts as they are in fact period correct being first used in 1850.
The pier will then be able to be levelled as I will weld a 10mm square bar to the bolts and fit some vintage gate valve handles to them for adjustment of each 'foot'

Pictures to follow when I get home tomorrow.

Edit: Adding pictures of the adjustable foot system :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Kunama]

:DThe assembly is not far away now, the painted components have been baking for a week so should be ready ............ if the brass washers I am having made arrive tomorrow, the assembly will begin .................
can hardly wait

[Kunama]

Postie brought me some astro-goodies today
New Vixen GP-D2 mount
Vixen LV5mm ep
Extra Vixen counterweight 2.8Kg
and
50 brass washers !!!! Feels like Christmas ........

[LewisM]

Matt,

SUperb!

I am a restore-a-holic - been restoring old firearms for most of my life. I too do it the sympathetic way (there is NO sandpaper whatsoever in my restoration repertoire!). Knocks, bruises, dings... all history. Leave them be.

I think a wooden octagonal tube scope would look great on this, or even one of the LONG early Japanese refractors.

[brian nordstrom]

:lol: mixed with rasberry drink ...
On ya bro. awsome to see .
Brian.

[Kunama]

My original plan and reason to buy the mount was to build a 5" F15 refractor by copying some of the design of the Oddie Refractor which I was lucky enough to look through about 35 years ago at Mt Stromlo.

Dr Tim Wetherell recently created the 'Oddie II' which reminded me of the nights on Stromlo in the 70s thus rekindked my interest in this obsession of ours.

Once I have finished doing all the chores on my wife's fridge-list I might begin the scope build. In the meantime the Istar 150 F10 will ride on the Gaunt.

Post #38 now edited with details of pier levelling feet and an artists impression of the final version ;)

[Kunama]

The day began like any ordinary day:

[Kunama]

Slowly but surely it began to look like it was alive again:

[Kunama]

The mount is back together again, waiting for the pier which is primed and waiting for the finishing coats.
I am ecstatic with the finished product. :eyepop:

Due to the thickness of the paint removed, the index plate markings were no longer at the 12 o'clock position so I had to make 0.2mm shims to allow alignment.
No other problems with the assembly.
I hope to have the pier painted over the weekend and then reunite the mount with it next week.

Then the only thing that remains is getting the counterweight correct, at the moment it is about 3.5kg too heavy but I will wait till I have a diagonal and finderscope
attached before boring out some of the mass.

[Shark Bait]

That is a very nice return for your efforts. Thanks for sharing the story and pictures.

I have a little project that involves some brass polishing. I do not want to clutter your thread and will start a new one. I hope that you can offer some advice.

[bert]

I saw this mount at the previous owners place. Frankly, I'm stunned at the result. If I thought I could make it look that good, I would have bought it and restored it. Well done.

I own a Barry Adcock 6 inch doublet that used to mounted on that particular mount for around 10 years in Melbourne. There's some history for ya.

Brett

[Kunama]

Thanks Stu, I will keep an eye out for your thread.

Thanks Brett, I saw your scope at Dunkeld ( I assume it is the one currently mounted in the Obs). When I first saw the mount I thought it would be quite a challenge, I had imagined everything being seized up solid. I was pleasantly surprised when I started the dismantling that everything came apart easily, except one bolt.

Eventually I will build tangent worm drives for it, in the meantime she will be "bump-to" instead of goto.

[bert]

Yep, that's my scope... I must have been in the USA when you picked it up.

If you don't want goto, don't look here: http://www.siderealtechnology.com/

[Kunama]

Seen it !

The Istar refractor and Gaunt will probably remain as they are for a while.
Eventually they will be housed in an observatory alongside the Vixen stuff.

Thanks to Steve at MyAstroShop I now have a brand new Vixen GP-D2 to go with the R200SS and Canon 50D for general viewing and imaging.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Sexy Matt , it make an old Boilermaker like me proud to see this sort of work .
Hope you have a great Christmas and clear skies mate .
Brian.

[Terry B]

Very nice work. Well done.

[mercedes_sl1970]

Looking very impressive!

Andrew

[MortonH]

Wow, Matt. What a great job you've done, and so quickly! It's going to look stunning with your Istar on it!

