TheSkySearchers

Good day all!
I had been trying to find plans to make your own scope dolly and wasn't having much luck...
I looked into the "scope buggy" and was put off by how cheaply made yet expensive it is!
I also looked at JMI wheelie bars and WOW! Talk about expensive!

I came up with a fairly simple plan and my son, who works in a metal fab shop, agreed to help me make it happen.

This is the frame. 2 X 2 square tubing. 9 ft total. It's just big enough to accommodate my tripod.
I added some 5" casters that roll very nicely and have a hard rubber treadles tire. I had to also add some 3" x 4" pieces of 1/8" plate to accommodate the mounting plates of the casters.
I drilled 1" holes for the feet of my tripod to sit in. They're hard to see but I figured I'd need something to stop it from sliding off... I had to think for a bit about how to hold it securely... Then it came to me! A turnbuckle!
I simply attached a coupler to the threaded portion that sticks out below my mount and attached a loop.
I then added a hook to the frame and now I just have to hand tighten the turnbuckle and it's beyond sturdy. All that's left is the handle, leveling screws and paint. I'm also going to add a piece of sturdy plastic to the frame at the rear to set my power supply on.
I'll add to this when it's finished.

Larry

Good Job, Larry! I like the turnbuckle anchoring mechanism.

Thanks for the share.

Clear Skies & Stay Safe

A nice design, well thought out

Great work Larry. A truly inspired DIY.

A word of caution though, don't paint it black. That's the one piece of equipment you don't want to make invisible so you kick it at night.

Cheers,
JT

JayTee wrote: ↑Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:26 pm Great work Larry. A truly inspired DIY.

A word of caution though, don't paint it black. That's the one piece of equipment you don't want to make invisible so you kick it at night.

Cheers,
JT

Thanks!
Already have the white paint ready to go!
Just need to get some self etching primer for the smooth metal surfaces..

Larry

Larry, that is genius! And nice of your son to help as well. I do a fair amount of welding and I quite like the job done; kudos to him for that. John's right; that turnbuckle idea was well thought out too!

Be great to hear how it works for you once it's all painted up

All the best,

Nice job Larry. Very creative and functional.

Things got busy and the project was placed on hold for a while but it's finished.
I got to test it out last night and it works great. I can now use the front leveler for my altitude adjustment for PA.
You may notice that the levelers are extra long. That's so I don't have to bend down to adjust them.

Larry

Great to hear it works well for you.
Anything to make it easier to view

Great idea on the levelers! :Clap:

Inventive and practical, I like the end product.