Standard Solid Mounts

• This is the most economical mount we offer. The standard solid mount has set requirements:

• Telescope tube can have (or not have) altitude bearings or a mounting ring set.
• 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 - discard or use them with our included 12" altitude bearings.
• Telescope tube in a ring set: our altitude bearings can easily attach your ring set..

• Standard Mounts use only eleven screws and eight 3/8" wood dowels. Assembly is straightforward and 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.
• Add optional AstroDevices digital setting circles. We install if you purchase though AstroGoods.

• Kit Mount:
  • Arrives unassembled.
  • Arrives 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.

• Finished Mount
  • Arrives unassembled in order to reduce shipping costs.
  • Assembly requires one Philips screwdriver (for #12 wood screws).
  • Can be shipped assembled at additional cost.
    

Custom Solid Mounts

• Same as standard solid mount above, except:
  • Custom designed to fit the mount precisely to your telescope.
  • Costom mount can be accomodate 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 solidm mounts.

Custom Collapsible Mounts

• Designed eapecially 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 follow:
  • 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, lying on the rocker box bottom board.

 

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Materials

We use 3/4" (18mm) Baltic Birch plywood for rocker boxes, ground boards, bearings and clamshell rings. Altitude and azimuth bearings use Teflon and Formica Crystal 909-42 laminate. All parts are included, assembly of kits is designed to be very easy; solid mounts usually use only 11 screws and 8 dowels. Dowel are internal 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. Alllows 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:

We follow this set process to assure what you receive is what you ordered, the way you want it. You may be as involved as desired:

• You submit a request for quote or order.
• We reply to you within 72 hours, then wait for your questions or your request to place an order.
• For orders, we send a PayPal invoice including price for item ordered, shipping, amount due to initiate order, and any balance due or shipping upon completion.
• Upon receipt of payment amount, we send a confirmation of your order by e-mail within 48 hours.
• Your order is scheduled within a week.
• We e-mail you benchmark dates:
  • 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 production process begins with these benchmark dates:
    • CNC cutting of parts.
    • Dry fitting of parts.
    • Sanding.
    • Inscribing manual manual setting circles if ordered.
    • Spray finishing.
    • Laminate and Teflon installed.
    • Adding digital setting circles if ordered.
• E-mailed invoice for paying any balance due and shipping.
• Your order ships within five business days of final payment.

Benchmark dates are best estimates; clear temperate weather needed to spray finish. Parts and materials suject to availability

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Shipping

• Shipping to domestic US via FedEx Home Delivery or US Postal Service Ground delivery.
• Non-US domestic destinations may encounter restrictive dimensional regulations. By splitting the rocker box's round bottom board it may be possible to ship to such destinations. Split rocker box bottom boards are specifically designed to assure solid and sturdily assembly to the front and side boards with no structural compromises