Morton

[Larryp]

Looks wonderful, Matt!

[MattT]

Hey Matt looks great, thats an under statement to be sure! Before you go cutting down the mass of the counterweight why not turn the scope into a modern day version of the Unitron scopes of old and add a 3" or 4" scope, as well as a finder...naturally in black. Here is my version...
Matt

[Kunama]

Thanks for the great responses one and all, I think all of us strive to do better with a bit of encouragement. I know I do. :thanx::thanx::thanx:

Matt, thanks for your post, I like your version a lot :thumbsup:

My plan for the counterweight is to wait until I have all accessories attached, indeed there is a plan to include a little refractor to ride on top as well as a finder. I will paint them to match the Istar.
Once it is all together, I will be drilling five 25mm diameter holes through the counter weight (at 72 degree spacing around the centrebore) then adjustments can be made sliding a 25mm diameter brass rod into as many of the holes as needed. Should look nice too ;)
I am also going to change all the nickel plated fittings on the Istar for brass items or gold plate them to suit.

I am also going to Canberra (where my lathe is) to make a sliding counter weight to allow for variations in eyepiece and diagonal settings, this will hang under the main tube.

Anyway being a glorious Snowy Mountains day it was time for Istar to get reacquainted with Gaunt, the meeting was, as expected, spectacular :eyepop: here is the proof:

[anj026]

It looks wonderful Matt, well done. :thumbsup:

[TechnoViking]

What a beautifully restored telescope!! You have done an incredible job, i bet you are as proud as punch!!:thumbsup:

[ZeroID]

That is just so Retro Bling ! Brass & Black, awesome job. Well done!

[Kunama]

Thanks guys,

Finally got a chance to get the counterweight correct, rather than machine the massive cast iron weight, I decided to pay a visit to Sportsman's Warehouse.

2 x 5Kg and 1 x 2.5Kg plates with a new locknut and the balance was perfect.

They even look like they might belong there:

[Shark Bait]

It's a mechanical work of art Matt.

I am not that familiar with EQ mounts. I know that you are looking at some brass gears for slow motion movement. I assume that your setup is a 'push to' EQ at the moment and that there is enough 'stiction' to have the scope rest in place when on target?

[Kunama]

Its turned out nicely Stu, yes it is a push to and at the moment the counterweights are set perfectly so it will stay on target, I can also adjust the preload on the bearings to give more grip on windy nights by the nut at the end of the RA shaft and the chromed lock collar just next to it. For declination 'stiction' there is adjustment on the setting circles.

I am going to install a worm drive for RA thanks to 'astroboy' and his warehouse of bits and pieces.
It will be a 185mm brass worm gear which will also allow manual coarse adjustments. It will be my first project in 2013.

[SkyViking]

Absolutely beautiful restoration job you've done there, one to be proud of for sure! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Your project reminds me of a great 4" Zeiss refractor I purchased cheap about 20 years ago from an elderly gentleman who was selling out. It was all painted standard white with black fittings, but they turned out to be brass underneath. Naturally I promptly took it apart and painted the OTA black and polished all the brass parts, it looked fantastic just like your mount :D I used it every clear night for several years until in a moment of acute aperture fever I sold it to fund a 10" Newtonian... :P

[Kunama]

Thanks Rolf, I would love to have that Zeiss, I bet you regret that decision to sell. Just had a look at your astropics, sensational !!!!

Finally the skies cleared enough to wheel out the big Istar last night.
At 150mm F10 (fl 1500mm) with the 2" dielectric diagonal with the Baader Semi Apo filter attached and Vixens 13mm 17mm and LV 5,6 &20mm trained on Jupiter and the Moon the views were nothing short of spectacular. With the 20, 17 and 13 chromatic aberration was non existent, with the 5 and 6mm the thinnest margin of CA was visible.

It was only with the LVW 3.5mm at 428X that the halo was a bother but the seeing wasn't good enough for that ep anyway.

I am very pleased with the Baader S/A filter, the light loss was minimal and certainly not a factor when viewing Jupiter and Luna. The big refractor does take some time to acclimatise especially today as the temp was 30C during the day and 14C at 10pm.

