Telescope Reviews: Angle Iron Track for V-groove Casters

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas.

I've had my roll-off for 3 years now. I just used flat rollers on doubled 2x6's. It's worked OK, but the 2x6's are starting to warp and split, and the roof is now at a very small angle to the 2x6's. I'd also like to automate the roof, so I'll need a motor and some gears - this obviously won't be possible unless the roof rolls along a consistent path.

So, I need to retrofit the rails to my existing roof. My wheels are located in the traditional place - attached to the bottom of the roll-off roof. But the diagram of the rotating dome gave me the idea of mounting the wheels to the wall, and the rails to the roll off roof. This may be a simpler retrofit than putting the v-coasters on the roll-off roof and the angle iron on the wall.

I'll have to think about this for a while. I have the obvious problem of supporting or lifting a one ton roof while I am retrofitting the angle iron and v-coasters.

So, anyone who is contemplating a roll-off, don't make my mistake with just plain rollers on 2x6's. You should definately get some type of track system.

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Best Regards, Arlo
Grand Cosmic Observatory, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

CATS/CASS - 20" RCOS Ritchey-Chretien, C14, C8
REFRACTORS - 155mm Astro-Physics Starfire EDF w/4" Focuser, 102mm Televue Genesis, 78mm FS Takahashi
ASTROGRAPHS - 8" Lichtenecker Flat Field Camera, 6" JSO Schmidt Camera
MOUNTS - Paramount ME, Losmandy GM200, Takahashi EM-100
CCD/IMAGING - SBIG STS-4, SBIG STL-11000M