Man you have videos on EVERY little issue and trick related to telescope use. So glad I found your channel. Learned a few things that made me feel like a turd for not having thought of it before!
That is too cool.Will remember this for the future. Thanks for the tip . Love your videos. Saw Mars and Pleiads And Orion nebula Wednesday nite before the cloud s rolled in .From back yard White Castle La.
That's a good fix another one I've seen is using a bicycle inner tube & cutting across it the same width as the groove on the focuser, it does need to be quite a narrow one though so it stretches over for enough grip (If any of that made sense lol)
I’ve got Orion aluminum focus knobs and replaced the rotting rubber grips with a section of mountain bike inner tube. It is the perfect thickness and has lasted several years so far.
Awesome idea I was looking for those and I was having the same problem not finding replacements. The only thing I could find at the time that might work but I did not try yet was a pair of 1in. silicone Glow in the dark hollow gages for ear piercings. Just a thought. Keep up the great videos. I appreciate you covering these refurbishing telescopes videos. There's something about taking a dusty telescope that was left to die and bring it back to life. Thanks
I'm glad you've found the restoration/fix videos helpful. Since I only use old/used telescopes, I've found that they often suffer from common problems and I figured others might have the same problems. I'm always looking for cheap & easy fixes. Clear skies!
In my video about repairing my CEM40 mount, I encountered the timing belts. Perhaps these (inside out) would fit nicely too! The teeth will provide ample grip.
Hello, Mr. Dreese; Excellent video, "THANK YOU!" You are so smart, here's a question for you; Many focusers have small knobs so it is harder to 'fine adjust' the focus. How can we fix the knobs so the diameter is say, 30% larger? My scope's knobs are 30mm/1-3/16"(1.1875") diameter. I'd like to increase the diameter to 45mm/1-3/4"+(1.77") or 50mm/1-15/16"[round to 2"]. I thought of drilling 5 or 6 holes spaced evenly around the diameter & inserting dowels. But just 5 holes per knob x 2 knobs is 10 holes. That may not sound like a lot but every hole is a possible disaster, at least for me. My other idea is to use holes saws to cut the larger diameter from 1/2" plywood. Then using a smaller hole saw cut the center hole to match the original knob diameter. I'd like to hear what you think of this, so please reply. Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!
That's a good question, and I've not heard that before. So the knobs are just too small for your fingers? 1.2 inches is pretty small for a focuser wheel. I think your secondary solution is best. Cut a circle out of thick plywood (or a chunk of 1x3 lumber) and then cut a circle out of the middle of that disk that matches your focuser knob diameter. Attachment may be tricky, but you could go with epoxy or a couple of screws. Or.... if your existing knobs are held on by a central screw, use a longer screw and only partially drill the middle out of your wooden disk. Another solution would be to buy a very thick O-Ring that would wrap around the existing knob. Let me know how it goes!
I’m looking at a used scope tomorrow and noticed the grip missing on one knob. This tells me not to think of it as a dealbreaker on an otherwise nice DOB. Wish me luck.
Oh yah, this is an easy cheap fix. The only dealbreaker would be if the mirrors are damaged. Dirty is okay, but etched would mean a re-coating. If you buy the telescope cheap enough, even that is not a dealbreaker. My 12 inch Dob was only $250. The mirror needed immediate re-coating, but even with that cost it was a great deal.
@@AstronomyGarage any thoughts on how I can get my best look at the mirror when visiting a resale. The scope is owned by the daughter of original owner. I was thinking removing the mirror is a shop exercise not something I can do at the owners home. Bringing a flashlight but have no idea how effective that will be fill I get there
@@AstronomyGaragelooks like removing 3 screws and pulling the mirror assembly out. I’d rather not do that at the owners place. It does have a dust cap and looks immaculate on the outside. It’s 10 min from my house which is a plus.
That would work, but any rubber-based solution would still eventually have the same fate as the originals. The silicone o-rings should last a lifetime.
Thank you for the idea! A very excellent way to fix the same problem. The only advantage that the silicone o-rings might have is longevity, but with the cost of produce bands almost zero, your method may be the most cost effective in the long run!
Man you have videos on EVERY little issue and trick related to telescope use. So glad I found your channel. Learned a few things that made me feel like a turd for not having thought of it before!
Thanks for watching! I have some more deep-in-the-weeds repair videos coming out soon that address very common problems like this. Clear skies!
That is too cool.Will remember this for the future. Thanks for the tip . Love your videos.
Saw Mars and Pleiads And Orion nebula Wednesday nite before the cloud s rolled in .From back yard White Castle La.
Thank you for watching! Mars is looking amazing right now. Clear skies!