[Kunama]

A new mini-project for the Gaunt/Istar package:

Due to the push-to being so light and smooth I am finding that as I rack the focuser in or out with the heavy LVW eyepieces balance changes enough for the OTA to start moving.

I think I will have to build a sliding counterweight linked to the focuser so that as the focuser moves out the balance weight moves in and so on.

A small brass slider weight connected via a pulley should do the trick.???

[LewisM]

LOVE it Matt! Bring that up next year instead of the R200SS :)

Only thing I would do differently is have had the Moonlight as gold anodised/brass anodised - would have matched the whole enchilada a little better IMHO.

[Kunama]

I agree Lewis, but as I bought the scope and focuser 2nd hand I have to be happy with it the way it is.

I do have yet another little addition in the pipeline that will 'brass it up' a little bit. That will come in the new year.

If there is a starparty gathering or two around the time I come up I might just load the lot into the 4wd.

[Kunama]

Some more details about the old Gaunt Equatorial Telescope Stand

[Kunama]

RA gear set arrived today (thanks Zane :thumbsup: )
Just giving it a clean up to fit in with the mount.
I will have to machine a bush to fit over the RA Setting Circle Plate.

Still have to source a Dec axis gear which will need to be smaller.

Pic 1 Worm gear set on arrival 1030hrs
Pic 2 One side cleaned up at 1120hrs
Pic 3 Test fitting at 1615hrs (bit more polishing to go, rim will be polished, centre painted black)

[Kunama]

With many thanks to Lars (lhansen) for his generous donation toward the completion of the Istar-Gaunt rig, I now have the perfect solution to balancing the OTA for different sized eyepieces.

These two 800gr brass weights with endbrackets will soon have their new home under the Istar. This extra weight of about 2.5Kg will also mean I can slide the OTA further forward thus raising the eyepiece height further.


(Lars, I have some 12yr old Scotch here with your name on it, or some Penfolds Bin 389 if you prefer a nice red.)

[2stroke]

Where did your grab your worms and worm gears from?

[Kunama]

The worm gear set was bought from a member here who no longer needed it.
I believe it is made by Astro-Technik.

[Kunama]

I was looking at the tube weights trying to decide whether to paint them satin black to match the scope or use a bit of elbow grease to see what lurks under the paint ........

This time it was a case of draw filing to remove the saw marks, then arris the corners, followed by 320grit, 800grit and autosol paste to uncover the gem within .....................

1600hrs: One down one to go! (then I will have to clean the kitchen sink before Jen gets home) :D

Here are before and after pics (Thanks again Lars, these are just perfect for the Istar)

I think I will need to find a brass finderscope for the opposite side of the scope to keep things balanced ...... brett (bert) I hear you have one hidden somewhere :question:

Edit: 1730hrs Another little job finished!

[MattT]

Matt your frac is looking more like Dr Tim Wetherell's 8" scope...and for visual I still like black everything, no night time glare coming from the focuser. Beautiful bit of work :thumbsup:
Matt

[Kunama]

With many thanks to MattT, his donation of the 160mm tube rings is much appreciated and now the tube weight set is almost complete. I bought a metre of 12mm solid stainless rod today in Canberra which will be polished to mirror shine and cut down to about 480mm.

All that is left is to mount the worm and add some flexible extention handles................. when will I ever escape this vicious circle ??????????

[Kunama]

Tubeweights are installed ................
2 x 750gr sliding weights on 12mm solid stainless steel bar

Now just need to find a brass finderscope :question::question:

[Larryp]

Beautiful work, Matt! Looks fantastic!

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Looking good Matt , black , brass and chrome ,, nice .
Brian.

[vaztr]

V V Sexy!

The scope and mount look made for each other

VAZ

[Kunama]

Diary update:

After discussions with Dr Richard Gillespie of Museum Victoria, I received an email from the Great-great-granddaughter of Thomas Gaunt recently and have sent her photographs and information on this mount.

I am hoping get some more details of the history of Mr Gaunt.
I have decided to built a refractor more in keeping with the size and style of the original Robert Ellery designed, Thomas Gaunt built refractor and have listed the big Istar for sale today. I will miss those fantastic lunar views that almost feel like you're on the moon.