Ad Astra Observatory

Hi,

This is the type of object that I was considering:
http://pw2.netcom.com/~ahighe/ClampForms.jpg

This is a pic from this page:
http://pw2.netcom.com/~ahighe/17_5ultra.html

Here’s a good photo of 2 of the clamps in action:
http://pw2.netcom.com/~ahighe/MirrorBoxRear.jpg

This guy (who is a totally godlike woodworker, by the way — I think you

will be able to see that I was inspired by his designs once my scope is
finished) builds these out of 1” Birch ply. From another website, this
photo was ripped right out of the book I had sitting at home:

http://www.geocities.com/Deepskydave/Lowerblocks_282×280.JPG

(Note it’s calling for a 1.75” chunk of wood with a 1.25” hole through it)

After all of this, however, I decided that I’m not going to need clamps
after all. My current plan calls for adding threaded tube inserts at
both ends of the tube, securing the tube to the end rings by
through-bolting them, and not attaching to the middle ring at all. Tube
will just go right through a hole in the middle ring, which will lend it
some support against bending. Middle ring will be held in place by
standoffs (short chunks of tube between end and middle ring with
threaded inserts on each end).

If I end up needing clamps, I can construct some. But I don’t think I’ll
get a lot of benefit for the extra weight.

Thanks for your phone support! (:

Best,
Jimbo