That's a good fix another one I've seen is using a bicycle inner tube & cutting across it the same width as the groove on the focuser, it does need to be quite a narrow one though so it stretches over for enough grip (If any of that made sense lol)
That's a really good idea. My worry would be that the inner tube is too thin. Perhaps using two or three layers might be perfect? Clear skies!
@@AstronomyGarage You're right I think the repair I saw did have a couple of layers at least, I should have added that part.
I’ve got Orion aluminum focus knobs and replaced the rotting rubber grips with a section of mountain bike inner tube. It is the perfect thickness and has lasted several years so far.
yes i seen soo many of those with the rubbers broken, good fix. I wonder if the company will have a perm fix or use a different option?
I collect rubber bands that come with produce from the grocery store. My fav are the broccoli ones. 😊
That works too. Anything to make it grippy.
Awesome idea I was looking for those and I was having the same problem not finding replacements. The only thing I could find at the time that might work but I did not try yet was a pair of 1in. silicone Glow in the dark hollow gages for ear piercings. Just a thought. Keep up the great videos. I appreciate you covering these refurbishing telescopes videos. There's something about taking a dusty telescope that was left to die and bring it back to life. Thanks
I'm glad you've found the restoration/fix videos helpful. Since I only use old/used telescopes, I've found that they often suffer from common problems and I figured others might have the same problems. I'm always looking for cheap & easy fixes. Clear skies!
In my video about repairing my CEM40 mount, I encountered the timing belts. Perhaps these (inside out) would fit nicely too! The teeth will provide ample grip.
That would be a very clever use for them and I agree the teeth would be grippy.
Hello, Mr. Dreese;
Excellent video, "THANK YOU!"
You are so smart, here's a question for you;
Many focusers have small knobs so it is harder to 'fine adjust' the focus.
How can we fix the knobs so the diameter is say, 30% larger?
My scope's knobs are 30mm/1-3/16"(1.1875") diameter.
I'd like to increase the diameter to 45mm/1-3/4"+(1.77") or 50mm/1-15/16"[round to 2"].
I thought of drilling 5 or 6 holes spaced evenly around the diameter & inserting dowels.
But just 5 holes per knob x 2 knobs is 10 holes.
That may not sound like a lot but every hole is a possible disaster, at least for me.
My other idea is to use holes saws to cut the larger diameter from 1/2" plywood.
Then using a smaller hole saw cut the center hole to match the original knob diameter.
I'd like to hear what you think of this, so please reply.
Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!
That's a good question, and I've not heard that before. So the knobs are just too small for your fingers? 1.2 inches is pretty small for a focuser wheel. I think your secondary solution is best. Cut a circle out of thick plywood (or a chunk of 1x3 lumber) and then cut a circle out of the middle of that disk that matches your focuser knob diameter. Attachment may be tricky, but you could go with epoxy or a couple of screws. Or.... if your existing knobs are held on by a central screw, use a longer screw and only partially drill the middle out of your wooden disk. Another solution would be to buy a very thick O-Ring that would wrap around the existing knob. Let me know how it goes!
Great video tips pro, how about Liquid electrical tape, comes with application brush cap to brush some multiple coats. pure rubber.
I've never actually heard of that, but it's definitely worth a try.
I’m looking at a used scope tomorrow and noticed the grip missing on one knob. This tells me not to think of it as a dealbreaker on an otherwise nice DOB. Wish me luck.
Oh yah, this is an easy cheap fix. The only dealbreaker would be if the mirrors are damaged. Dirty is okay, but etched would mean a re-coating. If you buy the telescope cheap enough, even that is not a dealbreaker. My 12 inch Dob was only $250. The mirror needed immediate re-coating, but even with that cost it was a great deal.
@@AstronomyGarage any thoughts on how I can get my best look at the mirror when visiting a resale. The scope is owned by the daughter of original owner. I was thinking removing the mirror is a shop exercise not something I can do at the owners home. Bringing a flashlight but have no idea how effective that will be fill I get there
@@AstronomyGaragelooks like removing 3 screws and pulling the mirror assembly out. I’d rather not do that at the owners place. It does have a dust cap and looks immaculate on the outside. It’s 10 min from my house which is a plus.
Clever.
Thanks! It's been working pretty well for a few years now.
Rubber bands work just fine, too. :-)
That would work, but any rubber-based solution would still eventually have the same fate as the originals. The silicone o-rings should last a lifetime.
Another solution: the rubber bands that come on broccoli
Thank you for the idea! A very excellent way to fix the same problem. The only advantage that the silicone o-rings might have is longevity, but with the cost of produce bands almost zero, your method may be the most cost effective in the long run!
You can stack them too, one on top of another.