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DIY Homemade Telescope Mount

Telescopes are often sold without a tripod or mount. Good telescope mounts can often cost as much as the telescope itself. While these high-end mounts are well made, they are relatively simple in design. Many manufactured mounts consist only of a base, pier and mounting adapter. The materials that go into these bases are fairly inexpensive. Use a few basic tools and techniques to build a homemade telescope mount.

Things You'll Need

Plywood
Beam compass
Jigsaw
3-inch-diameter, threaded, metal piping
Metal pipe flanges
Screwdrivers
Screws
Electric drill

Instructions

- 1
  
  Pay close attention to the telescope's base when designing the mount.
  
  Design the mount. The simplest type of telescope mount is a pier mount, which consists of a base, pier and mounting adapter. Determine the mount's height, diameter of the base and how to attach the telescope to the mount. The mount's height should raise the telescope up to a comfortable viewing level. The diameter of the base depends on the height of the mount. The diameter of the base should be two-thirds the height of the mount. A 36-inch tall mount will have a 24-inch diameter base. The mounting adapter depends on the telescope.
- 2
  
  Use a carpenter's beam compass to create the circle.
  
  Outline the mount's base. If building a 36-inch tall mount, a 24-inch diameter circular base is needed. Use a piece of plywood that is 25 square inches. Find the center of the square. Place the beam compass point on the square's center. Set the compass to 24 inches and draw a circle.
- 3
  
  Use a handheld jigsaw to cut large diameter circles.
  
  Cut out the base. Using an electric jigsaw, carefully cut along the outline of the circle drawn in the previous step. After the base has been cut out, mark the base's center with a pencil.
- 4
  
  Use pipe that is threaded on both ends.
  
  Prepare the mount's pier. The pier will be made from 3-inch-diameter metal piping. This type of piping can be purchased at any building supply store. It is sold in standard lengths, including 36 inches. Use piping that is threaded on either end. Screw a 3-inch pipe flange to both ends of the pipe to make sure they fit correctly. The flange has mounting holes built into it to allow the pier to be mounted to the base and the mounting adapter.
- 5
  Attach the pier to the base. Place the point of the beam compass on the base's center point. Create a circle the same diameter as the metal flange on the plywood base. Unscrew one flange from the pipe and position it within the circle. Screw the flange in place using screws that fit the flange's mounting holes.
- 6
  
  Use an electric drill to create the mounting holes.
  
  Create the mounting adapter. The adapter's design will be based on the type of telescope being used. If using a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, cut a disk the same diameter as the telescope's base. Drill holes in the same locations as the telescope's mounting holes. Use bolts that match the telescope base's threaded holes. Use an electric drill to make the holes in the plywood adapter.
- 7
  
  Locking pliers are ideal for this type of application.
  
  Assemble the mount. Screw the pier into the base's flange. Screw the telescope's wooden mounting adapter to the remaining flange. Bolt the telescope to the mounting adapter using pliers to tighten the bolts.

Astronomy