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Equipment Discussions >> Eyepieces

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GeneT
Ely Kid

Reged: 11/07/08

Loc: South Texas

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: Super08]
#5423053 - 09/15/12 10:39 PM

Looks real nice. How heavy is it?

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Super08
sage

Reged: 05/18/12

Loc: Great White North

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: GeneT]
#5423690 - 09/16/12 12:32 PM

With all my eyepieces (in sig) and accessories inside it comes to 27 lbs. I never weighed it empty but I can later on. I have to go out for a bit.

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astroRoy
professor emeritus

Reged: 07/09/11

Loc: Southern Oregon

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: HunterofPhotons]
#5423739 - 09/16/12 01:08 PM

Quote:

Quote:

.... Laquer being alcohol based, would probably out-gas very little if at all, but polyurethane seems to never lose its smell inside a box .....
Roy

Roy,
I'm not aware of any alcohol-based lacquers, were you thinking of shellac?
A closed box will hold solvent-based odors for a longer time than one that is open to the atmosphere. All of the polyurethanes that I have used give up their odors in a reasonable amount of time. The spar varnish formulation used on these boxes is an excellent choice of finish.

dan k.

Of course, my boo boo. Shellac being alcohol based would evaporate in minutes and wouldn't out-gass - in my opinion. I still don't think a urethane would be a good choice inside the box, again, in my opinion. I have boxes I made years ago and I can still smell the poly-urethane finish inside when I open them. But, not so much in the water based urethane from Min-Wax I started using a few years ago.

Roy

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ubermick
super member

Reged: 04/12/12

Loc: San Rafael, CA

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: astroRoy]
#5661939 - 02/04/13 02:51 PM

Could any current owners of these cases tell me how thick the oak is that Ron uses? I love working in the garage with tools, and am thinking of putting together my own "knockoff" of these for myself, but now find myself on the fence about putting one together, or just saying screw it and ordering one. (Materials alone would be pushing $100 when I include the lumber, hardwarer, and bits for the illumination setup - and if I have to pick up another toy in a thickness planer too, I might as well just buy one!)

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JimMo
I'd Rather Do It Myself

Reged: 01/08/07

Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: ubermick]
#5662049 - 02/04/13 04:06 PM

Quote:

(Materials alone would be pushing $100 when I include the lumber, hardwarer, and bits for the illumination setup - and if I have to pick up another toy in a thickness planer too, I might as well just buy one!)

Yes, but if you buy a thickness planer you'll have one use on any future projects.

A friend of mine has one of Ron's cases and I call him later and post back.
I would think 3/8" thick would be more than adequate. I always wanted to try making an eyepiece case from the leftover scraps of baltic birch I've accumulated.

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ubermick
super member

Reged: 04/12/12

Loc: San Rafael, CA

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: JimMo]
#5662071 - 02/04/13 04:23 PM

Cheers for that, Jim.

My concern about a case like this would be strength. Looking at it, I don't see any sort of joints (LOOKS like he's just dadoed the ends to the pieces sit flush), so I'm assuming it's held together by glue. Granted, a decent carpenter's glue would likely see the wood fail before the bond would. I'd be a bit worried about the handle, too. Carrying it from the lid like the WW cases would make me think there's a lot of stress on what could only be 1/4" screws holding on those clasps, as well as whatever's holding the handle on (looks like t-nuts in the lid)

I was thinking 1/2" as opposed to 3/8". Was actually pondering using the 3/4" as-is, but the extra weight would be a pain, and likely cause as many issues as it'd solve. (And be overkill in the process)

Quote:

Yes, but if you buy a thickness planer you'll have one use on any future projects.

NOOOOO! Lalalalala, I'm not listening to you, lalallala.....

(This would actually be what I'd normally do - but my wife has had enough of me spending amassing tools and materials to end up spending $600 on something so I can avoid spending $250!)

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smallscopefanLeo
sage

Reged: 01/23/11

Loc: L.A., CA (& Home Plate, Mars!)

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: ubermick]
#5662521 - 02/04/13 09:29 PM

WOW..

what a beautiful setup!! Love that you've got the legendary Pocket Sky Atlas right in the lid too, a fittingly prominent place of honor for it!

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ThreeD
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 12/23/08

Loc: Sacramento suburbs

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: ubermick]
#5663208 - 02/05/13 09:57 AM

Quote:

Cheers for that, Jim.

My concern about a case like this would be strength. Looking at it, I don't see any sort of joints (LOOKS like he's just dadoed the ends to the pieces sit flush), so I'm assuming it's held together by glue. Granted, a decent carpenter's glue would likely see the wood fail before the bond would. I'd be a bit worried about the handle, too. Carrying it from the lid like the WW cases would make me think there's a lot of stress on what could only be 1/4" screws holding on those clasps, as well as whatever's holding the handle on (looks like t-nuts in the lid)

I was thinking 1/2" as opposed to 3/8". Was actually pondering using the 3/4" as-is, but the extra weight would be a pain, and likely cause as many issues as it'd solve. (And be overkill in the process)

My concern isn't the about the strength of the box. I'm concerned that it looks so beautiful that I would want to put the entire thing in a pelican case to keep it looking that way.

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Widespread
sage

Reged: 05/11/11

Loc: Bowling Green, Kentucky

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: ThreeD]
#5663298 - 02/05/13 10:33 AM

That red LED light is slick!

The discussion on heaters got me wondering. I've never used a heater in my EP case. I haven't had problems with moisture on the lenses so far (kind of a pain, but I always cap each EP top and bottom).

Just curious, do most folks heat their EPs?

Ignorantly,
David

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csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: Widespread]
#5663317 - 02/05/13 10:41 AM

"Just curious, do most folks heat their EPs?"

