Teflon and Ebony star

[Darkplague]

Can anyone sell me some teflon strips and or ebony star laminate?

Perhaps someone has some leftover from a project maybe.

I am building a 16" truss dob so I need some teflon for the 2 altitude bearings and the ground board, and also enough ebonystar to cover the ground board and altitude bearings.

Thanks

Mark

ps -Will soon be selling my 12.5" GSO dob,fully flocked,lumicn RA finder,ngc max dsc,upgraded box. Wont need it when my 16" is finished. If anyone is interested pm me for more details.

[iceman (Mike)]

12.5"? Do you mean 12"?

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

Roger at Bintel Melbourne has teflon pads. You can get Ebony star from laminate suppliers if they sell Wilsonart products. You might have to ring around to find one that does.

Sounds like an exciting project Mark. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Who's supplying the mirror?

[Darkplague]

Originally Posted by janoskiss

Roger at Bintel Melbourne has teflon pads. You can get Ebony star from laminate suppliers if they sell Wilsonart products. You might have to ring around to find one that does.

Sounds like an exciting project Mark. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Who's supplying the mirror?

Thanks for that, will look into it.

Yep, should be fun building it. I work in a machine shop so mostly everything I can make for next to nothing. I bought Vermin's leftovers from his aborted project(cell and truss conncectors) btw Thanks Tom, they arrived safely!)

The mirror will be from Mark Schuting, so It should be superb from what Ive read. I will post photos of my progress on the forums if anyones interested. Not that theres any great rush, I have a wait of around 4 months for the mirror. Plenty of time to read David Krieges book first!

[Darkplague]

Originally Posted by iceman

12.5"? Do you mean 12"?

Yep most likely 12", Ive been looking at too many discovery scopes perhaps!

[frogman (Anthony Lord)]

interested in selling your dsc's and gear ??? i have a 12" GSO and am looking for dsc and mounts ?

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by Darkplague

I am building a 16" truss dob so I need some teflon for the 2 altitude bearings and the ground board, and also enough ebonystar to cover the ground board and altitude bearings.

I have heard around the traps of another material superior to ebony star for use on dob bases. Its technical name is FPR (fibreglass reinforced plastic) and one trade name of Kemlite Glasbord. This material is used by premium dob manufacturers such as Starmaster and Obsession.

I have been trying unsucessfully to locate a source and made a thread here hoping someone could help

[gaa_ian (Ian)]

If itds not a rude question, how much are you paying for the mirror ?
I am considering a 16" truss tube Dob kit & will need a mirror, If I go down this road.

[RAJAH235]

Mark, try here for the Teflon,>
http://www.dotmar.com.au/
& here for the laminate,>
http://www.parbury.com.au/wilsonart/...%20Star%204552
HTH. L.

[Starkler (Geoff)]

I rang parbury chasing ebony star and they told me that they wont sell direct to public and suggested Bunnings.

I rang Bunnings to get a price and well, it aint cheap !
Smallest sheet size available ( I dont recall exact size) was $130, but enough to do three dob bases.

[RAJAH235]

As you found out, will not sell to public, but gives idea of what is avail. Goto your local joiner/cabinet maker or kitchen renovator. Will still cost an arm n leg as most will not cut a full sheet.(1200 x 900, I think). L.
ps. O.K. if you can get 2 or 3 people together.

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by Starkler

I rang parbury chasing ebony star and they told me that they wont sell direct to public and suggested Bunnings.

I rang Bunnings to get a price and well, it aint cheap !
Smallest sheet size available ( I dont recall exact size) was $130, but enough to do three dob bases.

Nooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only thing you buy from Bunnings is a new Garden Hose or something similar. Would you buy a telescope from a department store ? Good, Well don't buy laminate from 1 either.

Pick up the yellow pages and look up "Kitchen Renovations" and find one of the smaller ones in your area. Ask them to get you a price on a sheet of ebony star laminate. I did this and bought a sheet for $90 about a year ago.

This is the company I bought the laminate from

http://www.homeandgarden.com.au/list...iness_id=33795

In terms of buying virgin teflon ?

Go to a specialist plastics supplier it is sold as PTFE. I have bought PTFE from both of the companies below.

Cut to Size Plastics

http://www.cuttosize.com.au/home.html

All Plastics Engineering

http://www.spec-net.com.au/company/allplastics.htm

Virgin Teflon is not cheap, I bought a 20mm wide by 3mm thick x 30cm long strip for the altitude bearings and a 30mm wide x 4mm thick x 30cm long strip for the groundboard and it cost me about $30. This is enough material to do 3 telescopes. From a non specialist plastics supplier it will cost you about $30 to do one telescope.

FWIW, If you wish to glue the Virgin Teflon pads down instead of using countersunk screws this can be done. DO NOT BUY "acid etched" Virgin teflon as it will still not glue with a great degree of success unless you use the correct primer and adhesive. (Hint both the primer and adhesive are made by Loctite).

Anyone that wishes to glue Virgin Teflon pads send me a PM and I will tell you how to do it and the products you need to buy, to glue it properly.

CS-John B

[Vermin (Tom)]

If you have the October 2003 Sky and Telescope magazine look for an article called "Better Dobsonian Bearings", or for $4 US you can get it online here: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/skyandtelescope/access/886745961.html?dids=886745961:88674 5961&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITEAGE&date=O ct+2003&author=Martin+Lewis&desc=Be tter+Dobsonian+Bearings

t cites a link for a better material than virgin Teflon.

[robinsm]

Try cadillac plastics for the Teflon, they will cut it, and try your local kitchen manufacturer for offcuts of ebony star. Worked for me.

Cheers
Maynard

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by ausastronomer

Pick up the yellow pages and look up "Kitchen Renovations" and find one of the smaller ones in your area. Ask them to get you a price on a sheet of ebony star laminate. I did this and bought a sheet for $90 about a year ago.

Today i took your advice John and visited such a place. We climbed a ladder up to a dusty place above their office and dug out a roll of glossy stipple finish laminate. Enough to do two dobs for $15

Oh yes they could have got me a sheet of ebony star 1200x750mm for $80
Name of the place was Melboard in Hallam, Vic

[Darkplague]

Originally Posted by gaa_ian

If itds not a rude question, how much are you paying for the mirror ?
I am considering a 16" truss tube Dob kit & will need a mirror, If I go down this road.

Well you wont get much change from 3 grand put it that way.

Im making all other compnents by hand. to save some money.