ctcables
Vendor (Reco Labs)
Reged: 11/14/06
Posts: 149
Loc: Oregon
|
|
Art I to think carbon fiber makes great struts. My 14.7 inch quartz mirror with scop body, finder, focuser, and secondary is only 31 Lbs and is very stable. The struts are under 2 lbs each and are made from carbon fiber fishing poles. Anyway this is a photo of my scope
--------------------
Telescope
F4.5
14.6 inch Fused Quartz Mirror strehl .996
18 PT carbonfiber mirror cell
Antearies Quartz secondary
2 strut carbonfiber
Feather Touch focuser
Main scope is 31 lbs
Time to build off and on for a year.
Edited by ctcables (07/09/07 11:32 PM)
|
malomartwo
sage
Reged: 05/26/07
Posts: 250
Loc: Mississippi, USA
|
|
Quote:
This what it will look like when completed.
The sector drive (not shown in this image) will use a 1 RPM Hankscraft geared DC motor driving the sector via a 10 x 32 threaded rod. Speed control will be micro-adjusted with a Frequency Modulation Circuit.
This unit has already been registered in both mechanical and optical contests at Stellafane this year.
The scope, a 4.25" F/7.4 has seen a lot of use on a CG-4 mount. It's been so satisfying I've elected to build an almost identical scope around a 4.25" F/5 mirror.
Art
How did you make the images?
--------------------
I want to know the difference between you and me.
6" DOB Orion Intelliscope
10mm Plossl, 25mm Plossl, 2x Celestron Barlow Ultima SV
4 1/2" Altazimuth StarBlast
6mm ExplorerII, 17mm ExplorerII
|
Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
|
|
All the engineering work I've done for the last 12 years has been with SolidWorks, a 3D solid modeler.
It contains a rendering package called Photoworks.
Art
|
greenglass
sage
Reged: 01/22/06
Posts: 441
Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
|
This is the biggest one I made. A 12.75" mirror. It needs easier to put together connections at the UTA.
--------------------
7x50 Tasco binoculars
4" f/9 reflector
12.75" f/5.4 reflector
Edited by greenglass (07/19/07 03:19 PM)
|
Chriske
Kijkerbouw Urania
Reged: 08/15/04
Posts: 2027
Loc: Boechout, Belgium
|
|
have you been reading K&B....???... 
Nice scope btw
--------------------
Chris
|
jimmoscheck
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/08/07
Posts: 1094
Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...
|
|
I like the red poles. Are they anodized or is that shrink wrap? If you can show us a detail pic of the UTA clamps maybe we can help.
Nice job on the altitude bearings. 
--------------------
Jim Moscheck
14.5" f4.3 home built Kriege stlye truss
Stevens primary
"A mind is like a parachute. It doesnt work if it's not open." - Frank Zappa
|
greenglass
sage
Reged: 01/22/06
Posts: 441
Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
|
The poles are thin wall steel broom handles that came painted red, they didn't rust yet (4 months old)
--------------------
7x50 Tasco binoculars
4" f/9 reflector
12.75" f/5.4 reflector
Edited by greenglass (07/19/07 11:48 PM)
|
greenglass
sage
Reged: 01/22/06
Posts: 441
Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
|
side view of the connection that is not easy to assemble.
--------------------
7x50 Tasco binoculars
4" f/9 reflector
12.75" f/5.4 reflector
Edited by greenglass (07/19/07 11:50 PM)
|
jimmoscheck
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/08/07
Posts: 1094
Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...
|
|
Broom handles. John Dobson would be proud.
It might be easier to assemble by just removing the bolt and wingnut and turning it around so the thread is facing out. Attach your truss poles from the outside which will only move them a little bit, probably not enough to matter. Might not look as nice and you'd have to be careful with the shroud.  You could try shorter bolts, too.