Quick Answer: Yes.

Not so quick Answer: Depends on where you live and the weather/humidity. In KY (I'm orig from IN), yea, you're probably gonna need to heat the eyepieces to prevent dewing. Here in CO, not as much. Here, we usually keep an eyepiece or two in our coat pockets or, on a really cold night, a small hand/foot warmer packet thrown into the eyepiece case. I've had eyepieces fog up on me in the cold not from humidity, but from the moisture from your eyeball being close to the lens. On these nights, a handwarmer in the kit really helps. But in humid climates, some kind of electronic dew cord setup is almost a must have.

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csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: ThreeD]
#5663320 - 02/05/13 10:42 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Cheers for that, Jim.

My concern about a case like this would be strength. Looking at it, I don't see any sort of joints (LOOKS like he's just dadoed the ends to the pieces sit flush), so I'm assuming it's held together by glue. Granted, a decent carpenter's glue would likely see the wood fail before the bond would. I'd be a bit worried about the handle, too. Carrying it from the lid like the WW cases would make me think there's a lot of stress on what could only be 1/4" screws holding on those clasps, as well as whatever's holding the handle on (looks like t-nuts in the lid)

I was thinking 1/2" as opposed to 3/8". Was actually pondering using the 3/4" as-is, but the extra weight would be a pain, and likely cause as many issues as it'd solve. (And be overkill in the process)

My concern isn't the about the strength of the box. I'm concerned that it looks so beautiful that I would want to put the entire thing in a pelican case to keep it looking that way.

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mark8888
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 09/24/10

Re: Wood Wonders new

[Re: Widespread]
#5663475 - 02/05/13 12:06 PM

Quote:

That red LED light is slick!

Wow, yeah, it totally is.

I want it.

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Mark Peterman
super member

Reged: 08/07/12

Loc: Texas

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: mark8888]
#5663859 - 02/05/13 04:10 PM

I really like my Wood Wonders EP case. Very well built and no worries about anything falling apart.

I think the hardware could be nicer on such a nice box but that's the only improvement I can see.

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Doug D.
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/23/05

Loc: Virginia

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: Mark Peterman]
#5664063 - 02/05/13 05:52 PM

I agree withe Mark - the only improvement I would have liked on my cherished case (and been willing to pay for) would have been higher quality solid brass hardware. The hardware used seems to be perfectly functional but just doesn't quite match the excellent materials, workmanship and quality of the box itself.

With regard to the handle at top maybe not being the best design choice I would point out one major benefit. The box is always carried upright. I had a fairly nice wooden ep box earlier (not one of Ron's) with a pair of handles at the sides requiring you to carry like a serving tray. All well and good but the urge to "one handle it" with long axis of case perpendicular to the ground was a worry - not good for all those eps to fall out of their holes!

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Kildar13x
member

Reged: 07/06/11

Loc: Maine

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: Doug D.]
#5664305 - 02/05/13 08:49 PM

Now I know what to get my dad for his birthday

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ubermick
super member

Reged: 04/12/12

Loc: San Rafael, CA

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: Kildar13x]
#5664479 - 02/05/13 11:18 PM

The handle placement is one of my areas of concern in terms of strength. I understand the cases are solid oak and therefore fairly durable, but there's just a half inch (guessing) of wood that *could* tear, causing several hundred (thousand!) dollars worth of eyepieces and goodies to crash to the floor in a heap. Carrying it from the sides, while cumbersome, at least alleviates that somewhat.

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ThreeD
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 12/23/08

Loc: Sacramento suburbs

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: ubermick]
#5664566 - 02/06/13 01:49 AM

Quote:

The handle placement is one of my areas of concern in terms of strength. I understand the cases are solid oak and therefore fairly durable, but there's just a half inch (guessing) of wood that *could* tear, causing several hundred (thousand!) dollars worth of eyepieces and goodies to crash to the floor in a heap. Carrying it from the sides, while cumbersome, at least alleviates that somewhat.

It appears from other photos of these cases on the Wood Wonders website that the fasteners for the handles aren't wood screws -- they appear to be machine screws that fasten to tee nuts on the inside of the case lid.

I'm not a mechanical engineer but if I remember my engineering mechanics classes correctly I would be more concerned with side mounted handles due to the moment arm and flexure of the fasteners rather than a chunk of solid red oak tearing out. Since they aren't wood screws the failure won't be from screws pulling out of wood they are threaded into -- it would take a catastrophic failure of the piece of solid red oak that makes up the top.

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csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: ThreeD]
#5664845 - 02/06/13 09:14 AM

:it would take a catastrophic failure of the piece of solid red oak that makes up the top.:

...or just being clumsey and dropping it regardless where the handles are.......

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Mark Peterman
super member

Reged: 08/07/12

Loc: Texas

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: ThreeD]
#5664871 - 02/06/13 09:40 AM

ThreeD is correct, the handle uses machine screws that fasten to tee nuts on the inside of the case lid.

@Ubermick - My biggest concern is someone grabbing it by the handle and running off with 3K in eyepieces.

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ubermick
super member

Reged: 04/12/12

Loc: San Rafael, CA

Re: Wood Wonders [Re: Mark Peterman]
#5670981 - 02/09/13 04:15 PM

Haha, yep. Although considering the company most of us are in while observing, someone doing a legger with the case is probably lower than normal.

Anyways, being a complete idiot, I've now spent $500 on a thickness planer as well as a sliding miter saw to put one of these together. Y'know, instead of spending HALF that on a case made by someone with far more skill and talent than I have. I'll be sure and post the utterly disastrous results when I get some time to put one together!

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