A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

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OleCuss
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A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#1

Post by OleCuss »


I think this might be worth sharing: He gives a cut list along with some other information which you can download.

It folds up pretty well and the demands in terms of wood should not be too much - I'm thinking Poplar if I ever make one but I might go with White Oak for better water resistance.

For the wood stuff you'll need some clamps, a drill press would be recommended, a table saw or a miter saw, a dowel jig and a dowel center set, and that's about it. I don't see any reason you have to do the fancy stuff but if you want to do the curves you can use a jigsaw and a bunch of sandpaper.

For the hardware I would want a die (as in something from a "tap & die" set), a hacksaw, and either a grinder or a vise with a metal file. Various wrenches as well. I know I'm timid about such things but I tend in many cases to put the die into place and then after the cutting and grinding/filing I turn the die off the thread stock to clean up the threads that way. I'm not saying that's the best way as I'm certainly not an expert.

The guy in the video made things unnecessarily fancy. He used mortise and tenon construction (for those who don't know, that's where he crafted a slot into which he could put glue and then insert a piece of wood. That makes for a good, strong joint but making really good mortise and tenon joints is not at all a beginner's joy. If you don't already have a dowel jig you could get yourself a fairly inexpensive dowel jig and some dowel centers and get a nice strong joint that way. I have a Festool Domino so I might choose to use that.

But you really shouldn't even have to do that. You could go to something like a Lowes or Home Depot and get some T-plates and/or strap metal and potentially use something like that to tie things together.

Remember that you should be able to vary the dimensions to get a taller or shorter stool/chair.

For a finish to put on it? OK, I should make a distinction before I go there because if you are not a woodworker this can get a bit confusing.

If you want to change the color of the wood you want to use a stain. The typical woodworking stain is either a dye (which is just coloring for the wood), or a pigment (which collects in the grain and thus tends to emphasize the grain). And there are some which are a mix of dye and pigment - and the manufacturers don't usually tell you whether it is a dye or a pigment or a mix. If you are going to use a stain on fir, pine, or spruce (FPS) then first use a wood conditioner to reduce blotchiness or at least use a gel stain.

The finish is best thought of as a protective coating. Probably the most commonly used nowadays is polyurethane but there are plenty of others. One of the best behaved finishes (no nasty fumes and pretty easy to apply nicely) would be a hard wax oil. If you choose to go with a regular oil I would tend to recommend a Tung oil/Citrus mix as the application is safe, pretty easy, and you get pretty good protection after a few applications.

A finish will typically result in a mild color change - darkening or a little amber tint? If you don't want that then if you are going to use Polyurethane you go with a water-based polyurethane. In hard wax oils the Rubio Monocoat "Pure" isn't quite colorless but at least minimizes the color.

One other thing of great importance? If you choose to use a finish with oil? Oily rags are the enemy of your home! Oily rags which are crumpled or piled up have a great tendency to spontaneous combustion designed to burn you out of house and home. To solve this I typically go outside, lay the oily rag(s) out flat on concrete and put some rocks on each corner to keep the rag flat. Once the rags have thoroughly dried out they can go in the trash. Be aware that even something like an oil-based polyurethane can burn you out of house and home so be aware that a lot of finishes can do nasty things to you.

Do remember that the Sun is the enemy of finishes so if you are going to put a wood item out in the Sun you should consider a finish which tells you it contains a UV protectant.

One other thing? Let's assume you choose to build this and to put a finish on it? Consider pre-finishing. This means that before you assemble the thing (bolt it together and such) put on your finish and then put it together. It can be difficult to get a nice even finish in nooks, crevices, and crannies. You can even pre-finish before glue-ups but you'll want to mask off nearly the entirety of the glue surfaces before application of the finish.

Hoping that all made sense.
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

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Post by messier 111 »


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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#3

Post by Lady Fraktor »


That looks great!

I will definitely check out the plans, I could use some folding deck chairs as well :)

Are you still doing EAA?
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#4

Post by OleCuss »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 5:54 pm That looks great!

I will definitely check out the plans, I could use some folding deck chairs as well :)

Are you still doing EAA?
Nope. I just could never enjoy doing all the tech fiddling that almost any form of astrophotography requires. I could do it, but I never enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the eyepiece (especially with a Dobsonian) but that's just no longer an option for me.

I do have the idea, however, of saving up pennies until I can buy a Stellina. That type of astrophotography requires almost no fiddling and would give me the opportunity to share the skies with others (grandkids and such). The Stellina apparently will allow up to 20 people to connect to it so you could actually do a pretty good public viewing start party with just that instrument.

But the Stellina is expensive. . .

Bringing myself to selling my NP 101 would get me a fair bit of the way to being able to get the Stellina.
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#5

Post by Gordon »


There are some new versions coming out that are less expensive.

https://vaonis.com/vespera
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#6

Post by Ylem »


Nice project, I'm a wood butcher, so unfortunately I need to stay far away.
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#7

Post by OleCuss »


Gordon wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 11:48 pm There are some new versions coming out that are less expensive.

https://vaonis.com/vespera
Thank you for that.

It really is a bit tempting but that 50mm just has so little light-gathering and the potential resolution is pretty limited as well. The sensor is, however, I think a pretty good choice. But with the apochromatic optics? I'm going to have to think about that one a bit more. IIRC, the Stellina has decent optics but certainly not apochromatic.

Seriously, most of what you want to show to folk is relatively bright and doesn't require amazing optics so maybe I should not worry about the 50mm objective too much.

One downer is that you cannot share as broadly. Only 5 WiFi connections are possible whereas I believe you can get 10 with the Stellina.
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#8

Post by Lady Fraktor »


Does the Dwarf II not do something similar to the Stellina at 1/6 the cost.
Hopefully you can find something that works for you.
There is a Stellina (and like) sub-forum now so maybe some extra information there?
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#9

Post by OleCuss »


Thanx. I'll play around with the idea of the Dwarf. Aperture, though, is pretty small (24mm?) and that's going to be pretty limiting.
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#10

Post by Lady Fraktor »


I showed my father the video and he really liked the chairs so he is planning on building a few.

Hopefully you find a system that works for you, have you looked at the CN classifieds?
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
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Re: A pretty easy-build folding chair/stool some might like for observing.

#11

Post by Makuser »


Hi OC. This looks like a nice DIY portable chair. Thanks for finding and sharing this link with us on here OC and it is great to see you back again on TSS.
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