Alternative to Ebony Star

Hi All,

I have a colleague in the middle of building a 10"/F5 dobsonian and he has some Wilson Arts "Ebony Marble" laminate on hand. He has asked me if it is the same as "Ebony Star" and will it work as well. I am not familiar with this material and am hoping someone out there may be able to advise if it is a suitable alternative with a similar co-efficient of friction to ebony star.

TIA
John Bambury

I couldn't find this product on the web. Even googling for: "ebony marble" laminate didn't get good hits. So I am sort of speculating.

The important thing about ebony star is that it is a "pebbled" finish. It isn't smooth. That is what makes it work well. But for a not so big dob, almost anything should be okay, so I would suspect it would be fine.

IMO, using real teflon is essential, tuning the friction by moving the pads is essential, while using ebony star is nice for moderate size and weight dobs.

For larger dobs, there are better materials.