149 replies to this topic

[bikerdib]

Does this count?  I rolled my own 9.25" SCT dewshield from some 0.050 aluminum and have the seam welded together.  This was the thinnest aluminum I had on hand.  I have to get some clinch nuts to accommodate the 3 setscrews to secure it to the OTA so it's on hold for now.  It will then be painted black and flocked inside with black felt.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[bremms]

I probably would have used AN 426 rivets (flush) since I build aircraft. My aluminum welding skills are a bit well.. I don't weld much Aluminum.  Seam welding 0.050 takes som skill.

[Nick Will]

This snapped right in this Telementor 2. It smelled minty fresh too

 

[bikerdib]

I probably would have used AN 426 rivets (flush) since I build aircraft. My aluminum welding skills are a bit well.. I don't weld much Aluminum.  Seam welding 0.050 takes som skill.

 

The fact that it would be ground down back to flush is what saved me, the weld wasn't as pretty as it would have been on thicker material but penetration was the main concern; then it was ground/sanded flush inside and out.

[clamchip]

There are days when every single traffic signal is red. You need 4 eggs for a recipe and you only have two.

You spend a couple hours going through your dwelling, and another couple at the grocery store looking for

that special size lid, and no luck.

If the caps don't fit don't forget about the containers.

Out of desperation I tried this one and bingo perfect fit!

Robert

 

[Terra Nova]

I found that the common small rimmed styrofoam coffee cups fit perfectly flush in the Telementor.

[clamchip]

Swift 831 finder.

Robert

 

[deSitter]

This works

 

-drl

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Dennis53121]

Sliding dew shield made from two sheets of Foamie.

 

Dennis

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 

[DMala]

Sliding dew shield made from two sheets of Foamie.

 

Dennis

 

How did you join the seams? Thx

 

University Optics Koenig 32mm eyepiece cap made from a Tetra fish food can cap, internal threads shaved off with an Exacto knife and internal liner made with a thin sheet of packing foam.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Dennis53121]

How did you join the seams? Thx

 

University Optics Koenig 32mm eyepiece cap made from a Tetra fish food can cap, internal threads shaved off with an Exacto knife and internal liner made with a thin sheet of packing foam.

I sewed it by hand with needle and thread. You will see the stitches in the last photo.

 

Dennis

[lphilpot]

For a while, Rigid made some shop vac hose couplers that were the perfect size to make an extended dew shield for GSO/Synta 50mm finder scopes. I put one on each of two I have, but with them the original dust cap no longer fits. My two solutions:

 

A 2" PVC round cap with the rubber 'bumper' from a broken flashlight slid over it for style (admittedly very little, but it arguably looks a little better than the bulbous PVC, painted black though it is) and the paper feed knob from an IBM mainframe band printer. Both took a slight bit of stick on felt to fit perfectly. I prefer the IBM version, but there are only so many of those items around!

 

 

[apfever]

I found that the common small rimmed styrofoam coffee cups fit perfectly flush in the Telementor.

They also work great for pressing onto a slightly larger newt secondary.

[Spectral Joe]

Aperture cap (plug?) from a 1 quart paint mixing container from the local big box store, and mirror covers from stove pipe caps:

 

Classic? The plug is protecting a Jaegers 1471 objective (83X1219)

 

[Terra Nova]

Wow! Amazing! I love that Spectrohelioscope!

[starman876]

I save every plastic lid I get. You never know when you are going to need one.

[Chuck Hards]

Swift 831 finder.

Robert

 

IMG_8456.jpg

 

Dangit, Robert, now I need to get up the courage to go buy a couple of jars of baby food.   It's been almost 25 years.  That stuff had dropped completely off my "dad" radar, along with diapers and juice boxes.     

[deSitter]

I save every plastic lid I get. You never know when you are going to need one.

I used a black Folger's coffee lid (red tub) to cover the 1.25" holes in my accessory tray on 0.965 nights. The nub in the middle of the tray is exactly the right height to support the center of the lid, so you can put eyepieces on there and they won't tip over. I knew that thing would be useful 5 years ago when I put it away!

 

-drl

[apfever]

The most excellent fit.

I think you can read the item information. The fit is impressive. I cut off the bottom third of the can. It will slip fit in the dew shield and stop on just the metal rim, even, all around. That is so well nested it's a pita to grip out. Placing the lid on the bottom makes it easy. The outside circumference of the lid is less that that of the dew shield. The friction between can outside and dew shield inside is negligible. It glides on a cushion of air.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[apfever]

Here it is installed. It will slowly slide in by itself if pulled about half way out in this position.
Pulling it out creates a suction effect, it gets bouncy. If you kind of shake it when half way out, it gets flubbery.
Kind of like the magnets thing. It's the best part of the scope apparently. Not just my opinion. I've had people remove the thing without any
other discussion and without further word, I've promptly watched them play with it - all on their own. I'm easily entertained.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[apfever]

It's the 80mm ATCO. The original metal cover that goes directly on the cell is also inside.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Mike E.]

I discovered this great cover for one of our scopes when I looked closely at the lid on one of those candles which come in a jar. The nicely chromed metal lid has a silicone seal on its inner perimeter which grips perfectly on the objective end of our Telementor; couldn't have asked for a better fit. 

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 

Edited by Mike E., 26 March 2018 - 12:05 PM.

[apfever]

Now that has class!

[Kasmos]

I was looking around the garage and stumbled upon a spray can cap that I thought might work as a cap on my 50mm Tasco 6TE.

It was bright red and a little too large.  

Then I spotted an all white one sitting on a cabinet.

I think it's from an old can of Gumout carburetor cleaner that I used the other day.

Like most spray can caps, there's a raised ring inside but it doesn't affect it's use.

If fits perfect and glides on very nicely. It could be cut down but it works well as is.

It's much better than the baggy and rubber band that was on it.

[BarrySimon615]

One of my best "non-traditional" dew shield caps comes from an outer box for a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream.  This metal cap with an appropriate amount of Dymo Label Tape around the perimeter is a perfect fit for a Unitron 3" (75 mm) dew shield.  I did add a thumbscrew to make removal easy.

 

The 4th photo shows my two bags of miscellaneous caps ranging in size from under 1 inch to up to about 7 inches.

 

Barry Simon

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 
•