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Old 13-08-2018, 04:13 PM
Wavytone
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Wavytone is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Killara, Sydney
Posts: 4,147
Unfortunately there really is a reason why Berlebach can sell Planet tripods, also Oberwerk or Ries.

Next best alternative is a surveyors tripod, you can buy these from Bunnings for circa $200 but some tinkering is required to work out how to mate mount to tripod, as these are different.

Or perhaps make a frankenpod - cannibalise the legs from a surveyors tripod and use the Skywatcher head.

You'd have to be pretty handy at DIY to make a good job of it. The crucial part is where the mechanical stresses are maximum- where the legs join the head of the tripod. I tried once before using silver ash and hand tools without a CNC mill, and failed, and concluded it was much simpler to make a rigid three-sided pyramid (ie didn't fold) using hardwood floorboards, glued and screwed. This was a success, solid as a tree stump, though as it didn't fold it was not portable. It's feasible with access to a CNC mill and the skill to cut the pieces repeatedly to high precision, but otherwise forget it.
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