Dec slow motion for my TC mount

[philjay]

This mod has been on the books and swimming around my brain for the 2 years since I got the Thomas Cooke Mount and built the F15 project.

The mount only had RA slow motion and a dec shaft lock, which worked OK but slow motion on both axes would be ideal and much more user friendly.

The original TC design in 1870 used a different declination locking ring with a tangent arm cast into it. I didnta want to make a new lock ring so I decided to graft a tangent arm on to it. This was made from solid brass square section suitably milled into shape and screwed onto the lock ring with brass cheese head BA screws.

I then hacked the slow motion spring and screw arrangement off a dead Towa 339 mount Ive had littering the place for years and this was grafted onto the side of the scope cradle.

I made an extension rod and knob out of brass on the lathe

I have tried to make the mods as sympathetic as possible to the original engineering of the mount, also the mount can be restored to original at anytime leaving just a few BA threaded holes which can be filled in with brass screws.

There are 2 chrome bits showing at the moment that look a bit out of place, these will be replaced or hidden with brass at sometime in the near future.

All tested well the other night on Jupiter, Lunar and some multiple stars in Perseus and I am well pleased with the mod.

Now I have 2 lovely brass control knobs to play with on the mount, eeee modern technology eh? you cant beat it

[BAZ]

It had to be brass eh Phil.

Looks smashing and well in keeping with the scope.

[Doc]

I wish I had a lathe, in fact I wish I had a garage

Looks good Phil.

[+DaveJW]

Looks very nice Phil, wish I could do stuff like that!