Steel fab shop in Melb

[Louwai]

Does anyone work in a steel fab shop in Melb??? I need a couple of small counter weights made up. 200mm dia x 20mm thick with a 19mm hole through the middle.
They also need a locking screw of some sort so they can be locked in position on a shaft. Exactly like this one.
http://www.astro.com.sg/images/p-photo-a...counte.gif

Doesn't need to be turned. Can just be flame cut & ground up.
Would be very interested in discussing a price with someone.

OR, if someone has the facility they are willing to "rent" to me & sell me the steel so I can make them myself. Should only take an hr or so if all the gear is there.

[RaZz0R]

I have to ask.... what for?

[BUSGO]

For counterweights I'd say.

If you were in Newcastle I could help, sorry mate.

[Louwai]

For counterweights I'd say.
If you were in Newcastle I could help, sorry mate.

Yes they are counterweights for a telescope. I've added a focuser & larger eye pieces to my telescope & so need more counterbalance. To buy in the telescope shops they are redicuously over priced considering what they are.
It makes it worse me being a boilermaker & knowing exactly what it takes to make them.

Here in the photo you can see my scope & the existing weights. At the moment I've got a couple of diving weights taped on trying to add the extra weight required, but they are not heavy enough. So I figured that I'd try to find someone to make some. It's gotta be cheaper than buying them off the shelf.
[attachment=1054]

[commando]

have you thought of extending the shaft length? if this possible you can get more out of your weights, giving you a levering effect.

[Louwai]

Yes I looked at that option.
The shaft is stainless with 40mm long thread on the top end to screw into the scope mount + a "skirt support" to help support the side loading on the thread & the bottom has a female thread with a screw-in end cap which is a little larger than the shaft dia to stop the weights sliding off the end if the grub screw in the actual weight comes loose. I was thinking I could just cut the shaft in the middle & stick a bit in. But then I would need to find the exact same size SS rod, + I'm not 100% sure what grade of SS the shaft is, which means if I chose the wrong type of SS electrode to weld it together the joints would be weak & most likely break.

So out of the 2 options I figured making an extra weight would be easier as they are just plain old carbon steel. And I don't really want to take the chance of the shaft breaking & weights falling off when I'm using the scope. If they fell off while in use, the scope would most likely topple over & as you see it in the photo above has cost me $10k. So I wouldn't want to see it lying on it's side on the ground.

It's so damn frustrating not having the gear to do stuff. I moved to Melb with almost no tools etc. I'm renting now, but move into my own house in Oct. After that I'll do a run to Bris & load up my stuff from the shed. I've got everything i need to do the work, but it's all in Bris.

[BUSGO]

Geez that baby makes my 60mm Tasco Refractor look a bit sick.
I was right into the Astronomy bug when Halley's Comet came by in 85 and stuck with the hobby for about 3 years. It is good to pull the telescope out and travel far and wide every now and then.

Just a thought mate. Have you looked at getting a couple of cheap weight set weights from a sports store?

[Macbusa]

my dad built his telescope from scratch,he has been in astronomy ever since i could remember.. he even dished out his own glass lenses i think they were ...

he still has his SLR camera.. and all his ipics he use to take.... he had it all set up to a computer and his laptop..


nice telescope too..

[Louwai]

Geez that baby makes my 60mm Tasco Refractor look a bit sick.

Busgo, the white scope on the left is an 80mm refractor. I use it for wide field photos & general guiding for the 8". As usual boys want the better stuff. I've had the 8" for 2yrs & now want a bigger one. Have been looking at a 14". Just need to convince the mrs to let me spend $15k on a mirror that she can't look at herself in.

[Louwai]

I haven't thought of the fitness weights. good idea. I might check them out.

I know a few guys who build scopes. I'm into looking not making. A lot a guys get a real buzz from seeing a far off galaxy with a scope they've built themselves. Not me I'm afraid. I'm happy to buy the stuff & then look. No warrantly issues.

[Louwai]

This is the one I'd really lke to get. But at over AU$52k I don't think it will ever happen. This is a 20" tube on a "Max Mount" robotic mount.

[Louwai]

Geez that baby makes my 60mm Tasco Refractor look a bit sick.
I was right into the Astronomy bug when Halley's Comet came by in 85 and stuck with the hobby for about 3 years. It is good to pull the telescope out and travel far and wide every now and then.

Busgo, with this 8" I can look at Jupiter & clearly see the planet with the red bands around it & the big red spot. No problem. Can also easily see the 4 largest moons. the rings around Saturn come up well too. Some galaxies are a bit dim & hard to see. Especially in the city, which is why I want a bigger one.

Here's a photo of the moon I took. This is the very first photo I took through this scope.

[Louwai]

Just a thought mate. Have you looked at getting a couple of cheap weight set weights from a sports store?

Busgo, took your advice. Got 3 weights at 5kg each all for a total of $5 from ebay. Only used 2 so have a spare if I load any more stuff onto the scope.
Here's a pick of it now with nice new weights.

Bryan