Click any image for larger view
Complete project. Protractor is used to determine angle,
penny taped to thread for weight. It is used in the dark, so it
doesn't have to be beautiful!
If you are going to make one, make your base board longer than mine, so you can shift the scope more over center of tripod. Make sure scope is over a leg, so it cant fall over easy. I hand a weight between the other to read legs, to help with balance. Front leg will now point north when you see it up right. Wood base can hold things based on how you design it, so you can make a little table top. Also easy to check for level now.
The bottom holes are easy, just lay tripod upside down on wood and you'll know where to drill the holes. The top piece, you want make sure the arms are on the sides, this only took me three tries, but my wrong holes are covered by the scope! Scope is mounted with its original screws.
I glued then screwed the extra wood block so my hinge would be screwed into thicker wood for better grip. I just didn't make them wide enough, so end screw is showing on both!
They sell short threadrod like this at Home Depot (where all parts are from). I drilled the holes at slight angle and then moved drill side to side to get more of oval hole.
This is minimum size, I would make base larger for sure, atleast 15" instead of 10" and then shift everything to get scope a little more over center of tripod.
I used this method (its a pdf file) and this scope was the most accurate it has EVER been. My alignments stars were in my field of view! It seemed to track so much smoother too!
Well worth the $10 or so and the hour it'll take to make!
Good luck!
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