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  #61  
Old 04-11-2007, 08:13 AM
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back on track.. looks good rob
cloudy again last night..and looking worse today
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  #62  
Old 04-11-2007, 08:15 AM
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Everything looks spot on!

When welding the tailgate you might want to tack one side first
then take it out of the jig turn it around with the tacks on the bottom, put it back in the jig and start welding.
Stagger your welds so that there's not to much heat in one place.
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  #63  
Old 04-11-2007, 10:06 AM
CoombellKid
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Thanks guy's

Here's where I'm up to on the secondary cage with the first wall made for.
Just debating with myself whether to paint the new wall I like the black
wall look it kinda sets it off. But I also kinda like the all stained wood look.
The new wall will meet up on the inside. I'll put the join to one side of
the spider arm hole you see in the focuser board to give that arm a lil
bit of clean meat to sit in

Good points Ed, I will inform the welder, just about to head over there now.
I'm making a 6 point cell for it for stability over the 3 point design. We will
have young one playing with it.

regards,CS
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  #64  
Old 04-11-2007, 06:10 PM
CoombellKid
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Well Ihave to say,my mate Stevo did an excellent job of the welding of the
tailgate. I'm now ready to start building the 6 point cell. I still have some
25mm x 3mm steal rail left over I'm going to use for that.

I also got Stevo to weld the nut that will lock the base plate on my tripod
for the Paralellogram mount. I'm going to copy the dobsoinian style bearing
for the base board and rocker box. Where I'll create a 8" base board, in it
counter sink 3 x 25mm SlidGlide discs, and the oposing surface another 8"
disc with formica Graham (nightstalker) gave me. The central pivot or pinion
will be a 19mm steel tubing with 6mm booker rod up the middle. The bottom
bolt and plate will be the same as you see on the base plate, welded and
permanently fixed with brass nuts and bolts. The top bolt will be adjustable.
I'm thinking this will be ok but, I might need to employ some sort of brake.
Any ideas?

The ali tube you see sticking out will be cut down and counter sunk into
the layer above. It's purpose is the stop the locating lug on the tropod from
chewing away at the wood over years of assembly and dismantle.

I have actually drawn a bit of a rough plan of this bearing I can scan
and post here to give you a better idea what I'm trying to achieve.
Just let me know.

regards,CS
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Last edited by CoombellKid; 04-11-2007 at 06:23 PM.
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  #65  
Old 04-11-2007, 06:33 PM
CoombellKid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightstalker View Post
back on track.. looks good rob
cloudy again last night..and looking worse today
I was up 2:30am this morning although I could see a couple of stars
just to the east of north it was mostly clouded out , I fired up SN
and it was telling me Holmes at that time was a few degrees west
of north. Nice and muggy too, you could hear the mozzies screaming
in from every direction at the smell of fresh blood to be had. Must
of been those steak and eggs I had last night I tell ya I had
to run for cover

regards,CS
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  #66  
Old 04-11-2007, 10:28 PM
CoombellKid
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First test to see if the tailgate fits. And I'm very happy to say it's a perfect
match. I did allow 2mm thinking it would be better to be smaller. But there
must of been some slight expansion in the welding process. Although
the jig was pretty tight. Anyways if it was half a mm bigger it wouldn't fit.
It's sitting there on it own accord. I didn't have to tap it in there. and it's
a nice square fit to the box. I'm going to give it a sanding with 400 grit to
clean the rust forming from my sweety hands, and then paint it with anti rust
primer and flat black on top of that.

regards,CS
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  #67  
Old 06-11-2007, 08:21 AM
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Metal always expands and distorts around the welding area.

The fit looks good.
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  #68  
Old 06-11-2007, 08:35 AM
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Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)
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Rob - I've only just cottoned on to this thread - it's diverged somewhat from the original title!

Hey - I'm building my dual 12" bino at the moment and am tossing and turning over the bearings I'll use. I love the way you've done yours but an uncertain how you achieved the shape with your router. I've just started to use mine after owning it for a few years, and and perplexed as to just how you may have held the job and routed the angles and radii as you have. Could you briefly explain your technique for me?

PS - love the look. I'm using jarrah everwhere in the rocker box, but will need to go with something lighter in weight up top. I really like the lighter red of your stain. I, for one, love the light-red cedar look - it'd match the jarrah!

Cheers and thanks in advance
Chris

Last edited by Omaroo; 06-11-2007 at 03:55 PM.
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  #69  
Old 06-11-2007, 03:37 PM
CoombellKid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion View Post
Metal always expands and distorts around the welding area.

