Thanks for mentioning me in this thread fellows
The more aggressively textured the laminate the better the action is that a laminate provides when gliding over Teflon. Ebony Star is just one of many such highly textured laminates. Formica, Laminex and others make similarly highly textured laminates. However, Formica and Laminex have discontinued these from production and the stuff they made is now only available as off-cuts and old stock. Ebony Star has become the preferred material really only because of its 'stellar' name. It is highly textured as is preferred, and it is still in current production.
Jemmo, in the picture below you will see both Teflon (the white stuff) and Ebony Star laminate. The star pole ends are of no concern here, but this is the only picture I have of the above two materials.
Before you start slapping Ebony Star all over the place, Curt has asked what scope you have. This is important as it will dictate what are the better solutions for your scope. If your scope has massive, large diameter altitude bearings that have a laminate or other material other than a highly textured laminate, then Ebony Star may help. But, if your scope is a store bought dob with plastic or aluminium altitude bearings, Ebony Star will not help you.
In this case you will be best served by cleaning the Teflon pads that already are on the rocker box that push against the altitude trunnions (that is the name of the round plastic or aluminium component of the altitiude bearing assembly). There are several mechanical reasons for why Ebony Star is not a solution for your scope, one is that the bearing diameter is just too small, and another is that your scope is not balanced. Cleaning the bearings is your best solution here.
Use only metho or isopropyl alcohol to clean Teflon!!! DO NOT apply wax to these. The very thing that makes Teflon an excellent bearing material is its very self. Applying wax to these leaves them no longer acting as Teflon, but as a waxed surface.
The trunnions you should clean them well with metho or isopropyl alcohol, and then apply good quality car wax over them.
Do these two things to the altitude bearings of your scope, and the change in the quality of action of the altitude bearing of your scope will be improved a huge amount.
I recently have had several people ask me for Teflon and Ebony Star for their store-bought dobs. To each and every single one of them I have told them exactly the same thing as above. While I can supply Teflon and Ebony Star, I also am not here to swindle people and give them something that won't help their situation. If you want to make significant changes to the bearings of your scope, then I think you should look to use the best materials for the job. In this case, you will be altering the size and position of the bearings, and making a new rocker box. Then yes, Ebony Star is the way to go.
If you have any other question, I'm happy to answer them. You can also PM me.
Cheers,
Alex.
Then, if still not happy, out can come the hammer and saw...
