Standard Solid Mount

• 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.

• Same as standard solid mount (above), but with these features:
  • Custom designed to precisely fit 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.

  
  

 

 

Custom 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, side, bottom and ground boards are unitized, staying attached. No loose boards or parts.
• 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.

   

 

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.

We prefer large altitude bearings - better balance changing eyepieces, finer incremental altitude movement.

Clamshell Rings allow:

• Attaching altitude bearings to your optical tube without drilling holes.
• Allows rotation of tube to allow repositioning 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 0.1875" separated to allow secure clamping onto your tube. Add adhesive back felt or other cushioning if desired.

Materials

3/4" (18mm) Baltic Birch plywood is standard for wooden parts.
Altitude and azimuth bearing surfaces are Teflon and Formica Crystal 909-42 laminate.
All parts are included, assembly of kits is designed for 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.

Finishes use three coats General Finishes High Performance Gloss lightly tinted Cinnamon (red). Special attention to edges.

We receive your quote or order request.
We send a PayPal quote/invoice to you within 72 hours with price, shipping costs and estimated shipping date.
Quotes are valid for 14 days. Completion/shipping dates are best estimates.
You may ask questions at this point, we will reply promptly.
To initiate order play invoice.
Upon receipt of payment we respond confirming order and provide a date to e-mail the design drawing.
You next receive a PDF design drawing. You review, request modification, or approve.
Shipping date estimate is from date of your design approval.

Next steps are:
Programming CNC cuts.
CNC cutting of parts.
Assembly of parts to assure proper fit.
Sanding parts.
Inscribing setting circles if ordered.
Applying wood finish if ordered.
Laser cutting of laminate ring.
Install altitude and azimuth laminate and Teflon.
Competition notice and e-mail.

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