· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Observatories Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 roscoe curmudgeon Reged: 02/04/09 Loc: NW Mass, inches from VT plastic concrete pier forms       #5602597 - 01/03/13 09:32 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Up in the 'mounts' forum, I just posted this info in response to a query, but thought these forms interesting enough to post here in their own thread. Both are WAY better than sonotubes, and yield a nice black finished look to a pier...... These, and other brands, can be gotten at local lumber yards and masonry supply houses. I just re-read your initial post, realized that you're wanting it 8' tall, some of the plastic forms can be custom-cut and stacked - a smaller one on a larger..... I googled, and found these: https://www.whitecap.com/ceme_tube_/128CT24/24__BLACK_CEMETUBE_COLUMN_FORM and these: http://www.foottube.com/ Post Extras:       Magellan Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/26/06 Loc: Enfield, NS Canada Re: plastic concrete pier forms [Re: roscoe]       #5602691 - 01/03/13 10:31 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I was looking into this as well as I am in the market for a Pier. BigFoot makes similar plastic forms that attach to their footings to allow for a single pour pier. I am sure the plastic is cut away after the pour, right? If I had a choice I would rather my Pier be white in color with cement velcro to attach the hand controller, ac bricks for mount, laptop, camera.. I am interested in discussing this option as well! Post Extras:       roscoe curmudgeon Reged: 02/04/09 Loc: NW Mass, inches from VT Re: plastic concrete pier forms [Re: Magellan]       #5602767 - 01/03/13 11:20 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Jeff, I have used forms similar to the foot-tubes on several jobs, and while they have been used as 'in the ground' piers, we have not cut the plastic away - it is about 1/8" thick. We have, when using them as small-building supports, planted them to a reasonable depth, then trimmed the tops to make them level. In one case, two of the piers stick up nearly 2 feet, and after 2 years in the sun, seem unchanged. The thing I don't like about the bigfoot bases is that there's still the sonotube issues to deal with - though sonotube from masonry supply houses is much better quality than that in the big-boxes. R Post Extras:       Magellan Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/26/06 Loc: Enfield, NS Canada Re: plastic concrete pier forms [Re: roscoe]       #5602885 - 01/03/13 12:18 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I might just go for the BigFoot 28" footing with a 12" plastic modular tube. the BigFoot system is shipped in such a way that the modules fit inside each other to reduce shipping costs to them and users but I came across them on YouTube, check this video out on how they are used, the video depicts its normal usage for support footings but the same principle apply when using for a pier as well. http://youtu.be/Tv9GHBb75p4 In my case being I live 44d North latitude I have to bury the footings 4" below the surface to get below the frost line. I don't want to make an 8' 12" Pier, too big and more susceptible to vibrations as I do imaging 99.9% of the time. I will figure out the correct height, a little shorter than the tripod so I don't need a ladder but high enough to clear the walls on the Skyshed POD to polar align, being so far north I don't see it being a problem but plays a huge factor in planning nonetheless. Btw, to the OPer, thanks for posting this. Post Extras:       roscoe curmudgeon Reged: 02/04/09 Loc: NW Mass, inches from VT Re: plastic concrete pier forms [Re: Magellan]       #5605287 - 01/04/13 05:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I hadn't seen those clip-together plastic bigfoots ...way better than cardboard tubes! R Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 3 registered and 7 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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