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Hi Les,
glad you asked that question - not because I have an answer but because I have been asking it myself. The suggestions I have received have largely been to avoid an equatorial mount and go with an English-style where the weight is better supported - but at the cost of access to circum-polar areas of sky.
I saw the 'suggestion' about the cement mixer - very amusing but I have seen something I think might provide a sufficiewntly stable basis for a hoime-made Samson-type mount. I used to have a largish (1.5 metre) satellite dish for internet connection out here is the bush. When I switched service-providers, I ended up with a dish that was useless except asd a goldfish pond. But the mount it sat on is another matter. They have a huge and very strong mount which has an adjustable latitude scale similar to a equatoirial wedge. I'm having a look at using it as the basis for mounting the polar shaft of a pier-mounted equatorial.
I'd be happy to hear how you get on in your quest; and also to hear any other good ideas anyone else has - except for the cement mixer.
Peter
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