The fit looks good.
I'm pleased with the fit. It's currently down at an engineers workshop in
town. I'm getting three fine thread machine bolts tapped into the three
pick up points, more wood knobs to make.... more sanding although
I have been thinking I'll leave them along with the rest of split block knobs
cleaned but not finished and wait till I get a bench sander . Anyways
I hope this bloke get the bolt in the tailgate in the right spots, I must
say he didn't install a lot of confidence in me.

I stained the rocker box last night. It's out there in the shed getting Estypol'ed
as I type, along with the rings, focuser board... and just remembering now I
have the split blocks ready to do.... sorry for the rave.

regards,CS
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  #70  
Old 06-11-2007, 03:59 PM
CoombellKid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Omaroo View Post
Rob - I've only just cottoned on to this thread - it's diverged somewhat from the original title!
Yeah lol, I figured I'd turn it into my project thread, since folks who have
been replying are generally building or otherwise into ATM'ing. I did have
a webpage going (still there) but I'm very lazy at updating it

Quote:
Originally Posted by Omaroo
Hey - I'm building my dual 12" bino at the moment and am tossing and turning over the bearings I'll use. I love the way you've done yours but an uncertain how you achieved the shape with your router. I've just started to use mine after owning it for a few years, and and perplexed as to just how you may have held the job and touted the angles and radii as you have. Could you briefly explain your technique for me?
Yup! sure can. you lucky I took lots of photos of the job, show how I did
most things, but not the end part. Let me sort them out and I'll post
some up. I have to say the router is a must for any wood work shop. I
only just brought mine a couple of months back, the bearings were the
second job I did with it after my first set of rings (rip)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Omaroo
PS - love the look. I'm using jarrah everwhere in the rocker box, but will need to go with something lighter in weight up top. I really like the lighter red of your stain. I, for one, love the light-red cedar look - it'd match the jarrah!

Cheers and thanks in advance
Chris
It's all the same stain, just fifferent types of wood. The rings are bunnings
ply, the mirror and rocker boxes are another type of ply, made from the
original dob mount. It's very nice with no voids and 18mm thick so I reused
it. After stripping the old varnish off, the split blocks and truss pole connectors
are Tassie Oak and the focuser board is Queensland Maple. All stain in Jarrah
I was thinking of leaving the split blocks and pole connectors natural to give
a different colour.... but stained and unstain together would seem like it was
unfinished.

Anyway I'll have some photos up on the bearings shortly, np's

regards,CS
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  #71  
Old 06-11-2007, 08:10 PM
CoombellKid
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Chris,

The bearings are made from 2 sheets of 12mm ply laminated together.
Nailing a few boards to the bench to brace the panels as I cut them.
Basically I cut the design before I cut bearing surface. Starting first
with drawing the spokes on the boards, I first cut a line for the inner
rim surface using a round cutting bit, then I used a bit that cuts a 45
degree angle and worked my way down, trying to leave about 5mm of
meat at the bottom, you want the pie pieces to stay there. Unfortunately
I did a few over cuts here into the spokes, which had to be filled. I then
used a 16mm spade bit to cut the upper ends of the spokes. I then used
a length of straight pine as a stencil so to speak and cut the spokes. I
made the hub using a disc cut from 9mm ply using a hole saw, the drill bit
I use to swing the router off is the same size as the one in the hole saw,
so just tap the bit down until it does interfere with the router and cut
your half circle. I then got the dove tail bit and cut freehand, the top
layer off the spokes with the pie pieces still there giving the router
something to ride on. I then routed out the pies pieces and cut the
bearing surface. With the pie pieces removed I just nailed in the wooden
blocks to help keep everything stable on the final cut.

here are some pics of the process I did. You may find an easier way,
i just used what I had available at the time in thought and tools

regards,CS
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  #72  
Old 06-11-2007, 08:12 PM
CoombellKid
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and another
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  #73  
Old 06-11-2007, 08:21 PM
CoombellKid
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Oh yeah, then there was lots of sanding, some of which I did with a dremil
bit set I picked up for $5 at crazy clarkes lol, and whacked them the hand
drill. Actually I used the ball bit in my drill press to round off the holes in the
secondary cage.

regards,CS
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  #74  
Old 06-11-2007, 08:58 PM
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Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)
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Fantastic advice Rob - thanks for putting it up. I've a much clearer picture now. I love my router, but have had no practical training on it from anyone, so I'm slowly picking up tips as I go.

