I think its pretty similar to what a lot of folk have built here, but I thought I would share the pics anyway. May help somebody with ideas.. Ill finish welding it up tomorrow, paint it etc, And post again when its finish..
Looks great Shawn! How much travel do you get out of the thread on the bottom? I ask because the thread looks straight but the movable part looks like its going to travel in an arc...
I was thinking the same as Baz??? Looks like it might work, but you will need to fill it with foundry sand or similar and give it a good knocking with a mallet to settle the sand down. also might pay to add a small gusset/rib I think its called between the angled piece and the verticle piece for added strength, mad help with settling times too. Similar to the fins you have on it already. Looking great. cant wait to see it painted Shawn...
Thanks Guys I can answer both questions with hit, There is 25mm of travel each way in reality Ill need less than one, is I get the footing oriented correctly. the pier tube is going to have a couple of 2 inch holes drilled in it, one at the bottom on the side and one at the top on the side right up against the RA base mount plate, between those will be run pvc conduit to carry cabling, because the cables would get in the way of rotatable bracket for Ep,s and keyboard, which will be mounted 900 from the base, a monitor Arm for an LCD also features here, the whole thing will then be filled with concrete...
Shawn,
I was wondering if you could please post a few photos here of how you have your dome rolling. Some nice close-ups. The track, rollers and whether you have it as a manual push, or some geared or motor driven mechanism.
I have had all my stuff turned on a lathe, bent at professional benders, checked for true, but the bloody thing is still resisting movement.
Did you see the DIY dome thread Baz, I posted it here too I think. Anyways I used just eight rollers 300 kg a piece rated . with bearings not bushes, to support the mere 600kg that the dome is, Inside that there are 3 only 3 lateral rollers to keep the dome ring roughly where it needs to be inside the gracious weather skirt. No Tracks no rails, just a rough stay here type deal with the three lateral guide rollers, Cyclone bolts go thru the dome ring into the frame in the event of another larry...It takes between 7 and 10 kg of pressure to get it moving, after that very little. Ive not motorised it yet , but I will , with a pneumatic tyre pressed up against the underside of the dome ring, I know this will work because I can I can the whole thing turning just be man handling one of the 8 support rollers...
The problem I have is with the shutter , I cant reach the swine....Currently using a bit of rope, will probable have to motorise that too ...
Lots of pics , available. Ill see what I can dig up...
Actually looking at the pic of the pier Baz, to the left of the pier you can see one of the lateral guide rollers, and a support roller, the lateral guide roller is on the two painted black upstands, adjustable with bolts and two nuts for radial positioning,
hope that helps....
Jump over to rav and study the other pics if not.. Any questions you can post them back here if you like...Ill be here and there all evening...
Lateral Guide roller, of with there are three 120 degrees apart
Support roller 300 kg rated roller bearing type 8 off 45 degrees apart
Cyclone bolt just sitting in the hole for demo purposes 16mm HT 4 off 90 degrees apart...
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I'm in deep thinking mode now. I'll post pics tomorrow ninght of how mine is set up.
Looks like a great set up there Shawn; the dome, the observatory and the pier - you done a good job there!
What really scares me, is if that is the 14 inch mounted on the pier, I am getting a feeling of agoraphobia – the observatory looks cavernous!
Cheers
Dennis
Thanks Dennis, but with the Dewey on Ive got about 1 foot clearance from the roof over the meridian, Its a bit high, maYbe over did it by 50 to 100 mm, but its close enough for a perfectionist...
Got my first squiz thru it this morning, needs aligning and all the camera gear set up, but Im soo close to first image that aint a tree...LOL
Hey Shawn you are the man. Excellent work. If perfectionism is a problem call everything you do a proto type as you will tolerate any small imperfection in a way different to previous. That has helped me move into a less frustrating life.. its still there but even I dont notice it anymore.
Brilliant just brilliant and I am happy you have got out of tree photography.
best wishes
alex
Cheers for the compliment Alex, Put the Monitor Arm for LCD on the pier today, of course not being a puritan type eyeballer, too many floaters from years of welding, I can swing it any place to see what the focus is doing on the CCD devices, Ill get a wireless keybaord 27mhz or whatever the hell they are, "Omnidirectional thats it" LOL And and long as I dont slew rapidly without knocking my block off, should be a goer...
