New Toy

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Finally got hacked off with my small unreliable lathe and upgraded it. With an extra feature, a mill.
This doubles my distance between centres, not that I normally work with long pieces anyway but gives me some minor capacity with the mill\drill. For the bits and pieces I want for the scope it's excellent and I got a good deal from a mate who is the importer. Ex Demo unused. The only thing missing was the box it originally came in.

Wish I had the thing when I started the RN 8F8 build, might have been some different ideas incorporated. But plenty of other projects to work on.

[gbeal]

Oooooooo, perfect.
I'll be up to see you in the coming weeks/months.
Gary

[glend (Glen)]

Brent are you going to accept requests for fabrication work? I coud use an adaptor puck for my NEQ6 to mount on my pier plate.

[MattT]

Very nice!
How did you get the lathe on the bench?
One of the things stopping me buying one is is working out how to get a Sieg SC4 up 22 steps to my shed in the backyard and then up onto a bench.
Matt

[ZeroID (Brent)]

> Gary, Customer Car Parking only up the drive ... LOL I haven't got a Helicopter pad..

> Glen, Yeah probably once I've had a play to rehone some rusty skills. Send dimensions if you like and I'll have a go if I can find suitable materials. I need some excuses to try things although I have some ideas already. Lathe skills I'm ok, Mill not so much but I'll have a practice on some plastic or Alum first.

> Matt, this is just a C1 although the mill adds a bit of weight, Two person easy and my workshop is in the garage so it was out of the wagon tailgate and onto the bench. One person can lift it, about 44 kg I think. The C4 is 115 kg from the specs. 2 people should easy handle that, just take it slow.

I have a reasonable pile of rescued metal for projects but will have to look at some other thicker material options. I have some ideas for a lightweight spider, a new Mirror cell design balance arm, dovetails, various knobs and a low profile adjustable guide scope mount. For starters ... then an OAG idea that has been percolating in my mind ...

Could keep me busy for a while ..

[Rac (Raymond)]

I'm not sure how someone can be in this hobby and not have a lathe.

I've got a big old one but would like a mill also. A small one like that would go well along side the one I have.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by Rac

I'm not sure how someone can be in this hobby and not have a lathe.

I've got a big old one but would like a mill also. A small one like that would go well along side the one I have.

Depends how much of a DIY enthusiast you are I guess.

I got this one a bit cheaper being ex-demo but even the normal price ain't bad for the capability it's got.

Take a look at the website http://www.sieg-machines.co.nz/
All sorts of man toys ... err tools ...

I need an MT1 arboured chuck and a small workpiece vice next and James has got some 200mm digital verniers for just over $30. Should see me right for a wee while.

I have an idea for 2" > 1.25" adapter that will channel warm air to the front window of a cooled camera to stop icing.

[Paul Haese]

Originally Posted by Rac

I'm not sure how someone can be in this hobby and not have a lathe.

I've got a big old one but would like a mill also. A small one like that would go well along side the one I have.

Having deep pockets can cover that, though having heaps of adapters made up at a cost is starting to make me think I need a lathe too.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Adapters and parfocal rings comes to mind for a starter. I have quite a bit of alum in the form of Copier Fuser rollers. Thick walled about 350mm long in diameters very useful astrographically. Parting off is easy enough

[N1 (Mirko)]

Originally Posted by Rac

I'm not sure how someone can be in this hobby and not have a lathe.

What hobby? Turning?
For astronomy, same reason why not everybody has a 40" RC.

[Rac (Raymond)]

Originally Posted by N1

What hobby? Turning?
For astronomy, same reason why not everybody has a 40" RC.

It's the cost of things in this hobby(astronomy) that is the reason to have a lathe. I have to make my scopes as buying the scopes I want is not possible for me.
Of cause I like making them too.

[MattT]

Originally Posted by Rac

Of cause I like making them too.

In my couple of years of making my own bits I found making is better than using
Matt

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by Rac

It's the cost of things in this hobby(astronomy) that is the reason to have a lathe. I have to make my scopes as buying the scopes I want is not possible for me.
Of cause I like making them too.

That is part of my philosophy on the interest but mine is as much Matt says that I enjoy the technical aspects of a build. My latest RN 8F8 build is an example. The mirror cost almost as much as a GSO 8" F5 which I hadn't even considered buying but a historical 8" F8 with reputed excellent figure was cause enough for me to design something that hopefully comes close to an large APO ( which I DEFINITELY could not afford ) and to explore some new concepts in both the mirror cell, OTA construction and the spider design and build.
Ok, so the lathe was not involved in this one, more's the pity but it will be for the modifications coming to the 10" and I already have two more bright scope ideas I might want to look into. ( Heard of a sudiball ? ).
Long term it will pay off and it's heaps of fun.
There might be a few things for home it can do as well ...

Life is all about enjoying.
I enjoy astronomy in all it's facets.
DIY is a big facet ..