--------------------
Jim Moscheck
14.5" f4.3 home built Kriege stlye truss
Stevens primary
"A mind is like a parachute. It doesnt work if it's not open." - Frank Zappa
|
greenglass
sage
Reged: 01/22/06
Posts: 441
Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
|
Good idea. What about a magnet to hold them to the ring?
--------------------
7x50 Tasco binoculars
4" f/9 reflector
12.75" f/5.4 reflector
|
rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 40418
Loc: Phx, AZ
|
|
Do that only if the ridges of the threads don't hold it. But I suspect the threads alone will be enough.
Folks like Rockler, Garret Wade & Lee Valley sells knobs with nice bakelite handles with more to grip than your wing nuts (although they will weight more). They will also be easier on your hands when it gets really cold out. Lee Valley is based in Canada and an exceptional firm to deal with.
Must warn you, they put out three different catalogs which are highly addictive. 
--------------------
Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
|
Biff
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/04/05
Posts: 2276
Loc: Courtice, Ontario
|
|
I'll vouch for Lee Valley too! Awesome place to deal with... doesn't make it easy that there's one around the corner from where I work. The big thing I like about them is the website is top-notch and their descriptions in the ads are very honest. If they say something is good it's because they found some guy that lives up a mountain in Switzerland that blacksmiths his own steel behind his shed that has a unique temper thats only good enough to be put in their hand machined brass bodied planers that's also so unique that they hold the patent on it! Sounds like I'm making it up but I'm really not... at least as best as I can remember the ad, it's close anyway. And if something is a lesser quality and just enough to get the occasional job done then that's how they describe it.
Getting back on topic...
Since those ends of the truss' are the problem... what if you permanently kept those ends of the truss' attached to that angle Al and made some form of quick release, be it a cam lock or what ever, to attach the angle Al to the UTA. You would still have to deal with the wing nuts but only to loosen them the the truss' can fold up into pairs and then again to tighten them when you're setting up.
Not a great or well thought out idea but I thought I'd spit it out in the event it inspires a better idea.
BTW what's the F/R on that 12.75"? It looks like at least an f/6 from the pics.
Ryan
--------------------
Ryan
Antares 200mm f/6 Dob & 130mm f/5 Travel Dob.
Projects on the go...
- a couple 80mm SS refractors on the back burner.
- a few small mirrors awaiting polishing
- 260mm f/7.15 mirror... still polishing
Member of DRAA
 My house.
 DRAACO
|
RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
|
|
Latest addition to my stable ... 4.5" f/15 refractor with J.W. Fecker objective. Reconstructed from multiple old instrument components (plus some new stuff in-between) and appropriately named "Phoenix."
--------------------
Ron Ravneberg
|
RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
|
|
Another view of the 4.5" f/15 refractor.
--------------------
Ron Ravneberg
|
RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
|
|
How the refractor started out.
--------------------
Ron Ravneberg
|
Chriske
Kijkerbouw Urania
Reged: 08/15/04
Posts: 2027
Loc: Boechout, Belgium
|
|
Very nice metamorfosis... 
--------------------
Chris
|
Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
|
|
As usual, a lovely job Ron.
Can you tell us how you obtained that lovely blue finish?
Thanks
Art
|
RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
|
|
It's real exotic. 
A little Rust-Oleum Metallic Blue from a spray can overcoated with Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Enamel.
About $3/can at the hardware store.
Ron
--------------------
Ron Ravneberg
|
rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 40418
Loc: Phx, AZ
|
|
That has got to be one of the prettiest scopes around. Full Marks Ron. 
Nice use of exotic paint too. 
--------------------
Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
|
greenglass
sage
Reged: 01/22/06
Posts: 441
Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
|
Good idea, I have to see how it goes. And the 12.75" is 69 1/8" fl, f/5.42. Ronald
--------------------
7x50 Tasco binoculars
4" f/9 reflector
12.75" f/5.4 reflector
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
[Re: 
Edit
Reply
Quote
