(ABOVE:) The Top Of  The Legs Are Notched At An Angle To Clear The Back Of The Tripod Base

The larger dimensions of the red oak 1"x2" (real dimensions 3/4"x1-1/2") require notching the inside corners of the two outside leg components at the top, where they fasten to the tripod base projections. Each leg must have its outside leg components notched at an angle to clear the back of the tripod base. I also had to install longer (5/16"x3-1/2") bolts that fasten the legs to the  tripod base projections because of the thicker dimensions of the wood.

With the oak legs, the mount will damp out a finger tap at the eyepiece in less than 3 seconds * , compared with 7-8 seconds with the original aluminum legs. The new oak legs are more massive and have added about 10 lb. to the mount. This may actually be less weight than adding sand to the hollow aluminum legs, as some amateurs have done. Of course the oak legs are stronger and heavier than the aluminum legs and resist torque and dampen out vibrations much better. In retrospect, the original aluminum legs are absurdly inadequate for both the scope and equatorial head. Those spaghetti aluminum legs feel like paper in comparison to the solid oak legs.

(ABOVE:) The New Legs With The Old.  The Original Aluminum Legs Look Wimpy In Comparison, Even More So In Person. A Finger Tap At The Eyepiece Now Damps Out In Less Than 3 Seconds * .

I believe this mount is now solid enough to become a platform for CCD imaging. Eventually I intend to get the FastStar lens components which will turn my  C8 f:10 into an f:2. With a CCD camera, I'll be able to record faint deep sky objects in minutes. Now that the project is completed and I no long have to use that ridiculous aluminum tripod, I know I did the right thing.

*An Update: After using this set up for a few days now, I estimate the damp times are actually closer to the 2 second range. 8/24/00

* Another Update: The damp times actually vary, depending on which way the scope is pointed. When viewing near the zenith, the damp times are less than a second! When viewing near the horizon, the damp times are under 2.5 seconds. 8/31/00

(ABOVE) Stiffeners Added On 9/3/00

Yet, another update. I added 'stiffeners' to the legs. Theses are nothing more than 1-1/2"x1-1/4"x3/4" pieces of wood I cut from some left over red oak scrap. I'll try to explain the reasoning for this add on. The outside leg components are 32" long. The center leg component is 24" long. This leaves a gap in the outside leg component of 8" from the top of the outside leg components to the top of the center leg component when fully retracted. . I thought this gap may make the two outside leg components prone to some vibrations. Therefore, I screwed in the 'stiffeners in all three legs about 24" above the bottom of the two outside leg components. They are fastened with two screws on each side of the leg, 4 screws total for each leg. This squeezes the outside leg components together with the 'stiffeners' in-between. I'm getting less than 2 second damp times no matter what the orientation of the scope; and less than 1 second damp times when the scope is pointed up above the horizon a bit. 9/3/00

(ABOVE:) A Sneak Preview Of The New Chinese Made Drives. Shown Above Is The Dec Drive And Clutch With Its Well Machined Brass Gears.

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Clear Skies!!!