Richlite

Has anyone ever considered using Richlite as a structural material for a dob? It's a paper/phenolic material. It's used in applications from commercial kitchen countertops/cutting boards to boating to skateboard park ramps.

Advantages: waterproof, homogeneous, machines well, holds screws well.

Disadvantages: density (1.26), strength/stiffness?, anisotropic

Perhaps a mechanical engineer could compare it to plywood or aluminum for density/strength considerations.

Hi Allen,

I used a similar material for making a gear for an equatorial newt. The original gears were designed by Pierre Schwaar using a high density laminate sandwiched into a workable gear facing.
The gears with decent care can last indefinitely. My oldest scope is 21 years old (14") and has been run many hundreds of times. My newest material for the gears has even better promise; HDPE which is high density phenolic. The same material used for cutting boards.
The Big Foot E.Q. mounts from Pierre have some Richlite and formica for panels on the superstructure.
Depending on weather (region of the planet) Richlite IMO would be a perfect and final solution.

Thanks,
John

This is a side view of Pierre's sector gear showing laminate structure.

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