Improving a dobsonian azimuth movement

Hi out there,

I have an old 8" Celestron dob mount which is quite servicable except for the azimuth (right/left?) movement. It has a tendency to stick. It only becomes a problem when I use higher powers, but can be quite frustrating. I have teflon pads on the rotating part of the mount, but they are riding on the painted wood of the stationary platform. What can I do to "smooth it out"?

Thanks...Allan S.

Clean the bearing material first. I use windex and it works well. Then try it again. If it still is sticky, you may want to replace the bearing blocks.
Floyd

It's the "riding on the painted wood" part that's likely the problem. Add some Ebony Star laminate and you'll see a big improvement. Make sure the Teflon pads are clean, too.

You should be able to find small quantities of Ebony Star at your local Lowe's or Home Depot.

Good luck,
Doug

I haven't seen the Celestron version, but probably the Teflon is OK if it is cleaned. Where I think you could get improvement is increasing the diameter of the center bolt. I have used a 1/2 inch carriage bolt that I attach permanently to the ground board and then on the rocker box I have a bigger hole that can fit a brass sleve that the bolt goes through. You could try the milk carton washers around what you have in the center already. That seems to help quite a bit too.

Charlie