I was gong to go and source aluminium bearings, but I think that you fabrication here is stiffer and quite frankly better looking.

I have two Dremels, one with a flexi-drive, so sanding tight areas is no biggie

Thanks again
Chris

Last edited by Omaroo; 06-11-2007 at 09:09 PM.
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  #75  
Old 07-11-2007, 07:46 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CoombellKid View Post
Chris,

The bearings are made from 2 sheets of 12mm ply laminated together.
Nailing a few boards to the bench to brace the panels as I cut them.
Basically I cut the design before I cut bearing surface. Starting first
with drawing the spokes on the boards, I first cut a line for the inner
rim surface using a round cutting bit, then I used a bit that cuts a 45
degree angle and worked my way down, trying to leave about 5mm of
meat at the bottom, you want the pie pieces to stay there. Unfortunately
I did a few over cuts here into the spokes, which had to be filled. I then
used a 16mm spade bit to cut the upper ends of the spokes. I then used
a length of straight pine as a stencil so to speak and cut the spokes. I
made the hub using a disc cut from 9mm ply using a hole saw, the drill bit
I use to swing the router off is the same size as the one in the hole saw,
so just tap the bit down until it does interfere with the router and cut
your half circle. I then got the dove tail bit and cut freehand, the top
layer off the spokes with the pie pieces still there giving the router
something to ride on. I then routed out the pies pieces and cut the
bearing surface. With the pie pieces removed I just nailed in the wooden
blocks to help keep everything stable on the final cut.

here are some pics of the process I did. You may find an easier way,
i just used what I had available at the time in thought and tools

regards,CS
There was a lot of routing there Rob.

The router does a nice job of things.
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  #76  
Old 07-11-2007, 05:19 PM
CoombellKid
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Over the weekend I started on the truss clamps for the SC end. The wood
drill bit (spade style) took some nasty chunks out of the bottom edge giving
me another filling job. Anyways the filler was nice and dry/set hard. This
afternoon I sanded them down, since they were all still connected at that
stage I wrapped a length of wood in sandpaper and did the job in 5 minutes

anyways here's a pic of the rough cut. As you cansee there are three
pieces to each connector. What I call the the back part of the clamp
will be glued to the base bit leaving the third bit free to clamp. The
connectors will be secured to the SC with a 2" x 3/16" brass bolts this
way I get my nice helmet nut on the end. Ed will be pleased I've bolts
in this spot not to just hold the SC struts firm. And later if one happens
to crack or break it can be renewed.

regards,CS
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  #77  
Old 10-11-2007, 08:44 AM
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they look nice rob...its good through the process you get to SEE
what is likely to go wrong and allow to make things easiier to fix.. the
downside is we have to wreck something first for the improved version to be born.

Had the flu all week so I've been staying clear of mounting my primary
headspinning , sneezing ,coughing fits and a important piece of glass had disaster stamped all over it.
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  #78  
Old 10-11-2007, 10:34 AM
CoombellKid
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Graham,

It's the weather for flu's up here at present. Hot one day raining the next or
blowing a gale.

Well I thought today since I cant do any work with Hayden here. I thought
I put it together and test everything fits SC to mirror box. Except a minor
problem with one of the SC connectors it went together pretty well. I took
this picture to give you guys a look. Jake is over the moon at looking at his
new scope.

I picked up the tailgate from the engineers workshop yesterday. and I have
to say I was more than a little nervous, thinking I wont be happy with it and
will probably have to start again. But to my surprise the guy got it bang on.
So I guess you cant judge a persons ability just because their face has a
look of un-interested on it. Maybe it was me being to pedantic well ya
got know if the bloke understands what ya want done.

I glued in the SC wall last night. All in all I think I'm on the home straight
now. There a few things left to build, the floating point system and base
board being the main things. But apart from that it just fitting the split blocks,
finish cleaning up the split block knobs, make three wooden knobs for the
mirror cell and finish off the SC connectors. Then add all the hardware

regards,CS
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  #79  
Old 10-11-2007, 11:01 AM
Glenhuon (Bill)
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Very nice job
Been following the thread for a while, you've something to be proud of there.

Cheers
Bill
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  #80  
Old 10-11-2007, 08:16 PM
CoombellKid
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Thanks Bill

Looking forward to being able to use it again, it's been a while lol

regards,CS
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