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roscoe
super member
Reged: 02/04/09
Posts: 192
Loc: Northwestern Mass
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Re: What tools do you need to build a Dob?
07/07/09 07:49 AM
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Buying power tools is a lot like buying astro-equipment....you could consider hand-held power tools to be sort of like EP's and stationary tools to be like dobs........a $35 EP (orthos excepted) will give you the same level of performance and satisfaction as a $35 jig-saw, for instance, while $150 will buy an EP or a tool that is a joy to use. Same applies to big tools, in that a $135 table saw is about equivalent to the $135 telescope over in aisle 9, $600 will buy you a very nice saw or scope, $1200 will buy you a pro-grade in either category. Keep in mind that the tool-head down the street could easily have $10 or 20K worth of toys in the shop.
One of the best ways to get the work done might be to ask that totally tooled up neighbor if he would like to swap a six-pack or bottle of his/her favorite beverage for an hour's time cutting parts out, another option might be to take an adult-ed woodworking course at your local tech school, and ask the instructor if you could build a scope as your project. There, you'll have a full shop, and valuable instruction on safe and efficient tool use.
If do-it-yourself is the way to go, a jigsaw, a random-orbit sander, and a cordless drill (and a patient approach) will get the job done.........if you want to tool up, even a small bandsaw is pretty close to laser-cutting technology, they excell at curves, and with a bit of practice do straight lines quite well, and a drill press not only drills holes nice and straight, they can be outfitted with sanding drums that create smooth, even edges. They are very useful tools, but also are pretty safe compared to jointers and table saws, both of which are quite capable of firing wood at you at warp factor 8, or changing your method of counting to ten in an instant. And always remember, quality takes time...........
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Antares/Vixen 812 120mm f/8 on reworked CG-5,
Celestron/Vixen C-80 80mm f/11 on Polaris,
Sears/Towa 60mm f/15 on reworked Towa,
assorted Ultrascopics and Orthos
homemade tripods, chairs, EP cases, observatory
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