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A Quick Fix For a Dobsonian Telescope

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How can I fix the side-to-side stability on my homemade Dobsonian telescope?

A Quick Fix For a Dobsonian Telescope

If you have a homemade Dobsonian telescope, you may have had experience with the telescope going wayward with some side-to-side motion. There is a quick and inexpensive fix to this problem – the plastic milk jug. Here is how it works:

1. You'll be using the milk jug to make plastic washers for your homemade Dobsonian telescope. Use a pair of scissors to cut out a stack of a half dozen circular pieces from the milk jug, about an inch in diameter.

2. Using a heavy-duty utility knife, carve a circle out of the middle of each of the circular pieces, large enough to fit the center bolt on the mount of your telescope.

3. Place a few of the plastic washers onto the center bolt of your mount to reduce weight from the friction pads around the edge of your mount.

4. Test out your homemade Dobsonian telescope with the plastic washers and add or subtract them as needed to get the stability you are looking for.

   

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William Pirraglia