The RA shaft & bearing blocks. These took some getting off the shaft I can tell you. Totally seized on. The chrome plating is stuffed on the RA shaft but it'll go again, & won't effect the function of it.
I remember casting those 2 bearing blocks after school one night - & then having to set them up in the lathe to do the inners so they would fit the RA shaft.
Well, not only am I famous for cutting a 12V car battery in half with an angle-grinder & shoving the pic on forums, I just had to do the same with a Barlow lens!
It was an el-cheapo plastic barlow, although I was eyeing off the 3X Televue a few times..!
The problem: The original focuser only takes 0.965" EP's doesn't it!
Not anymore though, with the help of the top section of the barlow
Thanks James, but I'd doubt your *real father* would approve the adoption
The original Unitron finder stripped, cleaned & ready for painting. The elements came up like brand new. They knew how to apply nice tough anti-reflection coatings back then.
what size secondary do you need? Ill look and see if I have one ...
Hi Roger. The secondary you sent me turned up in the post today (20th Dec.) & it's the perfect size (there are TWO '40mm' sizes believe it or not) so thank you so much for helping. I owe you one!
The OTA is basically completed. Had a LOT of breakages getting things apart; seized nut & bolts, screws etc. Even soaking things for days in homemade brews of anti-seize didn't help matters & no access to oxy-acelelene equipment these days..Even had to rebuild the finder brackets because the adjustment screws snapped as well as breaking the castings
I am just going to use it with the optics uncoated (what's left of the old coatings) for awhile. Worry about recoat's later.
80% of the mount left to recondition now
Pretty happy so far despite some setbacks!
EDIT: I should add that it looks really sloppy the way that I had zero choice in having to rotate the focuser in this fashion..Yes these seized mount screws broke the casting away too & there is no choice but to have it this way..Bloody annoyed about that!
Note to self (& anyone else viewing) - With most things *sigh* it pays to approach it methodically & gently, but in the case of drifting a thumping great CW off a shaft with only a carpenters hammer? Uuumm no - You need to have at least 4 mins of mind blowing, adrenalin pumping pure evil MADNESSSSS! ARRGHH! And be VOCAL! It also pays to have an audience of neighbours witnessing the event - Comes in handy later I assure you
Note to self (& anyone else viewing) - With most things *sigh* it pays to approach it methodically & gently, but in the case of drifting a thumping great CW off a shaft with only a carpenters hammer? Uuumm no - You need to have at least 4 mins of mind blowing, adrenalin pumping pure evil MADNESSSSS! ARRGHH! And be VOCAL! It also pays to have an audience of neighbours witnessing the event - Comes in handy later I assure you
And then it will be all over & you shall win
Next!
I agree entirely about the need to vocalise when struggling with the forces of rust. A good primal scream or two with a thick layer of expletives usually gets the job done. Strangely, my wife - among others I am sure - does not understand the thereaputic value of this. Fortunately we live in the bush and our closest neighbours are 1/2 a km away. But on occasion, they have been known to comment that I seemed to be having a particulrly tough struggle with something or other.
Ok I've been slack (reads as busy doing other things!) so it's back to this project. Made my own abrasive blasting unit some time ago & it's coming in handy for this.
Topcoat on & I even purchased the old girl some new stainless bolts/nuts. I remember trying to cart this thing around in the boot of my car back in the 80's & one day cracked it & zoomed it in half with the angle grinder & welding flanges on. A whole lot more transportable!
Pretty much finished. It has a fully welded top plate, & latitude is set for Port Lincoln SA & with me now in Bundaberg QLD the plan is to just heighten the rear RA bearing until the correct alt is obtained. Hence the over long RA shaft bolts.
Welcome to the year, 1976....Or welcome to 2013, 1976 scope. Either way, it's a time warp..
)
