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On to another question, if you were going to make your own wedge, out of alloy for preference, how thick would you make the support plates to mount the wedge to the pier and scope to the wedge? I was thinking about 12mm or so
I am thinking of a fairly simple design made up of two plates, a base plate to mount to the top plate of the pier, which has three slotted holes to allow mounting on the pier (Radially slotted to allow the azimuth adjustment to be fine tweaked) which will have two mounting ears sticking up on what will be the southern edge, with holes drilled for altitude bolts (I am seeing NC milling in the future)
The second plate will have matching ears milled into the bottom face, spaced to be an almost interference fit between the other two. This will allow nyloc nuts on stainless bolts to lock the altitude. The shank diameter of the bolts needs to be a tap in fit in the altitude "Ears" to reduce play when setting it up. Some fine thread on 12mm or thicker shaft to make an altitude adjuster would be the ticket too.
Alt may need an elongated radial hole in a locking bar each side to allow for a small amount of adjustment in order to lock it up dead tight? (Taking inspiration from the side plates on the Celestron wedge) The intent would be for this to be an equivalent to the Celestron HD Pro wedge but it does not need the adjustment range of the genuine one as it would be purpose built for my location and only need a couple of degrees adjustment in any direction in case of designer/constructor (Me) error.
Setting the altitude would be fairly easy with a threaded rod and I reckon I would steal the adjustment method from and old points ignition system for the azimuth, with a slot for the end of a screwdriver to gently lever it around combined with a crentral locating pin so you drive it around in azimuth rather than push it sideways.
Has anyone built their own before?
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