Which mount is right for you?

Beginners: Unfamiliar with the terminology? Please contact us and we'll provide no-pressure help.

Apertura style Drop in replacement.	Standard solid Least expensive.	Custom solid Most popular.	Custom collapsible Storage & transportation.

Mounts are available as kits or finished.
What do you get? What do you do?

Kit:

What you receive: Wooden CNC cut mount parts:rocker box and ground board assemblies, and if applicable altitude bearing and clamshell rings). Wooden arts arrive rough sanded, predrilled with countersink. Azimuth and altitude bearing materials: Laminate ring and strips, Teflon pads predrilled and countersunk. 7 screws and 8 dowels in their corresponding holes - typical number of each for solid mounts. What you do: Unpack. Fine sand. Adhere laminates using contact cement. Paint/finish. Assemble. Ships as individual pieces. Very easy to assemble. Help and advice available by e-mail ..

Finished:

What you receive: All the items shown in the kit section. Wooden parts arrive fine sanded and prefinished with three or more coats General Finishes Enduro. What you do: Unpack. Assemble. Ships as individual pieces. Very easy to assemble. Help and advice available by e-mail

Mount Weights

Many buyers ask about weight. AstroGoods mounts are designed to minimize weight while maximizing structural rigidity. Our mounts will be significantly lighter weight than what is commercially manufactured, with our design and use of rigid/strong Baltic Birch plywood rather than heavy and easily damaged particle board. The large majority of our orders are custom mounts, so sizes and weights vary. Our Apertura style mounts is a standardized design and can provide an idea of our typical weight savings, based on user feedback: Apertura mount weights comparison: 12" OEM mount 38 lbs.,      AstroGoods 23 lbs. 10" OEM mount 31 lbs.,      AstroGoods 19 lbs.   8" OEM mount 28 lbs.,      AstroGoods 15 lbs. We also offer custom solid lightweight mounts by request!

 

Standard Solid

Fits up to most 10" telescopes.

• Two 12" or 18" altitude bearings.
• Rocker box (front, two side and bottom boards).
• Ground board with feet.
• Additional information: What do you receive with a kit or finished mount?

About custom solid mounts:

• Custom designed to fit your telescope, thereby reducing size and weight.
• Can be designed to place focuser at a preferred height.
• Dowels are internal/hidden between abutting front, ground and side boards to lock in position for stiffness.
• Additional information: What do you receive with a kit or finished mount?

 


About custom collapsible mounts:

	1) Mount in upright assembled position.		2) Left side board is hinged to front board on front inside, allowing it to swing inward to back of the front board.
	3) Front board is hinged on outside to right side board. Left and front boards in unison swing forward.		4) And continue around 270 degrees.
	5) to meet outside of right side board. Right side board is hinged on inside bottom edge to rocker box ground board.		6) Entire assembly lays down inward onto rocker box bottom board and ground board. Mount folds flat to 5" height.

 

If your tube needs altitude bearings, or you wish to upgrade to larger altitude bearings we offer two sizes with our mounts:

12 inch outside diameter (left photo) full circle bearings. Hand holds incorporated. Laminate applied to half the circle.

18 inch outside diameter (right photo) half circle bearings. Hand hold openings are incorporated. Laminate applied to entire half circle.

Bearings attach to your telescope through a 3/8" hole centered in the bearing. Inside facing arced braces secure bearing to tube. Or:
Bearings can attach to your existing ring set, on the drilled flats. Or:

Bearings can attach to outside of clamshell rings we supply. Allows repositioning forward/back or rolled for focuser position.

18 inch altitude bearings suggested for 10" and larger telescopes and/or long tubes. Provide more stable balance and finer incremental altitude movement.

Clamshell Rings allow:

• Attaching altitude bearings to your optical tube without drilling holes.
• Provides ability to rotate tube and reposition of focuser.
• Allows moving tube forward or back if weight is added (binoviewer for example) or removed to tube.

• Adds 1.5" to the width of a mount.
• Bottom clamshell boards connected by heavy duty anodized aluminum piano hinge.
• Top boards secured with by thumbscrew transversally through 3/8" holes into 1/4-20 wood insert. Cannot pull out.
• Top of clamshell is gapped 0.1875" to allow tightening securely to your tube. Add adhesive back felt or other cushioning if desired.

Materials:

• 3/4" (18mm) Baltic Birch plywood is standard for most of our wooden parts.
• Altitude and azimuth bearings use Formica Crystal 909-42 laminate riding on Virgin Teflon pads.
• Small parts for assembly may include:

  #8x1.25" exterior grade Torx wood screws with bronze epoxy coating provides 4 layers of corrosion protection.

  3/8" wood dowels.

  2" wide heavy duty anodized aluminum piano hinge.

  1/4-20 clamping knobs.

  1/4-20 ID 3/8" OD knife edge brass wood inserts.

  Various nylon bolts.

  1/4-20x2.5" spade thumb screws.

  #4 brass finish screws for laminate strips.#6 stainless steel wood screws for securing Teflon pads and piano hinge.

We receive your order.
AstroGoods e-mail a confirmation of the order and provide a schedule with design and estimated shipping dates.
You next receive a design drawing PDF for review, request modification, or approve.
Shipping date estimate based on timely design approval (1 week or less).

After design approval steps are:
Program CNC cuts.
CNC cutting of parts.
Inscribing setting circles if ordered.
Laser cutting of laminate ring.
Dry assembly parts for quality assurance.
Sanding parts.
Applying wood finish if ordered.
Install altitude and azimuth laminate and Teflon.
Competition notice and e-mail.

If any balance due, you receive PayPal invoice.
Balance due is paid.
Order shipped.