The Kunama Reflector

[Atmos (Colin)]

Originally Posted by LewisM

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

I went with elm.

I just had to have one

I personally love Mountain Ash

[sn1987a (Barry)]

I'm going to shamelessly plagiarise that Telrad idea.

[Kunama]

Thanks Col, et al,
I don't think I will go into production on a full scale, more of an 'ideas man'.

Originally Posted by sn1987a

I'm going to shamelessly plagiarise that Telrad idea.

Go for it Barry !

Got my azimuth bearing and barrow handles yesterday, pictures tomorrow......

[Kunama]

Here is my take on azimuth bearing material, an idea I discussed with Peter Read and John Bambury ............ as it turns out it has been done before by Peter Read (Great minds think alike )

Take one sheet of 3mm aluminium plate ........
Cut a piece 3mm smaller than the base of the rocker box ......
Draw file the edge to a round profile..........
Round off the corners...........
Sand with 180 grit in circular fashion for some bite ..........
Take to your local powder coaters .........
Powdercoat in Aztec Gold or Aztec Silver (Antique Silver is the same texture)
Allow a couple of days for maximum hardness of PC.
Glue to the base of the rocker box (can also add a screw in each corner )

[Kunama]

Time to wheel a barrow back .......... this design is from the mind of Peter Read ...... i have only copied what I have seen in his website images .....
A couple of custom touches that I have added are the powder coating of the stainless steel RHS tube, brass screws, and end caps for the tubing....

Wherever the bolts went through the tubing, a Delrin insert was placed inside the tube to prevent it being deformed when tightened. (see one in a pic ..)

Materials used:
4 metres of 25mm x 50mm 1.6mm wall 304 stainless steel rectangular hollow section
1 piece of black Delrin (acetal) 200mm x 165mm x 21.9mm
2 @ M16 x 120mm s/s fully threaded bolts with s/s washers, nuts & nylons
Loctite antiseize paste
4 @ M10 x 60mm s/s button head bolts with t-nuts
16 @ 3/16" x 1.5" brass round head bolts.
a couple of wheels

Tools:
4-20mm UniKut titanium step-drill bit
4" angle grinder
Makita slide compound saw

[Kunama]

Today's efforts ..............

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Superb...

[Somnium (Aidan)]

This Is a fantastic work of art, congratulations

[LewisM]

OK, ban and slam me now, but I gotta say it...

That last picture looks like a commode on wheels

You know I love it Matt... just that picture reminded me of a finely crafted porta-pooper

[Kunama]

Thanks Col & Aidan !

Lewis, that is what Jennifer said as well .......... I guess if it won't come to focus, it won't have been a total waste of time, I can bolt it into the Mercedes.

[LewisM]

Priceless.

[Kunama]

Wheeled my little project out for its first taste of the great outdoors today, due to the late hour there will be no first light tonight as the poles will need to be shortened by 70mm. (The alt bearing did not allow the poles to be lowered enough to focus at infinity, the best I could do was to get the nearby hospital, which is about 600 metres, away into focus)

Balance was good, once the filter slide and baffle are attached, I expect to need only 1Kg of counterweight on the tailgate .......

Tomorrow will be first star test ........

Jobs still to be done:

Design and build filter slide system
Install UTA baffle
Install Telrad
Install encoders and DTC

I am pretty pleased with my first proper ATM build

[LewisM]

DIBS!

Beautiful Matt.

[MortonH]

Just fantastic, Matt.

[Larryp (Laurie)]

Looks incredible, Matt

[MattT]

So good it's nearly enough to make me give up Refractors....nearly

What's next?

[rrussell1962]

Looks fantastic, better than fantastic actually. I do like how you have done the wheelbarrow handles, much better than the clunky one piece ones on my Obsession. Are you planning to add any baffling to the UTA or is the plan to use the telescope at a sufficiently dark site that none is needed? I was also looking at the mirror box cover trying to make out whether it is hinged and folds up against the trusses which is an idea that I have toyed with but couldn't work out how to keep it there! Oh, and the obvious question - what is she called? Assuming it is a she!

[RickS (Rick)]

Wow! Great DIY work

[Kunama]

Cheers guys, I'm very happy with it.
I have to make a filter slide system before fitting the baffle to the UTA, this was more a test of balance and pole length measurement.

The lid is hinged with a large Parliament hinge and will have a brass window latch fitted to keep prying fingers out.

Being a refractorian, I had nothing to collimate it with so ended up having to trust my builders eye and stood back a couple of metres from the scope staring into the empty draw tube while my dear wife adjusted the two collimation bolts. End result was actually pretty good out of focus donut on A Cent. It has been a long time since I collimated a scope so will have to practice that art.

Going with the Nexus DSC this time around.

The three part handles are another SDM Telescopes idea of Pete Read, shamelessly copied by yours truly from photographs on Pete's website.


Name to be decided.......

[LewisM]

"Tähtitieteilijä n lipasto"?



Maybe "Karin"