[mura_gadi (Steve)]

Hello,

Just a note on picking laminates and sliding and static frictions etc. I've been trying to think of a test rig that would be easy to try various laminates with small weight on a telfon base.

Using angular friction will give you an easy way of calculating the difference between sliding and static friction. Just means you need a ramp that you can measure the lift on or a "side by side" test of what starts to slip 1st.

**I was going down the path of pulleys and weights over a table edge etc... Using the angular friction might make getting a few bits of laminate tested at a store/workshop a lot easier. A clipboard and a inclinometer would be good, or a simple a good sized board and a ruler to measure the height with.

Easy way to get the best laminate available for you. If you're in a shop with test boards, your teflon based weight and an inclinometer, life could be sweet. At least you might get to test a few more laminates before being asked to leave...

Ps. A good bench mark to test against would be to record the incline need against an old LP record, which are a good cheap start to beat for the azimuth bearings on smaller dobs.

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Part 2: I wanted to incorporate vibration/knocking into the "sled" to help reduce the static friction grip. Turns out "Jaycar" has a little pill case with a vibrating alarm. It takes 3AAA batteries and has a compartment for pills/weights and is pocket sized.

There normally around $12, Jaycar is clearing them out at $5 so I'm off to get one to try later. Should be a very close to useable after a few teflon feet, depending on the power of the vibrator. - Missed the sale, thought to make the sled with a small PC fan with one side of the blades removed.