Standard Solid Mounts

• Our most economical mount.

• Telescope tube without altitude bearings or a ring set require drilling two 3/8" holes at the balance point for mounting our included 12" altitude bearings.
• Telescope tube with existing altitude bearings: we may be able attach our 12" altitude bearings to your existing bearings.
• Telescope tube in a ring set: our altitude bearings can attach your ring set.

• Only eleven screws and eight 3/8" wood dowels. Assembly is straightforward, easy and we're happy to help if needed.
• Add optional manual altitude and azimuth setting circles with pointers. Or order only an azimuth setting circle.
• Arrive unassembled.
• Rough sanded with 80 grit sandpaper.
• Predrilled screw and dowels holes.
• Altitude and azimuth bearing laminate included, arrives attached but not glued.
• Altitude and azimuth bearing Teflon included, predrilled and screwed in place.
• Assembly requires Philips screwdrivers for #12 wood screws and #4 brass finish screws), sandpaper, contact cement, 3/8" crescent wrenches, paint/finish.

Solid Mounts

• Same as standard solid mount above, except:
  • Custom designed to fit the mount precisely to your telescope.
  • Custom mount can be accommodate specific focuser height preferences.
  • Two altitude bearing sizes are available: 12" or 18".
  • Altitude bearings fit your existing ring set, clamshell rings, or fitted to your existing smaller altitude bearings.
  • Clamshell rings all rotating the optical tube for focuser position, or to avoid drilling tube holes to mount/attach bearings.
  • Rotating rings with altitude bearings are available.
  • Available as either kit or finished, as above in standard solid mounts.

Collapsible Mounts

• Designed especially for limited storage/transportation considerations.
  • All same materials and/or options as custom solid mount (except uses hinges)
• Does not use screws and dowels. Uses heavy duty anodized piano hinge instead.
• Front and side boards are unitized, staying permanently attach together.
• Folds to 5" height. No loose parts either assembled or collapsed flat. Folds/collapses as follows:
  • :Left side board folds 90 degrees inward and flat against the backside of the front board.
  • Front and left side boards fold forward and right (270 degrees) to outside of right side board.
  • All three board are now back to back to back.
  • All three upright boards fold down inward, lying flat on the rocker box bottom board.

   

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  Materials

  We use 3/4" (18mm) Baltic Birch plywood for wooden parts. Altitude and azimuth bearings interfaces use Teflon and Formica Crystal 909-42 laminate. All parts are included, assembly of kits is designed to be very easy to assemble; solid mounts usually use only 11 screws and 8 dowels. Dowel are internal/hidden between abutting front, ground and side boards to lock them in place and add stiffness. Custom "tall" mounts may require additional screws and dowels.

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Altitude Bearings

• Two sizes of altitude bearing are available on our mounts:
  • 12 inch outside diameter (small) full circle bearings. Hand holds incorporated. Laminate applied to half the circle.
  • 18 inch outside diameter (large) half circle bearings.. Hand hold openings are incorporated. Laminate applied to entire half circle.
  • Can attach to telescope tube using 3/8" bolt (you supply). Inside facing arced braces secure bearing to tube.
  • Can attach to outside of clamshell rings, no tube drilling required. Allows repositioning forward/back or rolled for focuser position.
• We prefer large altitude bearings - better balance changing eyepieces, finer incremental altitude movement. Ask about "tightrope walkers".

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Clamshell And Rotating Rings

• Clamshell Rings allow attaching altitude bearings to your optical tube without drilling holes.
  • Allows rotation of tube to allow reposition of focuser.
  • Allows moving tube forward or back if weight is added or removed to tube.
  • Adds 1" to the width of a mount.
  • Bottom boards by heavy duty anodized aluminum piano hinge.
  • Top boards secured with a 2-1/2" long thumb screw through matching drilled 3/8" holes. Cannot pull out.
  • Inside edge of clamshell sections are 1/8" larger than tube diameter. Line with adhesive back felt or other cushioning.
  • Top halves of clamshell designed with a 1/8" gap, allowing room to tighten around telescope tube securely.
• Rotating Rings
  • Uses clamshell rings.
  • Solid tubes rotate freely on bearings inside clamshell rings.
  • Lock to stop rotation with finger tightening plastic knurled screw.

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Our Process::

• You submit a request for quote or order.
• We send you a PayPal invoice within 72 hours with price, shipping costs and shipping date estimate.
• Quote is valid for 14 days.
• Ask any questions at this point, we will reply promptly.
• Shipping date is from time of your approval of design pdf (see below).
• To order pay invoice.
• We will respond with a confirmation e-mail containing a design date.
• Our manufacture process will begin:
  • Design.
  • Send you a PDF drawing showing your order's component parts with pertinent dimensions.
  • You review design. Ask questions, ask to modify, or give your approval.
  • Once the design is approved, the ship date "clock" starts.
  • We send you these benchmark production dates:
    • CNC cutting of parts.
    • Dry fitting and sanding parts.
    • Inscribing manual manual setting circles if ordered.
    • Laminate and Teflon installed.
• E-mail invoice for paying any balance due.
• Shipping.

Quotes are valid for 14 days. Benchmark and shipping dates are best estimates based on materials availability.

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Shipping

• Shipping to domestic US via FedEx Home Delivery or US Postal Service Ground delivery.
• Non-US shipping destinations must meet dimensional packaging size restrictions.