Roll your own

Barrykgerdes · #1 15-03-2009, 03:18 PM

Hi

My son wanted a bracket to mount a camera on he ETX125. He looked around and found some advertised for about $70. I foolishly offered to make one for him.

5 hrs of design and prototype manufacture from scrap in my workshop @ $120 per hr $620. Of course no money changed hands.

Tell me did I save $620 or $70?

Barry

marki · #2 15-03-2009, 03:20 PM

Helps if you have the gear

. I know what you mean but it is fun

.

Barrykgerdes · #3 15-03-2009, 03:30 PM

Hi Mark

Yes it was a lot of fun. I milled the camera mount out of a solid chunk of aluminium.

Baz

leon · #4 15-03-2009, 03:45 PM

Have to agree, I make all my own rings and brackets, it might take a while but they come out OK, probably stronger than the bought one.

Leon

marki · #5 15-03-2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

Hi Mark

Yes it was a lot of fun. I milled the camera mount out of a solid chunk of aluminium.

Baz

I have a mill and lathe as well. Don't know what I did before I got them but I am certainly enjoying the freedom they provide

. Still have to machine up some astro goodies though. I nearly have all the stuff I need to setup an anodising bath so as soon as I get the dyes I will be off and running.

Ciao Mark

marki · #6 15-03-2009, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Have to agree, I make all my own rings and brackets, it might take a while but they come out OK, probably stronger than the bought one.

Leon

Absolutely Leon and customising is never a problem

.

Mark

kinetic (Steve) · #7 15-03-2009, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

Hi

My son wanted a bracket to mount a camera on he ETX125. He looked around and found some advertised for about $70. I foolishly offered to make one for him.

5 hrs of design and prototype manufacture from scrap in my workshop @ $120 per hr $620. Of course no money changed hands.

Tell me did I save $620 or $70?

Barry

Barry, any pics? I'd love to see how it turned out.
I'm always keen to hear about DIY projects.
I'm setting myself up to anodise stuff soon too.

I'm a bit cheaper than 120/hr though.
I'd be probably 75/hr but don't ever get me to make a filter wheel.
This one took about a week

http://mywebsite.bigpond.com/astrost...ter_wheel.html

Steve

PCH (Paul) · #8 15-03-2009, 05:14 PM

Guys,

at risk of sounding thick, - what does 'anodising' mean and what's it for?

Cheers

marki · #9 15-03-2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinetic

Barry, any pics? I'd love to see how it turned out.
I'm always keen to hear about DIY projects.
I'm setting myself up to anodise stuff soon too.

Steve

Good work Steve. Have you thought about using small ball bearings to provide friction rather then teflon? Careful with the sulfuric acid when anodising the stuff burns like hell when it gets into cuts. As I tell my students always add acid to water when diluting otherwise you will wear it

.

Ciao Mark

Barrykgerdes · #10 15-03-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kinetic

Barry, any pics? I'd love to see how it turned out.
I'm always keen to hear about DIY projects.
I'm setting myself up to anodise stuff soon too.

I'm a bit cheaper than 120/hr though.
I'd be probably 75/hr but don't ever get me to make a filter wheel.
This one took about a week

http://mywebsite.bigpond.com/astrost...ter_wheel.html

Steve

Hi Steve

If you know you are not going to get paid for it (other than the satisfaction of "rolling your own" ). You can put any price you like on your work! However if I can get $120 per hr can I sub contract to you at $75 per hr?

I was going to make a filter wheel once but decided that by the time I finished it. I would have needed a more modern CCD camera and would need to start all over again!

I had a go at anodising years ago. It was a bit messy and the caustic soda made a mess of everything else. The laundry was never the same again. However I actually got my test piece of aluminium anodosied (a bit streaky ) it was an old piece of aluminium with a bit of corrosion to start with. I decided that I would paint it instead.

The camera battery was flat so I could not photo it and then my son arrived and took it with him. We will test it out next weekend up at Crago. At any rate my handiwork is usually not very photogenic.

Baz

kinetic (Steve) · #11 15-03-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PCH

Guys,

at risk of sounding thick, - what does 'anodising' mean and what's it for?

Cheers

Paul,
in this case I think it just means a 'case hardened' coating on the
(usually) aluminium parts we machine up.

Alum is so soft it's easily scratched, anodising protects the outer
face.
You notice this when you try and do a lathe cut on some anodised
aluminium and it's lots harder than the soft aluminium underneath.
Frustrating too, because the anodising sometimes blunts your lathe
tool

Steve

marki · #12 15-03-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PCH

Guys,

at risk of sounding thick, - what does 'anodising' mean and what's it for?

Cheers

Anodising is a process in which aluminium is chemically forced to oxidise. A thin layer of aluminium oxide (Al2O3 ) forms on the outside of the aluminium giving a hardened and corrosion resistent surface. Colour can be added if the process leaves large pores in the oxide but this decreases the hardness. Small pores offer a harder suface but do not colour up well with black being the only real option. Pore size can be controlled by varying the sulfuric acid concentration and the temperature of the solution.

Ciao Mark

JimmyH155 · #13 15-03-2009, 06:39 PM

Barry, you have the same weakness as me. When I do something for my son, I charge him $500 per hour - then forget to collect

Seriously though, I went to a finance course once, and the dry old professor kept coming up with this fabulous phrase, which I often quote to the family "Remember" he said, "A dollar saved is a dollar earned." So there you are. One of you saved something!

tlgerdes (Trevor) · #14 15-03-2009, 07:26 PM

It really ends up being a contra deal, I am the one who drives him to Crago and Wiruna, plus makes him his coffee and dinner at those events, how much could I charge for being his servant

Barry's son Trevor.

kinetic (Steve) · #15 15-03-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlgerdes

It really ends up being a contra deal, I am the one who drives him to Crago and Wiruna, plus makes him his coffee and dinner at those events, how much could I charge for being his servant

Barry's son Trevor.

LOL!

I gave up years ago arguing with my beautiful ol' man about
'how the bloody hell am I ever going to pay you for everything you
have done and made for me Dad?'

He answered me by giving me a kiss on the top of the head and
shaking my hair saying something like 'you already have mate'.

Steve

Bassnut (Fred) · #16 15-03-2009, 07:55 PM

mmm, gaud, ive been there. Theres a great satisfaction in making it yourself, even if 1/ It was MUCH cheaper to buy one. 2/ It doesnt work as well as a bought one.

It helps when the customer appreciates the effort (not necessarily the quality)

.

Sheesh Trevor, it takes skill, experience, cunning and perserverance to make stuff. Driving is worth what, $5/hr ?

.

tlgerdes (Trevor) · #17 15-03-2009, 08:12 PM

What's a taxi worth, about $2 per km? How much will you pay for a hot coffee on a cold night and good feed on an empty stomach?

But as Steve meant, it is all for the family and that's the best part. We have 3 generations enjoying this sport in our family and wouldn't want to change it.

Thank you very much Dad.

Trev