26.10.2025 Down with the bosses!

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 Sunday 26th Another wet and windy day in series. 

 I have not made much progress on the pipe clamp mods. For holding the Lunt etalon onto the extended dovetail plate. Which in turn is holding the 102mm APO without its focuser.

 Clamp bosses with threaded 10-6mm inserts/reducing adapters.

 The bosses are slightly too tall at 20mm. Relative to the OTA in its tube clamps. Made far worse by the threaded inserts. Which convert the bosses to a useful M6. Anything larger in diameter. Would mean modifying the dovetail plate by drilling. 

 Having tightened the threaded inserts fully. I must now saw them off flush with the bosses. This would still demand that the 102mm OTA's tube rings must be packed up sightly. To ensure the etalon is concentric with the OTA. I would rather not shorten the bosses. To avoid shortening the threaded inserts any further. Though I may be worrying unnecessarily.

Bosses reduced to 18mm tall. The reducer inserts are brass. With plenty of thread left. I used an angle grinder to make quick work of it. Followed up with an orbital sander to smooth the bosses.

 I had intended to bolt 18mm plywood to the dovetail plate. To sit under the etalon. With two, 15mm Ø holes at 22mm centers. Drilled in the plywood for the clamp bosses.

 When I should really be using 20mm ply. To bring the bosses to the height of the dovetail plate. While using 18mm ply and filing the bosses down to 18mm. Which should bring the etalon to OTA level. Too much text and not enough sawing! 

 I assembled the H-alpha telescope without the plywood as seen here. The dewshield is fully retracted. I still need to confirm etalon position and the resulting camera focus. Which will require some sunshine. We are going through a long run of changeable weather. Mostly gales and rain. 

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